The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-21

latter, OF whom there are several hundred
in the employ of Chinese, render every aid
in their power 10 their Monaghan friends as
against the police; but it is being done TO
protect the lives of careless and unthinking
people who allow their curiosity TO out
weigh their better judgment and in order
10 bring the evils to the attention OF the
lawmakers and the courts.
II Chief Crowley's plans do not miscarry,
a decision will soon be rendered in the
Superior Courts that will in all probability
be fully applicable 20 all underground pass
ages, whether In the theaters or under
gambling houses and highblnders' head
quarters.
EUnless one has thoroughly explored an
underground den in Chinatown be can form
no idea of the wonderful cunning exhibited
in constructing MoDgolian maze.
Not only are these maZes underground,
and therefore completely shrouded in dark
ness. but they connect from house to house
until a fleeing Chinese, il he knows the
way, can traverse several blocks without
coming above ground, and can shut behind
him every ten feet or so heavy wooden
door, generally lined with iron and securely
boiled and barred. such door as only
sledge-hammers and axes in the hands of
strong men can bulge the fraction of an
inch from its place, much less open.
And here comes in the value of the dark
ness and the inestimable value Of the mar
TOW paSShR6NdYo OUly LWO 1ccE OE TWO Ie6t
and half wide. with ceilings less than five
and half feet in height.
There Is no room. as can be readily seen,
IN which TO swing an ak or sledge, and
while the officers are chopping away at the
first of series Of seven or eight doors the
escaping Chinese murderer is running
underground two or three blocks away
calmly comes out on the street after having
hidden his weapon, coolly walks back to the
place he killed his victim and stands watch
ing the officers hunting him.
Knowing these facts the officers long
ago adopted the plan of surrounding a
house, men going on the roofs # adjoining
houses as quickly as possible, while all stair
wsys and alleyways are guarded.
Once in while by this plan they are re-
waTded by a glimpse Of the fugitive as
Detective Cox was last week when he got
two shots at the murderer Kee, who was
escaping over the roofs. but unfortunately
failed 10 nit him.
The trouble about surrounding Chinese
maze lies in the fact of the scores of exits
the maZes have. many of them unknown
except to the Chinese who use them, and so
concealed that it requires hours of careful
search on the part of the police to find Them
Heretofore it has been the custom of the
police to enter house through which a
criminal has made his escape and break
down every strong door in ii.
The result has been that when this was
done the Chinese at once sued Chief Crow
ley for malicious destruction of property,
and in some cases secured iBjunctioBs pre-
venting the breaking down of strong doors
pending the trial of the suit They have
then replaced the doors stronger than be-
fore, defying the police and offering even
greater facilities for the escape of criminals.
One OF the drawings made by Chief
Crowley's architect for use In the coming
suits is herewith appended, and if the
reader will give it careful study he will be-
gin to appreciate, not only the difficulties in
the way OF enforcement of the law by the
police, but some of the wonders of the real
Chinatown, which the average white man
and woman never see. The accompanying
diagram is the ground floor of a building on
Ross alley. the upper floor opening on to
the narrow street and the lower floor being
the basement many feet below il.
In explanation suppose that a Chinese
bighbinder shoots d man in the alleyway
and runs into door numbered ], which is
the street door. He mounts three steps and
is in an anter0om. Through door 2 he
runs, slamming II behind him. This door is
Of heavy oak. lined with iron, and fitted