The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-12
CHEATED THE GALLONS.
THE CUNNING TRICK OF a CHINA
MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH.

guised ana Sent to China.
Fresno DispGtch IN San Francisco Chronicle.
There is an incident in the his
tory of Ere no county which has never
yet been published, but which deserves
to be put in print, for it shows how
the cunning Of Chinese outwitted the most
vigilant watchfulness Of law officers and
saved from the gallows e condemned crimi-
nal. The story reads like a romance, but
its truthfulness can De vouched FOR by many
persons.
The facts were not known to a white man
till last night. when a Chinese detective di-
vulged them TO a lawyer.
On the morning Of Nov. 81, 1889, a brutal
murder was committed in the Chinese quar-
ter of Fresno. The victim was Chinese
woman.
The murderer. Alb Gee Yung, was caught
red-handed and covered with the Hood Of
the dead woman. The knife was still in bis
hand, and after he made the first dash to
escape. when the officers appeared, ne re-
sisted no more and did not deny that he had
Committed the deed. His only excuse vas
that the woman had deserted him
The case was plain, the jury found him
guilty and the penalty of death was pro-
nounced. The usual appeals to the supreme
| court were taken, but they awaited nothing.
Powerful Chinese companies had stood by
Ah Gee Hung through all his troubles, and
they showed no Intention OF deserving him
az long as there was any hope, ard, with
them, 50 long as there was life there was
hope.
First An Gee Yung attempted TO escape.
BY what means he secured the keys or
where he concealed them from the frequent
search of the jailer is not stated. Yet one
day ne unlocked his cell door aud was
passing across the corridor when he was
discovered and taken back.
A few days afterward, at dusk, while
the Jalier's back was turned for q moment
All Gee Yung unbolted two doors and
escaped from the Jail. Although he had
not thirty seconds the start of the taller
yet be had successfully disappeared, aud for
some time nothing was heard of him. But
at length he was discovered in a closet near
the jail. cllnging like bat to the wall
back Of the door.
He was returned to his cell. A search
more rigid than ever as made for the key
with which he unlocked the doors of the
jan. The wardens and the officers about
the building assisted and not a space within
the cell as large as grain Of wheat was lsf6
unsearched. His clothes were taken Off and
his queue vas unbraided, but nothing az all
was discovered.
The second attempt to escape by unlock
ing the prlson doors was on Oct. % 1890.
The day Of execution was nesr at hand.
The death watch, John Dennis, was placed
over him just outside the door, where every
movement could be seen at once.
The condemned man lay on his bed and
seemed to fall asleep. About 1880 that
night the death watch observed prolonged
silence in the cell, and becoming suspicious
unlocked the door aud went in. All Gee
Yung was apparently dead. The troth on
his mouth showed that no had taken poison.
Dennis, the guard, shook him, but the China
man gave no sign OF life. The guard called
In the prison officials and a messenger vas
sent for DR.. Lewis Leach, the prison
physician.
DR.. Leach sooD arrived and, with the as
sistance Of Sheriff Hensley. Janitor Smart,
John Dennis, the death watch, and Charles
Bond, tbs Chinaman was treated to revive
him, for the doctor said that life was not
extinct It was pronounced case OF opium
poisoning, and as 3 further proof Of this C.
horn vial was found between the blankets
OF the bed. IL would contain about an ounce
OF opium, but was empty when found The
odor showed that 1t had contained that drug.
All the known Antidotes for opium
poisoning were used. Three times the doc
tor pumped the Chiusman's stomach full of
water and pumped 1t empty again. Coffee
was given also. At O'Clock in the morning
life was not extinct and the doctor left him
and thought it possible that the poison had
been overcome and that his life would be
saved for the gallows. But in an hour the
Chinaman was pronounced dead.
Soon after daylight that morning tbs
body was put in box and SAINT to the coro-
ner's Office The Chinese we're early at the
Jail with oilers to bury the body ss soon as
it should be turned over TO them. AS the
burial would be an expense to tbs county il
done by the undertaken, and as the Chinese
offered to do it for nothing there was no
OhIarEinp aud ell
would he turned over 70 them as soon as q
coroner's jury had brought in verdict OF
the cause of death.
The inquest was held that morning. DR..
Leach said death was due TO opium poison
ing. The jury viewed the body and signed
q verdict that All Gee Yung came to his
death from opium administered by him
self
This done the body wac placed IL a rough
box and turned over TO the Chinese who
we're waiting at the door. The box was
placed IN wagon and the long procession
OK the Chinese funeral moved out of town to
the Monaghan graveyard, two miles dis
tant. No white man accompanied the fu-
neral, for no one had any interest in the
dead murderer. The graveyard was
reached, box was buried, the ceremonies
and usual exercises were gone through
with, food and papers were left at the
grave, as is the custom. and that evening
the delegation OF tramps who had heard of
the burial wandered out TO the graveyard
to eat the food left there. and that was the
end of All Gee Yung. the murderer, 1t was
thought.
But it was not so. Fifty people can be
found in Fresno who will take an oath that
they saw All Gee Yung alive after the cor
oner's jury pronounced him dead.
Finding that the last hope was gone, a |
Chinese druggist prepared a potion which |
would stupefy, and, in a measure, suspend |
life. This was placed in the possession of |
All Gee Yung to be used as a last resort.
After his second failure to escape he drank |
the drug, and 10 still further simulate death |
he blotched his skin with a paint prepared |
for the purpose, SO as TO give bis face and |
neck a dark purple, like that observed in a |
dead person by the blood settling near the |
surface. As a still further deception az |
artificial froth was prepared for the mouth |
like that produced by poison. All worked |
perfectly according 20 design.
The rough and poorly Joined boz in which |
the Chinaman wasShauled to the grave sd- |
mitted enough air to keep him from snoth-
erinR. No time was lost in reaching the |
graveyard. No white people followed, but |
in case they had followed a trick was pre-
pared for the emergency. In the long |
funeral train there was concealed second |
box in general appearance like the first 1t |