The San Francisco call., 1897-08-18
Workers Almost Disheartened
BY the Opposition They
Meet.
THE GIRLS BULLDOZED In PUBLIC.
a Swarm of Cinnamon Make Open
Threats Against a Witness at
the Courtroom Doors.

work on the petition to President Nc
hlnley, asking him to place before
congress some recommendation regarding
slave holding in California, is meeting
with the best of results, and the petitions,
OF which there are now between twenty
and thirty in circulation, are being signed
very extensively. After the petitions
have been circulated among the churches
ana religious associations they will then
be presented 10 Federal, State and mEni-
clpat officials for their signatures, and
then numerous copies will be sent to all
parts OF the State.
The evidences of slavery in Chinatown
IN this City are so numerous that it is i'm
possible for special committee to come
here without being convinced that there
is great need of some action on the part
OF the Federal Government other than
the present laws. 1t is claimed by many
that all that is ded is a n enforcement
OF existing laws TO put stop 10 slavery
and illegal landing, and if that is the case
then ali the comm ttee will have 10 do
VIII he TO recommend that the Federal
officials be com pe.led to enforce the laws.
Among the officials it is claimed that 1t
IS almost II not quite i'm possible to get
SNAA1S4Cit NOot4AuO4ly 10 COHNlCI III OuiIcSt
cases, but those who are working 10 have
the laws enforced say that the testimony
is always plentiful, but is not accepted.
They claim that the officials draw very
hne line between moral and legal proof
and give the Chinese all the benefit OF
technicalities. 1t is believed tha: if the
committee is sent by Congress IT will see
that the presen; laws allow too much lee
way for illegal immigration and will un-
doubediy suggest some remedy for the
evil that is coEs tautly growing.
While the Federal officials in the past
have been so lax in their enforce NJ ent of
the laws against Chinese i'm migration,
Collector Jackson has steadily set his face
against all lniringements of the law and
has already done much 10 put a stop to
the incoming horde. He has been so
rigid in his examination that the Chinese
importers CT women have concluded that
there must be halt called for while aud
word nas gone to their agents in China to
stop all lmp0rtatlonS until further orders
Since the present agitation began the
highbinders have become very active, and
those in Chinatown who know of their
habits and haunts say there is much
activity among them and that they are
undou btedly getting ready for work of
some kind. The mem bars OF the Chinese
Society for English Education believe this
activity means that the lives of certain of
their members are in danger, and the
result is that when they appear on the
street they are surrounded by body guards
who look as if il would fare hard with INV
high binder who makes the attempt against
them. While the principal members of
the society admit that they are takino
every precaution against attack they saT
they do not fear danger, but will 60 ON
with their work just .he same. It is
known to the police that several new high
binders have reached the City within The
past two weeks and they are being closely
watched
There was an incident at the new Citv
Hall yesterday morning when the Chinese
girl taken several nights ago from a bouse
of evil repute was taken to court to an
swer to writs of habeas corpus, which
shows the difficulties under which the
ladies of the mission work. When thew
arrived at the McAllister-street entrance
the steps were lined with Chinese and
the hack was driven to the Larkin. street
entrance When the girl was taken
into The hall the party was met by gang
OF Chinese who swarmed about them and
began shrieking at the girl, saying.
Don't you dare say you are under 90
wears old ~ Don't you daretsay Won want
TO 20 back to the mi sionW This was
continued until the girl was taken to the
courtroom, and when she left the care of
the ladies she was escorted to the witness
stand by an interpreter, who whispered to
her all the way. When she was place on
the stand she was evidently frightened
and swore that she was over 90 and
wanted to go back to the house from
which she was taken.
At the mission she told that she was
under IS and that she desired to remain
there In court the attorney for the Chi
neee was permitted to make statements
derogatory TO the character OF the ladies'
of the mission without their having an op-
portunity to reply. The Judge decided
the case at once and sent the girl back 10
the house from which she was rescued.
Mrs. Lake was very indignant at the as>er-
ton made by the attorney that the people
of the m ssion made it business of res
cuing girls and selling them to Chinese
who wanted to marry them. The story is
so absurd that 1t scarcely demands a de-
NAL, but as the accusation was made in
such public manner the matter should re-
ceive as prominent refutation, and Mrs.
Lake wanted the denial to be as emphatic
as possible.
The following names of Methodist min
listers were added to the petition yester-
dag: