The herald., 1895-03-04
LOU SUEYS OBSEQU|ES
..e1adti ----
The Victim OF a Highbinder's
Shot Is Laid Away
INTERRUPTED CEREMONIES
A Disturbing Element Plays Havoc With
the Ritual
Faithful Accounts Of the Plaza and Cemetery
INTERRUPTED CEREMONIES
Faithful Accounts Of the Plaza and Cemetery
Occurrences, Which We're
Disgraceful

Lou Suey, years ago the official Chinese
interpreter in the city courts and more
recently well-to-do merchant, and who
was shot to death on Tuesday evening,
February 10th, was planted in the Chinese
cemetery on the East Side yesterday
afternoon in the presence of a crowd oil
Caucasians numbering fully 1900 persons.
The day was as perfect as even Southern
California exhibits. The air was pleas
antlv warm Away from the city nature
was seen at its loveliest. The grass was
green and rank the flowers were every.
where, the trees were in full blossom and
birds sang as though appreciatiye OF the
day. And vet this was all marred by a
turbulent element which met in oder to
witness a pagan funeral ceremony.
The body of Little Lucy" as he was
known to hundreds of Americans, had
been taken after death to the undertaking
rooms of Sharp e. Samson, at 536 South
Spring street, where it was embalmed.
Under the instruction of friends money
was placed in the hands, ears and mouth
of the deceased after embalming and his
body clad in the richest materials.
Promptly at 1 o'clock yesterday, casket
cloth covered and of metal, was borne
from the undertaking rooms and placed in
the hearse which was waiting at the
door. This was done by the assistants OF
the undertaking firm and was witnessed
by only three or four Cinnamon.
In the meantime other scenes relative
to sthe burial were taking place in
another part of the city. A little after
Ii 80 O'Clock number of white people
gathered on the east side of the plaza cir
Gle and cast frequent looks at the build
ings opposite and across on Los Angeles
street. There. among group OF Celes-
tials, one, a thin, cadaverous-looking in
oh Il
nose extremely short even for China
man, stepped out from the sidewalk and
into the street and commenced examining
the crowd. He soon was apparently
satisfied and turned to his companions,
exchanged few condolences, dived into
the darkness of doorway and disap-
peared. He soon returned bearing a
broken Ratchet, and again reaching the
street, commenced chopping. This pas
time he would occasionally vary by scrap
ing away with his bony hand the detritus
which the chopping had produced. This
was repeated in three other places and il
attracted the attention of those who had
taken up position near the plaza circle.
The number of these had been greatly
augmented by men and women who,
seemingly with common purpose, were
centering there.
The labors OF the cadaverous Chinaman
being ended, two others made an appear
ance from near doorway bearing foui
slender poles each about five feet long,
and roll Of cotton cloth. The poles un-
der deft hands soon assumed the position
OF uprights, and from the tops of these
was stretched the cotton forming can
opy of, say, nine feet long by four wide,
the length being parallel with and about
one foot from the sidewalk. Arough
pine table that bore abundant evidence o.
! a life OF usefulness, was then brought out
| and placed close to the south end of the
affair, its greatest length being at right
angles with the street. --
! While these operations had been goinf
on, the number of onlookers rapidly ano
largely increased, and at the finish fully
500 persons were present. At every door
way were Cinnamon stolidly looking upon
the scene. As the minutes passed others
came to view the first burial ceremonies
over LOUIS body, for this explains the
purpose of the canopy and the side table.
At II 80 there were 10, 900 persons present
At clock there were congregated 200t
persons who crowded and jostled and
pushed, each one eager to see what was
beneath the cotton cloth.
OF course there was nothing to be seen,
but those in the rear did not know this,
and so struggled and fought for nearer
view. This kept the crowd in a turmoil
Of dust that was anything. but pleasant
At about 1:25 ?. M, and when those
human beings, which must have mum
bered not less than $500 or 5000, the hearst
arrived.
Wedged as was the crowd Immediately
about the canopy. and each individual
seemingly determined to hold at al
hazards his position, much difficulty was
! experienced in beginning the exercises
The entreaties of the funeral director
| availed nothing. The commands of the
police officers, of whom only three were
present, were laughed at At this juno
| ture some scores of men and women en-
tered doorway only to appear on the
balcony of the Hop Sing Long building,
| opposite which the cloth-covered frame
work had been erected. A burly form in
blue and brass assembled the same stair
way up which the stampede had gone, and
| gaining the open front at the top succeed
ed after much parleying, in convincing
| those there that they had better descend
to the street. This they did and theil
places were in few minutes taken by
| Cinnamon, China women and two white
ladies, the latter being richly attired
Down below, the struggling was still
| going on. The policemen, aided by the
party in charge of the funeral. after per-
| haps fifteen minutes managed to effect q
break in the solid mass, and the caskei
containing all that was mortal of Lou
| Suey was carried to the pedestals which
had been placed under the canopy. This
was no sooner done than the opening
made by the short passage of the casket
| closed and the break became again
cemented. The struggling increased, the
| crowding became more vicious and the
! policemen realized that they had a job Of
magnificent proportions upon their hands
| At this juncture a Chinaman appeared
bearing fat board, upon which were
placed cooked chicken, cooked rice and
other edibles; also three or four small
cups containing what looked to be an ex.
| cellently aged whisky. The chicken still
possessed head. The neck was an
| elongated one and brought back upon the
body, while the head was raised, turned
up and had the beak open wide enough
| to admit the passage of Rivera walnut.
With difficulty the solemn looking Celes-
| tial was conducted to the table at Suey's
edibles followed, among which was what
| looked to be masses of rounded dough OIL
unbaked bread, each impaled upon
sticks, but which are known to Chinese as
| tworig, and are produced from the entrails
| of chickens. Allof these were surrounded
with Joss sticks of several forms and
diameters, and lighted. The panel was re.
moved, showing the face, shoulders and
| breast of Suey. He had On a new silk
blouse of light blue color. a. handker
| chief was in one hand and fan in the
other. A small mirror was placed upon
his breast set at an angle that if living
and hung in the same reclmbent position
would have reflected his features. AL
attendant took up a position near tbs
head of the corpse. and with o gay-colOrec
umbrella shaded the features. A musician
took his stand at rthe lower end of the