The morning call., 1894-10-18
A Chinese Slave Girl Is
Left to Die.
ABANDONED AS INCURABLE
In a Frightful Charnel-HOuse in
Chinatown.
CRUELTY OF HER FIRST OWNER.
An IncurabIe Disease, Caused by
Repeated Beatings on the Child's
Knees, Ends Her Life.

A little Chinese girl was buried quietly
from the Children's Hospital on California
street last Monday, although her case was
one that called for investigation by the
police authorities.
This bit of humanity, whose sufferings
ended Saturday night when her miserable
life came to close, was the victim of the
most atrociously inhuman treatment. As
she had been attended by American physi-
clans for some time before death, how
ever, ali that was left of her emaciated
body was inferred in the customary way,
with only the Formally of a doctors GER
tlficate of death intervening between an
investigation at the Morgue and oblivion
regarding her fate.
Instead of being case for a physician S
certificate of death. subsequent develop
ments show that the child's death, in all
probability, was the result of barbarOus
cruelty by Chinese woman. Nor was
that ALL She was left to die more than
two months ago 10 Chinese undertaking
establishment, sometimes Familiarity
termed ''the Chinese Morgue." on Pacific
street, between Stockt m and Dupont.
About the middle of last July Miss Gull
bertson of the Chinese Presbyterian Mis-
sion Home on Sacramento street received
information from private source, posi-
bly, from some Mongolian friend of the
home, that Chinese girl about II years of
age was abandoned by her owner. The
nformant stated that the child mad been
adiudged lncurable by Chinese doctors,
who said IL would be only matter of a
very short while before she would die.
Hearing this judgment passed the gir.'s
owner placed her in the undertaker's shop
IL 4 i .t.o-
Acting on this information Miss Cuiberi-
son made the necessary preparations TO
save the child, and then rescued her from
the horrible place. The girls name was
found to be Chun Hay. She was carried
to the Mission Home on Sacramento stree t
and given temporary home.
At that time there was no room to spare
in tile Chilaran's Hospital In Richmond, &,
so Chun remained at the home uDder the
kindly and Intelligent ministrations of
nurses and DR.. NJ. q. WOrley. She grew
stronger and improved, though ever so
little, until about week ago they re-
moved her to the hospital. The doctors
saw il was a hopeless case, for the little
one had suffered 50 from disease and hun
ger she could not be brought back TO
health Saturday night she died and the
following Monday was buried in the Mis-
sion cemetery. The death certificate was
Tor a natural disease, and so there was no
need of an investigation. The doctors
we're not supposed to know what had in
duced the disease, but merely that il was
a white swelling which might be caused
bv various means or might be natural
growth.
"All know about the matter is what
was told me- said Miss CuIbertson. 81
cannot give the names OF my lnfOrmantS
hut know what they said is true. Chun
Hay was owned by a Chinese woman in
Portland, Or, who had been extremely
cruel to her. This woman beat the child
on the knee aud that is supposed TO have
caused the disease. DR.. Worley said she
believed the disease was brought about by
beating.
"The girl was bought by Chinese in San
Francisco and brought here. She was a
slave girl, owned by her purchasers.
When she was sold the little gIl was
cautioned not to say her knee was affected,
as if she did the sale could not have been
made. The child did not tell how sick she
was until she became lame. Then some
Chinese doctors treated her, but she only
grew worse.
"When Chun was beyond their power
10 heal, she was taken to an undertaker's
place on Pacific street and left there To die
have been told tha, it is customary to
pIace children there when they are in
durable. They die in time and are buried
By the undertaken. l went to the place
aud the Ii tie girl was brought out from a
back room. She was emacia;ed so that ii
seemed that only the skin was drawn over
skeleton, but her knee was swollen
frightfully."
The size of the swelling, as indicated by
Miss Culbertson, was about as large as a
mans head.
1--WE brought her to the home" contin-
ued Miss Culbertson "and endea vOr.d to
build up her constitution. thinking that in
time she would be strong enough to
undergo an operation. To save her it
would have been necessary to amputate
The limb. AS soon as there was room in
the hospital we bad her moved there, but
it WAS impossible that the poor creature
could live"
The undertaking-shop on Pacific stree:
has the sign outside: "On Took. Dealer
in Collins" 1t is located in the southeast
corner of the ola Chinese hospital. Though
the external appearance is bad enough the
interior is SO far below the average
Chinese shop that for filth and squalor it
has few equals in Chinatown. There are
rows of cheap collins on racks al. smoke
begrimed, with an opium couch under
meath. a passageway TO the rear is lil-
tered with rubbish of all sorts-old vessels.
clothing, tools, refuse. Behind that again
is the room where little Chnn was aban-
doned to horrible death. 1t is dark and
foul smelling, just such place as would
be chosen for Chinese bodies. and well
STYLED "Chinese MUrgue."
On Took admitted that Chun Hay had
been left in his establshme and was re-
moved by Miss Culbertson. Beyond that,
however, he knew nothing, though as
bland about his pretended ignorance as
could well be imagined.
Chun Hay belonged to the owner of the
Espanola Cigar Company, on Pacific
street. near Dupont. He said that lie was
Chun's friend. that she came from Port
land and could not be saved by the doc
tors. At last. however, she was worthless
as a slave girl, aud though copsidera bic
money had been expended among Chinese
doctors in trying TO cure her Chun was ut
terly abandoned. Nor did her friends"
care what became of the cnild's body alter
death. 1t is their way.
KuI INC HODCE