The morning call., 1892-06-26
LANDING CHINESE GIRLS.
Two White Men Caught by the
Officers of the Law.
They Perjured Themselves FOR So so Day.
An Important Arrest by Inspector
Pattison.

Chinese Christian BT6tNeTn al 70 toepSCt
place 13-year-old Chinese girl named 10y
How, who had yesterday morning been
landed from the steamship China upon the
affidavits of NJ. Moffitt and James d. Bell.
1t is possible that the girl has right to
land, but il is now known that the perJured
testimony OF two white men was secured in
order to land her.
The Tip" that something was wrong with
the case of 10y How was given to the Col
lector of the Port some time ago, and steps
were taken 10 guard against fraud.
1t appears that "Monte" Moffitt and one
Coots, alias James ID. Bell, were prepared
to land one or more Chinese women upon
the arrival Of the China by the means OF
forged signatures TO false affidayits.
Ga or about April q las. Moffitt entered
saloon on Third street, and, displaying
handful of gold. "set EN- up to every one
In and about the place. He boosted OF hay-
ing found an easy way to make money ana
let fall hints sufficient 10 put officials on the
trail Of MOffltts scheme.
Later the same day CoOts and Moffitt met
In the same saloon and quarrel ensued
over a division of an amount Of money,
about 500, which Moftitt apparently had in
charge. CoOts In his anger asserted that he
had "helped Moffitt do job" for which, If
he was caught, he would get 10 years, and
that he was not satisfied with the pay.
Atterward the men made uD their differ
ences and continued boon companions.
BOGUS AFFIDAVIT.
Investigation developed the fact that on
April q last Coots, signing the name of
James ID. Bell, and Moffitt signing his own
name, went before Louis b. Harris Of 326
Pine street and swore 10 an affidavit In sub
stance as follows:
That they both knew one Ng Fong Low, alias
10y How, to be a native OF lhis city San Fran,
CISCO That she was about ] 3 years OF age, and
thai her father was y ( kuug Low OF Sl9 Dupont
street. whom they had known from 10 TO Is
years. That the girl left this country with her
mother seven years ago when but SIX years OF
age, and that her mother died in China some
months ago, and he girl now desired 10 return
10 her father
This affidavit was forwarded to China on
the steamship Belgic, and accompanied
the girl on her trip here.
On Thursday last the ship China
arrived and that day MOf1itt and CoOts, &C
companied by b. f. Bergen, an attorney-at-
law, appeared before Collector Phelps with
tile original affidavit made by the men, TO
which was attached the sworn statement OF
girl herself, and asked that she be landed.
With the men we're Ng Fung Low, her
alleged father, and Ng Hung Gin of I'll
Commercial street, who claimed TO be the
girls uncle.
Investigation into the case failed to de-
veIOp any crooked work, and the Collector
of the Port yesterday morning signed
the papers allowing the girl TO land. The
papers were given TO the attorney, who,
accom- panied by Mofitt and C0ots, took
hack and drove 10 the steamship, where
they went aboard. and the witnesses idelti-
flying the girl she was allowed to depart
WIKI them.
Once the girl was in the possession of
Muffitt and COots they lost no time n get
ting her ont of the way. The attorney was
entirely innocent in the matter, il being his
nd q
says it will be bis last. and consequently he
WAS gotten rid Of as quickly as possible by
leaving him at his Office and then the hack
was driven rapidly away.
AS soon as Collector Phelps was notified
of the fact that MOffitt and C0otS had fraud
ulently landed the girl be telegraphed TO
the officers in charge Of the China to try and
stop the girl Finding she had been landed,
Officer Pattison WAS at once detailed TO find
her.
A visit to the attorneys Office was made,
and the lawyer was surprised, disguised aud
angry at having been imposed on by the
Chinese lie said II will only too willingly
help you if / can. All l know about this
case Is that Ng Hung Gin, who claims TO be
the uncle Of the CIR, and for whom some
time ago | conducted a case, came 10 me
aud asked me TO land his niece.
AGREE on A FEE.
1--WE agreed upon $50 as a fee for my
work, which as yet has not been
paid NE. The witnesses he brought
With hun, and also letter written
by Notary Harris TO Paris hilburn, saying
he knew Ng Hung Gin, and that be was all
right | considered the case a perfectly
legitimate one, and to-day when we went to
the ship the two men readily identified the
girl. and together with her uncle made a
oath as 10 their knowledge Of her, and she
was delivered to US. We got into the hack
and drove TO my Office, where got out, and
the men drove away with the girl
BY questioning Inspector Pattison ascer-
tained that the attorney had taken the num-
her OF the hack mentally, aud that IL was
o. The hack was soon found and from the
driver it was learned that the girl had been
taken TO % Prospect place.
Inspector Pattlson, accompanied by De-
IectiVe GlennOn and an interpreter, went at
once to the house. The door was opened
by the wife OF NJ Gin. Through the IN
terpreter the woman was asked for the girl,
but she positively denied knowing anything
about her. She was asked again and again
about the girl and for her husband. She
replied that her husband was out in town,
and that no girl had come to the house. A
search OF the premises was then made and
the girl was found locked up in a little tack
room, and Ng Gin, the husband was found
guarding her,
The girl was first taken to the Collectors
Office, and thence to Miss CulbertSon's mis-
sion, where she will remain until her case
is finally disposed Of
Then began search for Moffitt and
Coots. Inspector PattisOn and Detectives
Cox and GlenuOn comprised the search
party, while two amateur detectives went
cut on their own hook. About 9 o'clock
these amateurs located CootS in a saloon on
| Third street, near Howard, and notified the
officers. They were found hot on the scent
and soon had COOts in custody.
A first the man would not say anything,
| but by the time he had reached the Police
Ia \ 4
| breast of it, and at his own request the fol-
lowing confession was written:
MONTE" MoFFTrT.
| Some time in April last the man known as
"MOnte" MOflitt came 10 me and told me he had
| a scheme 10y which we could make lots of money
! He said he would run the affair and that all |
had 10 do was 10 sign my name to aifidayts. He
! told me the scheme was 10 land Chinese women.
| He made The bargain with the Chluese for doing
| the work, and The terms he told me were SO so
| per day for each Of us while we were working
| on a case, and $50 apiece when we succeeded in
| landing woman. agreed TO go Into II, and
| day or two after lie took me 10 I'll CONNER
| ela street. and there / met Ng Gin. Gin.
Hee wS 1a II. "s T, sS Notary n mnd
and after / had signed 1t Gin gave me
50 in gold and also gave Mofht So. How much
more MOfiiu got / don't know We done
nothing more until the China arrived, and then
we Tried 10 land The ghl. After we had landed
her to-day we stopped AT Lawyer Bergen's office
on our way uptown. aud there Fung Low, who
claimed TO be the giTPs father. paid Mofitt and
i So apiece, but didn't give the lawyer anything.
There was balance OF SIS coming 10 Mofiitt
and /, and we were 10 60 to the corner Of Sacra-
mento and Stockton streets on next Monday
morning aud get the balance d ue us. This Is
the first JOB OF The Kind l have been In, but /
don't know about Moiftt.
Coots took his arrest very much to heart
and begged piteousIy that his name be kept
out of print on account of his relatives
back East. He is said to be the prolligate
son of wealthy parents. but the police here
have no record against him.
The officers believe Coots' story ard say
in all probability he was only cats2aw
used by Moffitt for the one case only.
COots was taken TO the County Jail and
booked as a United States prisoner on
charge of felony, which will probably be