Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-25
LITTLE PETE MURDERED.
Tho Boss of san frauciseo in China
town Shot.

LITTLE PETE MURDERED.
Tho Boss of san frauciseo in China
town Shot.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 24.-The muir
der OF Little Pete, the boss of China.
town, who was ahnt by highbinders
last night, has created sensation bere.
Little Pete was power In San Fran
cisco among both whites anu Chinese.
Iu many respects he wac q remarkable
mnp. He was born In China about
thirty.two years ago and cams to this
country When years old. His first
employ ment was as orrand boy In
shoe store, where he earned SO
month. He was ambitious ami at
tended nignt school for .veral years.
He then got position MS interpreter
for firms doing buainess with the cus-
tom Ia use. He eaved a little money
and stnrteu a email shoe mznufactory.
The pusiness grew and vt the tine or
his death the factory was one OF the
largest In Saul Francisco. 1t ia known
that Little Pete had 100000 invested
III China, and his fortune Is estimated
at from $3.50, 900 to 100000.
Little Pete, or CHING Fong, which
was the Chinese name, IL credited with
having organized the first bighbinder
society In San Francisco. He got TO-
gether some years ago all the dissolute
Chinese characters and criminals he
could find, and oder his direction they
levied tribute from Chinatown, Little
Pete getting most OF the money. He
was very successful in securing his
adherents from punishment by law,
bul finally got into trouble. He was
charged with attempting to brine two
| policemen and was convicted and
sentenced to i've years in prison. The
| Supremo court, however, granted him
q new trial anu he was acquitted.
Little Pete il was who gave Chris
Buckley, for many years political
| Doss here, his name Of "Blind White
Devil" aud 1t wss Information from
| him that caused Buckley to be indicted
| by the grand jury.
The murdered man was credited
with being ut the head OF every shajy
| transaction in CninatowH. He owned
gambling oens and broth els, aud lande ed
many Chinese Illegally. He was a
true gambler and the game was not
| known that he could not beat. His
brief but lucrative campaign at the
race tracks here surprised everybody.
Two years ago Little Pete commenced
| to play the races. At fret ne bet
| legitiuately, but found he could not
win fsst enough. He econ found
means to work sure thing, however.
Three Of the bost jockeys a. the race
track were secretly in his employ, anu
| the Chinese pluuger commenced to
win heavily. He is credited with
having cleaned up 800, 900 before his
| successful scheme was discovered and
his Jockeys ruled of the turf.
The murder was undoubtedly the
reauIt OF bitter quarrel between the
Sam Yup and SEQ Yup companies.
Little Pete was the leading spirit OF
the sam Yups, composed OF merchants.
The See Yupe, comprising the laboring
element, declared boycott against
| the Sam Yups and war Of extermina.
! ton YVES commenced. Murders have
been frequent and general'v the vic.
tins were high-up men. Tn, 70 crimea
| were credited to Little Pete's infiu.
once, and the See Yups set q price ON
his mead. $1,000 being the amour,
| offered, and proclamation to that
effect was posted In Chinatown.
Six Chinese have been arrested for
| the or me, but 1t is extremely doubtful,
even II the police have got tho right
| men, II they eau secure their convic-
| ton. Little Pete has many friends
and already they are vowing ven.
| geance. An extra force vi police has
| been detailed to maintain order Ia
| Chinatown, but even their presence, Il
| " feared, will not restrain the warning
claDs.
Probably the most uncertain man in
town lie King Owyang, the Chinese
vice consul. He knows that he, too,
| has bean marked for murder, and with
| Chinese stoicism he Is calmly await
| ing the end. King Owyang Is q graf
uate OF Yale, and Tor several years he
haa been vice consul at this port for the
Chinese government. He has been ac.
tive in trying to maintain order Ia
Sam Yups In the fight against the Bse
Yups. Although no price has been
publicly set Oh OwyRng's mead, AZ In
the case OF Little Pete, 1t Is
well known that the See YuE
men are after him, aud 1t ia
only question OF time when they will
yet hun. Little Pete and King
Owyang, IL Ia stated, took u contract Il
break up the bee Yups in this city.
PrIvats detectives We're hired who
doVysd the See Yup men constantly
aud broke into their Meeting place,
anu destroyed their iurpiture. Tn,
SEQ Yups appealed to the courts, ent
the detectives were enioined from
further operations.
King Owyang, when askei today
what he thought his chances were
saId. "They have not got mo yet, bu
they got Little Pete" As Little Pet,
WAS the most feared man in China
tuwn, anu was supposed TO be invul
neEa6le, there 10 every prospect tina
tue vicu-coneul viii coon follow him
Wong Sing and Chin Poy, the twt
Cbinsss arrested last nigal, nave be
gun to tell contradictory stories, an,