The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-07
An odd Exp erience.

What is the most peculiar experience you
have had in Summing with partiesg'' asked
the reporter for the New York sun. Il can
tell you that" replied the detective after a
moment Of thought for 1 recolect the de-
tails as plainly a. If it were yesterday. instead
OF four years ago. I've thought OF IL hun
dred times, but I've never been able to ex-
pain IL 70 my own satisfaction. There was q
party OF two girls, three young men and an
elderly lady. one OF the girls, a tall. hand
some brunette, who lives on Fifth avenue op-
posite Central park, and whose uncle is a
wellknOwn literary man was much inter
ested IN all we saw and asked me all sorts of
questions. At her request. took them into a
"eIl-knOWn opium Joint IN a basement Just
OF Chatham square. east. In the rear room
TWO Cinnamon were smoking. One Of them.
an intelligent man named c. Ling. was the
proprietor OF the place. j he room was hand
someIy furnished, as many Of these places
are. real Orlen al style. which ningles com.
lort with elegance. The only remarkable
thing IN the room was large-size1 photo
graph OF sWeetfaced girl in evening dress.
Inc photograph. which stood on a small shell,
was taken by a fashona Gle up town photo
gTapher, whose work seemed strangely at OF
pace IN mat den. called the attention Of
brunette. who had entered the room with me
while the rest Of the party were in the out
SIDE room, TO the picture.
Why, isn't it strange she said that
such picture
she broke of with a gasp. looked hastily
around to see that some of the rest were in
sight. then walking rapidly across the room.
took the picture down Turning to me. she
said rapidly:
I must beg you to say nothing Of this to
the others. They would think il so strange
You must think il So too. but
What you do with the picturea' inter
rupttd Ching, who had risen and approached
the girl
- want it, she replied. feverishly. I
must have IT,, To whom does it belong:
:. The Chlnaman grinned 1T is not mine;
It Is Long TOMS. Every time he comes here
TO smoke he puts that picture before him,
and when the smoke gets in his head he
speaks 10 It very soft and quiet. Ineyer hear
what he says
Long Tom was a desperate gambler and
confidence man, as hastily explained TO the
girl She had turned very pale as Ching
spoke Now she took out her purse and
offered him $40 for the picture.
Long EN- would kill me he said. I am
AFRAID to let 1t 60 Ii Is his joss-his God. I
think he prays to it
" Oh, Unjust have it cried the girl I Will
give YOU more for it. Here is &25. Now give
Inc the picture
AT sight Of the bills the natural avarice of
the Chlnaman oVer,ame his fear Of conse-
QuenceS, and he took the money. The girl
MA the photograph under her cloak just as
the rest Of the party came in. When she
reached The street she dropped behind, crum-
PIED the picture, tore it into minute pieces
and scattered them over the sidewalk
Please don't say anything to the others about
it. was all she said to me.
Two days afterWard Long Tom was a
prisoner at Essex Market court, held to await
the result OF the injuries to a Chinaman
whom he had almost killed in an opium den.
Ching recovered. and on his refusal to make
com plant the gam oleF was discharged.
Ching has gone to san Francisco. and Long
Tom was killed in Kansas in a saloon row.
SO | suppose the story o hat picture will
never be told, unless tho cir VINO destroyed
the photograph chooses t. g it. OccarsiOn-
ally see her in the street. aid always Won
der what possible connection there could be
between her and the sweetfaced girl OF the
picture and the opium slave, gambler and
crook, Long Tom"