The morning call., 1892-07-15
A VERY THIN STORY.
An AbOrtive Attempt to Corrupt
q Customs officer.
The Chinese Vice-Consul Deceived By an Old
and Valued Friend-A Fraud With
out Arrests.

| yesterday with story which consisted of a
| mountain Of falSehood balanced upon a
grain of truth.
| The previous exploits OF the "gang" men,
toned and the results have given the people
enough Information as to the men aud
| methods to make them take any story
emanatiug from such source with a very
large grain of salt"
The story published yesterday morning
was TO the effect that the newspaper en-
| plOying the eavesdroppers had induced one
| Ii. \. chang, Chinese lawyer, to under
take to land, with the assistance of others
and in consideration of $40, Chinese who
had never been in this country. The means
was forged certificate
The queer and weird tale goes on to relate
how, after a months work. the Chinese
Eice-COnsul, King Owyang, was led into
being an accOnplice in the crime, and
| George PattisOn, an inspector in the Gus
toms service. was kewise implicated.
The true story seems to be that plot
was carefully arranged with purchase ble
Chlnese by the transom-climbers." and
they were aided by four respectable mer-
! chants. This plot was worked out to make
| a sensational story for the paper.
On June .. 1891. Owyeong Tong, aged 40
years, a native OF China and member of
| the firm of Fook, Hing Il Co.. 7i6 Dupont
4
PekiDg for his native land. While in China
he died. His death was well known TO the
Chinese colony here, as he was distantly
related 10 members of the consular service
In this city.
CHINESE LAWYER.
A few days ago one III. Y. Chang, a
| Chinese lawyer, graduate of Yale College
and playmate in childhood. a coliege-mate
| and a friend of the Chinese Vice Consul,
called at the Consulate ana presented a Ger
tihcate Of Identification to King OwyanC,
and asked that the same be yised. the GER
tifcate called for the identification of
OwyeOng Gum Tong, whom Chang stated
had lett this country in 1891, and now
wanted TO return but mad lost his ideutfca-
tiOn papers. The Nice-COnSul was asked TO
wise the certificate as a duplicate of the lost
papers, the originals being issued June l.
1891. TOthe alleged duplicate was attached,
as stated, the signatures of four we'll known
business men who, the ''tTansOm elm beTs"
now aliege. signed the certificate, knowing it
TO be bogus document
Ii was the first certificate OF Identification
Chang had ever presented TO King OWyang,
the Vice Consul. The two had been chill
dren together in China. had gone TO school
together In Shanghai emlgrated together TO
this country, were TOOmmates at Yale and
graduated at the same time. Then King
Owyaug came to this city and entered the
diplomatic service of his empire while
Chang went 10 Columbia College. cut off his
queue, studied law, was admitted to the bar
IN New York State and there practiced for
time. His health failed, he went to the
Sandwich Islands and then returned here.
and being refused admission TO the bar il
this city became a counselor 70 his chum
and friend, the Nce-Consu
During MS residence in his city Chang
has had free run of the Chinese consulate
and has advised and cOunSeled with King
ONyang for weeks ana months. In conse-
Queuce, when he came 10 King Owyang
and asked, for the first time. the iaYoT OF
the wise OF q duplicate certificate OF idenli-
fcatlOn, King OYyang did not refuse him,
especially as the said duplicate was signed
by four respectable business men. one of
whom the Nice-COnsul knew well. Besides,
as both the Vice-COnsul and Chang well
knew, the wise Of a certificate by the Chi
nese Consul has no weight with the Col
lector Of the Port. The Collector depends
on no records from the Chinese consulate,
never consnlts them, and no matter If
every Chinese diplomatic official In the
city signed certificate for countryman
he would require the evidence of rella BILE
white men before the Chinese could land
Neither are the photographs left at the Chi
| nese consulate Of any value.
THE WISE.
The intelligent Chinese departing from
| this country aud expecting 10 return never
| take the trouble 10 call at the Consulate for
| wise Of their certificate OF Identification
knowing ii Is, when obtained, worthless
King OwyaDg said yesterday: ANY Chi
| Bese can come in here, show NE a paper
| and ask me to wise il, leave his Photograph
and 60 away. I'll wise the paper. throw the
photograph in drawer and that's the last
| OF it. Why? Because your Collector pays
no attention TO either wise or photograph
| filed here"
So much for the story OF the eavesdrop-
| pers as TO the most important Endorsement
! of alP' on the certificate, and be it added
that Collector Phelps, as well as his officers,
| cOrroborate every statement made by King
| Owyang.
After Chang had secured the wise Of the
| Vice-COnsul and had turned over the GER
| tifcate to the men who were negotiating
with him, the eayesdroppers proceeded to
| arrange plan by which they hoped TO i'm
| plicate customs official.
George Pattis0D, an inspector who has a
record of having sent more Chinese back 10
| China than any other officer in the depart
| meDt was selected as the victim.
One OF the eavesdrOppers undressed and
went 10 bed in room So at the Occidental
HOtei, second one crawlei under the bed,
while third one occupied position on q
| table in an adjoining room and peered
through the transom. The plan was, as
stated. to tell Pattison that they knew he
| was helping Chinese to land illegally. offer
him some promise OF reward to help in the
| case In hand and then get something from
| him In some way TO convict him. The
scheme failed.
SUSPECTED A JOB.
Pattison suspected a Job when he got the
letter, and asked Inspector Noyes TO accom-
| pany him.
He was in the room with the sick "sleuth
hound but five minutes, and then came
| away.
His story Is as follows: "When I re-
celyed the letter suspected job of some
| sort l got NOyes To go with me- When |
went to the room l told Noyes If | was not
| down in five minutes to come up after me.
Once In the room and when | heard the
statement Of tue man Stillwell, alias Baker,
l simply told him if he was paying any
money to any one to land Chinese ne was
being swndled, and then came awav."
Careful investigation shows Pattison's
| story TO be truthful, and Collector Phelns
believes 1t, but the latter proposes To give
the eaVesdroppers chance 20 testify under
oath as TO their charges of Pattison's com
plcty.
The idea that an old detective like Patti.
son. even II crooked, would place himself
in the hands of an entire stranger without
reward or promise OF one, but with every
ptospect Oh 0lsSTace ana years OF punish
ment, is, on the face Of ii, aproposItion that
the customs officials declare absurd.
lhe whole story amounts to simply the
TACT that Chang, purchasable Chinese. and
some OF his purchasabe friends were
ptlDeu 10 COMMIT crime. and that Chang
ANY man, with far less money than 500
can 20 into Chinatown and find scnres oi
chinese and white men who will agree tc
undertake the landing OF Chinese ON forged
ceLt'hcates' Inc case OF CoOts and Moffit
who were shown up by THE CATI q fa,,
days ago, and who were arrested within Il
hours alter the commission of their crime. is 4
case In point. 1t Is pertinent that no arrest.
were caused to be made by the men who en-
s'uee1eu Sei .ne stSry oil the eavesdroppers.
collector Phelps said yesterday: "W,
Know that the Chinese are constantl,
schemlDg TO illegally land their country.
men, and we know. too. that white men o.
prominence and standing in the communit,