The morning call., 1893-02-03
HE STOLE THE GIRL.
And Now Her Cousins Wait for Him
With Guns

There was grand dinner party given at
the Chinese restaurant on Jackson street
last night, la honor Of the birth OF a son to
one of the wealthy merchants of China
town. and when THE CALL reporter in-
vaded the banquet-room and handed the
above dispatch TO one OF the guests who
read English he was not prepared for the
scene that followed.
The little round tables were crowded
with tiny-fouted women dressed in TIE
height of Chinese fashion. and beside them
were the Chinese men robed in gorgeous
raiment of silks and fine linen. Tying took
the dispatch and read IL carefully and then
translated it into Chinese for the benefit of
the assembled guests. There was first
murmur and then a perfect whirlwind Of
Chinese expletives, and the men and
women left the tables with one accord and
crowded around Tying, peering over his
shoulders as If trying to decipher the, TO
them. unintelligibie English of the press
telegram. Everybody talked at once, and
for fully five minutes Ii was Impossible TO
wedge an English word in between the
cultural sounds the Chinese men and
maidens were pouring fourth in never
ending stream Of comment upon the news.
vi Out tniu@ tue pDIAtI WAS Sp6GuIl1 COu-
vinced, namely. that Chung Hop Woo was
known TO most of the people present, for his
name was constantly used, and had the
guests been players in a pantomime they
could not have expressed more clearly what
they were conveying to each other in their
queer tongue.
''Do you know Chung Hop Woo" finally
asked the reporter.
"Oh, yes; oh, yes, we know him." re-
sponded the Chinese who held the telegram.
"We know him very we'll. We are much
surprised Very much surprised. Fee
Lund has cousins here and Chung Hop
Woo has many cousins here"
IL must be remembered that Chinese
families maintain their relationship on
down to the forty y-second cousins and there
hardly Chinese family In America that
has not uncles and cousins scattered
throughout the United States and British
possessions.
"The Chung family" began Tying. when
the excitement had subsidized somewhat, "iS
poor family. Hop Woo is the mans given
name who is mentioned in this dispatch.
He is known here and was at one time con-
nected with the house o: Ying Chung, at
S45 Dupont street. The firm failed some
months ago and Chung Hop Woo. afte:
borrowing money from all his cousins, in all
a considerable amount, disappeared. lie
was gambler and a what-you-call-'em fast
fellow. He bought lots of silk clothes be-
fore he left and probably went right to New
York. OF course his story about being the
agent for a San Francisco syndicate OF
merchants is all a lie, but it is quite possible
he is in with high5inders and white men
who are in league with highbinders In the
smuggling business.
Let me tell you, IL you don't know it,
that the Chinese merchant who goes into
the smuggling business knows W whom he deals
with and Chung Hop Woo was too fond OF
his conk to be trusted with secrets"
TOO fond Of what" queried the re-
porter.
Liked his conk. all the same your
whisky" explained Tying, and then lie went
on. but l suppose you are interested
about the elopement most, eh?" Well,
Fee Lund has cousins here" with q COM
prehensive wave of his hand that took In
every one In the room. "Some of these
ladies are her cousins. They are much sur
prised but say It is probable that Chung
Hop Woo stole the girl her father being
dead. He Is not married to her. We would
know that, and | doubt il he has left New
York with her. But the Chinese East do
not have the family protection we have here.
There are not enough members OF any one
family in tho cities to givo ii. Maybe
Chung Hop Woo stole the girl and sold her,
and maybe he Is holding her for money,
aud maybe they got married, but the last is
the least likely. Some OF the cousins here
will make inquiry about the matter through
the company Chung Hop Woo belongs to at
once"
'Do you know how much Fee Lund was
worth?"
"The Fee family Is rich family" was
the answer. "rhere are not many here. Most
of them are in Europe and In the Eastern
States. They left China by the way Of
Europe and not by San Francisco. No, we
don't know how much Fee Lund had. But
her father did not leave her all his fortune
whatever 1t was. The Chinese never do.
There will be others who get a share"
"But suppose Fee Lund refuses to be
bound by Chinese customs and demands her
fathers fortune as his sole heiresS under
American law, then what?"
"Oh, that would make no difference, and.
besides, she wouldn't do it; no, she
wouldn't do it. Chung Hop Woo is great
scoundrel, and be has got the girl. Maybe
he don't want the money. Maybe he
couldn't get the money. / don't know"
And then they all went to talking again
about the dispatch and the elopement
From oil that could be learned 1t Is more
than likely Tyng's surmise that Fee Lund
WAS abducted or stolen, instead OF clipping,
IS correct. The Chinese have quite as
On ria a bad m and
giving In marriage as they have in regard
10 I'll other matters connected with their
family life. and it is hardly possible that
Chung Hop Woo could have complied with