The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-08
LITTLE SLAVE All 500,
Tom King Wo, a Mongol Mer-
chant, Takes a Hand in
Her Case.
to Get Possession Of the
Child.

In the case of the Chinese four-year-old
slave girl, All 500, who was rescued a few
weeks ago from a den on Church alley by
the ladies of the Methodist Mission and
officers of the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children, a very singular pro-
ceeding is now being tried by the Chinese
who are interested in efforts to have the
girl returned to a life of Immoral servi-
tude.
The first thing Secretary McComb of the
S. P. G. G. did was to secure letters ap-
pointing him the guardian of the girl.
Then Charley Hung, notorious high
binder, attempted habeas corpus proceed
ings and failed. Subsequently a woman
calling herself Sue Lee petitioned for re-
vocation of General McComb's letters of
guardianship.
When Sue Lees petition came up Judge
Slack devoted whole day to it and heard
the case fully on it's merits. Evidence
showed that three women claimed the
motherhood Of the child, namely, Sue Lee
and two inmates of the den where the child
was found. The testimony of the woman
keeping the den conficted very much with
that of Sue Lee, who claimed to be a sister
of this woman, and the latter represented
| herself to be an aunt of Sue Lee. There
was such a chaos of evidence that Judge
Slack denied Sue Lees petition, which has
| the effect of a judicial order adverse to her
| pretensions of maternity.
| Now, however, comes Tom King Wo
with another petition for revocation of
| Secretary McCombs letters of guardian
| ship. He represents that he is member
of the firm of Kim Lung & Co. of 72S Du-
pont street, and says that he lives there
with his wife, Quock Ling.
An inquiry at the bazaar of the firm
named yesterday afternoon resulted in the
information that Tom King Wo was not
there at ALL but that he could be found at
Sun Lungs tailor-shop, $40 Sacram ento
street, which was afterward verified. 1t is
said that Tom King Wo has not only one
wife but several, though there may be
| some mistake as to the identity of the
much-married husband.
Attorney Thomas D. Riordan is acting
as Tom King Wos counsel, and a meeting
yesterday between that well-known legal
representative of the Chinese and Attorney
Philbrook. who is representing Secretary
| McComb in this particular case, proved
highly interesting.
Mr. Philbrook took Mr. Riordan to task
for STOPPING so low as to undertake a case
| of this character
I'm surprised at you taking case like
this he said.
''But this man Tom King Wo is the big
gest merchant in Chinatown" was Mr..
Riordan's reply.
well, you know this child was in vile
den," Mr.. Philbrook argued
ooh, that's nothing Mr.. Riordan re-
sponded. you know, the Chinese don't
mind that sort of thing"
Eyes, but you forgot that this is not
| China" was the retort of Mr.. PhiIbrook;
this is America"
| The wording of the petition which Mr.
Riordan drew up for Tom King Wo is of a
| far different sentiment than his words to
Mr.. Philbrook would lead one to suppose.
| 1t sets forth that the child is only 81
years of age and asserts ''that the removal
of said child from the congenital condi-
tons to the care and custody of white peo-
pie is not for the best interests of the said
child in respect to its temporal and its
mental and moral welfare, and that there
is no necessity for such interference; and
it is the expressed wish of it's parents that
such child be reared in the teachings and
education of her own race and among her
own people and have the family training
adopted by the Chinese race; that such
training consists in part of the funda-
mental education that the Chinese life is
essentially family relation, and the sys-
tenn of Chinese education is dedicated to
this vital principle, which involves deep
reverence for their parents and strong
devotion to their relatives and the mem
bers of their family ETC.. etc.
The case will be heard by judge Slack
on the 18th inst.