The Portland daily press., 1894-04-16
IN THE OPIUM JOINT.
The Mysterious Picture of a Fair Woman
and What Came of 1t.

The Mysterious Picture of a Fair Woman
and What Came of 1t.
stWhat is the most peculiar experience
you have had in Summing with parties?"
asked the reporter.
81 can tell you that, "replied the detect
i've after moment of thought, for rec
olleet the details as plainly as if it were
yesterday instead of four years ago. I've
thought of it hundred times, but I've
never been able to explain it to my own
satisfaction. There was a party of two
girls, three young men and an elderly la
dy. One of the girls, a tall, handsome bru-
nette, who lives on Fifth avenue opposite
Central park, and whose uncle is well
known literary man, was much interested
in all we saw and asked me all sorts of
questions. At her request took them into
a we'll known opium joint in basement
just off Chatham square, east. In the rear
room two Cinnamon were smoking. One
of them, an intelligent man named Ching,
was the proprietor of the place. The room
was handsomely furnished, as many of
these places are, in real oriental style,
which mingles comfort with elegance. The
only remarkable thing in the room was a
large sized photograph of sweet faced
which stood on a small shelf, was taken
by fashionable up town photographer,
whose work seemed strangely out of place
in that den. called the attention OF the
brunette, who had entered the room with
me while the rest of the party were in the
outside room, to the picture.
why, isn't it strange she said, that
such picture
ofc x,s% 1ncLnd haa.
ti1y around to see that none of the rest
the room, took the picture down. Turn
ing to me, she said rapidly:
g Il must beg you to say nothing OF this
to the others. They would think it so
strange You must think it SO, too, butt
What you do with the picture?' in
terrupted Ching, who had risen and APP
preached the girl.
II want it, she replied feverishly. I
must have it. To whom does it belongP
ssThe Chinaman 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 to it very soft and quiet. / new
err hear what he says.
"Long Tom was 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 Tom would kill me, he said.
I am afraid to let it 60. 1t is his joss
his God. think he prays to it,
1'sOh, / must have it, cried the girl.
Il viii give you more for it. Here is $50.
Now give me the picture
''At sight of the bills the natural ava
rice of the Chinaman overcame his fear OF
consequences, and he took the money. The
girl hid the photograph under her cloak
just as the rest of the party came in. When
she reached the street, she dropped behind,
crumpled the picture, tore it into minute
pieces and scattered them over the side
walk. 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 China
man whom he had almost killed in an
opium den. Ching recovered, and on his
refusal to make complaint the gambler
was discharged. Ching has gone to San
Francisco, and Long Tom was killed in
Kansas in a saloon row. So suppose the
story of that picture will never be told,
unless the girl who destroyed the photo
graph chooses to tell it. Occasionally l
see her in the street, and always wonder
what possible connection there could be
between her and the sweet faced girl OF
the picture, and the opium slave, gambler
and crook Long Tom. New York World.