The herald., 1893-09-11
AND STILL THEY COME.
CHINESE ENTERED AT THE PORT
OF NEW YORK.
Hordes of the Hesthen Admitted Under
the Guise of Students and Actors.
The Exclusion Law PractI-
csliy Nullified.
BY the Associated Press.

New York. Sept. 10.-The provisions
of the Chinese exclusion act are prac-
tically nullifed at this port. for in nine
cases out of ten those seeking admit
tance are able to pass the ordeal of the
rigid examination and investigations.
Collector Kilbreth, in looking over a lot
OF alleged merchants, students and act
ors the other day, said: "There ia GER
tainly fraud here" and yet after the
most rigid examination he was unable
to shake the testimony of single indi-
vidual. Their credentials being SEEM
ingly correct, they were admitted. Ac-
cordfng to the suspicious OF men most
intimately associated with Chinese
cases. there is an organization of smug-
glers, having headquarters and agents
in Hong Kong, Vancouver, B. O., San
Francisco, New Orleans. Havana and.
New York. The principal pofte are
Havana and New York, the other cities
being merely forwarding stations. Other
features which make this scheme possi-
BILE are the Free Masonry of the Chi
nese, kinship, money and the desire to
circumvent the exclusion law.
The cases of students and actors who
enter the. country for the first time are
most interesting. These all come across
the continent from the Pacific coast to
New Orleans in bond and go thence to
Havana. They undoubtedly receive in
structions ON the way, but the finishing
touches to their education are put on at
Havana, where they remain sometimes
q month, sometimes longer. In Havana
they almost invariably are domiciled
with Yung Sing, and when they reach
New York they are met by Yung
Lung, his cousin, or Lee Foy, the latter's
partner. These three have been openly
denounced by the Chinese inspector at
this port as smugglers. The examina-
tions of the applicants for admission
take place in the main cabins of the
Ward line steamers. The Chinese, to
prove they are not laborers. have per-
mitted their finger nails to grow from the
day on which they left their own country.
They are generally asked to describe
the route by which they came from
China. This is now readily answered +:
but week ago it was difficult cues.
ton. They have evidently been en-
lightaned in the meantime. When
asked why they have taken such a
circuitous route to reach New York.
thev claim either to have had business
in Havana or to have stopped to see a
brother cousin or friend. Nothing can
transcend their calmness when ans
wering the questions, and no amount OF
cross examining can shake their testi-
mony.
Within six weeks upward OF 80 stu
dents have arrived here, % have oisap.
peared or have been found working in
Chinese restaurants or laundries. In
the same time over 20 actors have
reached New York, and since the first
OF the year, 75 There is but one Chi
nese theatre in the city. Some actors
appear on the stage for day or two in
the capacity of "popuace" or ''soldiers''
or among the 'ketinue of the Man
darin."
Where this smuggling can end no one
can tell. The smugglers, it is said.
guarantee the safe delivery of eyery
Chinese here for from sl00 to $3.50. AT
present the rate is at the highest figure.
for the investigation is very rigid. The
system OF communication kept M be-
tween New York and Havana is perfect.
and if an unusual question ia put to an.
plicants of today which they cannot an
swer, in two weeks time every incoming
Chinese can meet it clearly and calmly
and smiling. After reaching this coun-
try the Celestials work out the amount
of money advanced in certain instances
by the smugglers here, and it is pre-
sumed that the latter add good eized
sum to the amount by way OF profit.