The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-27
LITTLE PETE's DEFENSE.
He Denies That He Has Boon Coming
Bad Money.

Bad Money.
To the Editor of the San Francisco CdH-SIR:
In the issue of the Chronicle of May % there
appeared an article one column in length
headed "Little Pete's Queer Halves" This
article is absolutely false from beginning to
end and does not contain a single statement
that bears even the slightest semblance of
truth. The only conclusion my friends and 1
have been able to reach is that the article was
written by some newspaper reporter who wss
grossly imposed on by my enemies.
Being g Chinaman have absolutely no re-
course. retraction OF the article would not
repair the wrong that has been done, and q
libel suit against powerful newspaper would
prove utterly useless; hence appeal to your
paper, which has always been fair and has
always given the use of its columns TO people
the story.
An examination of the article in question
would convince any reporter who has been en-
gagged in reportorial work for the period of one
month or more that the statements contained
therein could have been verified by positive
proof, If there was any truth in them. In the
first place 1t is asserted in the article that the
Chinese actors who came to this country for
the purpose of exhibiting at the Atlanta Fair
were searched when they arrived at the port OF
San Francisco en- route to Atlanta by the Gus
toms officers and that belts containing silver
half-dollars were found on their persons. but
that no suspicion Was aroused, as II was the
most natural thing in the world for the Chi
nese to change their Chinese money for Ameri-
can money prior TO leaving China. The chi
nese referred to did not arrive al the port of
San Francisco en- route to Atlanta, but on the
contrary came to this country via Vancouver
and went TO Ogdensburg, N Y, by the Cana
dian Pacific Railroad and were permitted to
land there by the customs officers.
They did not see san Francisco until after the
close of the Atlanta Fair, which was more than
four months after their original arrival at
Vancouver, and hence was not searched by the
customs officers IN this City, nor did the GUS
toms officers in this City find ony belts on
their persons which were loaded with silver
half dollars.
The reporter could have ascertained these
facts by an examination of the records of the
Custom House and the steamship company.
Furthermore, the reporter could have ascer-
tanned from Secret Service Agent Harris, who
has exclusive con troll of the investigation Of
charges of making or uttering coun terfeit
money. that there was absolutely no evidence
against me, or any one connected with me, to
sustain the charges contained in the article,
and that in addition TO this II had never been
intimated by any of the Federal officers that
was even suspected of being implicated in any
business of this character.
l called upon Secret Service Agent Harris
and demanded of him all inspection of the
complaint or charges which had been preferred
against me, if any, or that he submit any evil
dence he might have against ME to the Federal
Grand Jury. with which course / would be per-
fecsly satisfied, but he informed me. and au-
thorized me TO state, that he has absolutely no
evidence against me, and no person had pre-
ferred any charges against me, or in any way
implicated me in the manufacture or uttering
of this fraudulent money.
/ again beg of you to give space TO this letter
in your paper, as 1t is unfair that the columns
of great paper like the Chronicle should
publish snch q slanderous article against me
simply because am Chinaman.
venture to say that the reporter who wrote
the article would not publish such a statement
against any white man in the City and County
OF San Francisco without verifying the cor
rectness of his statement before publication.
Very respectfully yours, FoNG CHING.