The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-07-07
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Escaped in a Box.

If Sam Yick will apply for it, he
can easily obtain from the postal
authorities a diploma for being the
subtlest Celestial they have ever had
to deal with.
E8For weeks he robbed the mails with
out detection, for ten months he
eyaded the active search that was
made for him, and finally he had him
self boxed up as freight, and right
under the very eyes of customs and
postal officials shipped aboard a Chi
nese steamship and SO safely reached
the Flowcry Kingdom, where the little
matter of forgery and robbing the
United States mail do not count against
a mans social standing or put him in
jeopardy of San Quentin.
Sam Yick came to this country early
in life. He attended the public schools
of this city, and by the time he was
twenty years old was accounted n of
the shrewdest and most capable Of
young Chinese in Chinatown. He
became a member of the well-known
butcher firm of Men, Yick & Co., and
was looked upon as a rising young
business man and one Of the pillars of
his town. =.
In the early part Of 1895 a series Of
postohice robberies was committed
which baf1ed the keenestinvestigations
of the postal inspectors. A postofice
employee was suspected, but he was
able to clear himself, and the mystery
seemed %insolvable. Letters contain
ing drafts, money orders and curren-
cy, directed to a number of Chinese,
and even to one or two American
firms, were rifed of their contents
somewhere after they reached the
postoAfce and before they reached
their destination. Success made Sam
Yick vain and boastful, and he told q
friend of his misdeeds. An attempt
was made to arrest him on the night
of January II, 1896, but Yick was
warned just in time, and escaped over
the roofs with the officers in hot pur-
suit. From the Investigation made at
the time it was found that he had in
some manner secured keys to the
postomce boxes of the firms he robbed,
and with daring and audacity almost
unparalleled, he took the mail from
the boxes, rifed it of its valuables
and converted these to his own use.
Of o this made forgery necessary,
but Yick had not gone to school to no
purpose. lie was an adept with the
pen, and initiated Chinese and English
c%hirography with skill. 1t is said that
the net results of his ~felonieS during
the few weeks he was engaged in it
were at least 81, 900.
When suddenly forced to leave his
bed TO escape the officers, he made his
way to the interior of the State some
where, and remained concealed for
about ten months. At the end of that
time a friend made up his mind to 60
to China, and Yick concluded to 60
with him. But he was SO well known,
and the postal authorities were SO
active in the search for him, that he
did not dare risk any ordinary dis
guises. Even to attempt to get to
San Francisco was attended with dan
ger. In this predicament he had him
self boxed up and shipped by rail to
this city. Here he was entered at the
custom house for export as freight,
and put aboard one Of the outgoing
steamers. When safely out at sea his
friend, who was aboard as n Of the
passengers, helped him to get out Of
his packing case, and he made the rest
of the trip in comfort. But just how
his friend managed to see that the
box was kept right side up with care
while it was being handled in the pro-
cess of shipment, and was not slowed
away in the lower part Of the hold
with tons of freight on top of him, is
one Of the mysteries that has not yet
been cleared up. It seems, however,
that he did, for word has been received
that he arrived safely on the other
side, and is now drinking tea and eat
ing birds nests with rice in Canton
in the elegant leisure his $4,000 af-
fords him.-Saa Francisco Examiner.