The Yale expositor., 1897-07-09

W thirsty mop oenl On
murder and arson.
1t was during the Chinese riots in
Denver In the year 1880, the bloodiest
in its history. The forged Garfield
Mercy letter had been flashed over the
wires and its contents served to fan
into a raging fire the embers OF hat
red that had been smoulderlng in the
breasts of many for the Chinese. Lit
tie groups of men gathered on the cor
ners and in the saloons to discuss the
letter. When evening me their num-
bers had increased until AN angry mob
filled the streets and made the air
blue with its mutterings. When things
bad reached this stage gigantic cow
boy in a red flannel shirt drove into
the crowd waving his lariat over his
head and shouting, Lets burn the
rats out of their holes" This was all
sufficient to inflame the crowd to
violence and to the Chinse quarter OF
/ the town they went.
There were probably 500 Cinnamon
and Chinese women huddled together
in lot of dens covering an area of half
a block. The different apartments were
connected by narrow secret passages.
These were typlc"l dens of Chinese
vice and crime. and the fumes OF opium
/ filled the air for a bl c. away. 1t was
a plague spot. and a menace to every
self respecting citizen. AS the officers
Of the law fattered on IL its denizens
remained unmolested.. To this place
the mob rushed bowling and crying
for the "rats" to be burned out. Soon
! they were beyond the control OF the
| police. and the chief appealed to the
| sheriff. Three hundred citizens were
sworn in and armed with revolvers
! and Winchester. The sheriff tried to
! dispense the crowd by threats, per-
suasion and by reading the riot act,
! but they only Kissed and hooted.
The Cinnamon barrcaded their
doors, ard not a sound came from
within save the orc sional cry Of a
woman. The mob fired at the doors
and the sheriff threatened to fire into
/ the crowd. but a dozen Winchesters
were pointed in his face and he sub
sided. Finally some one set fire to the
old frame buildings and in a moment
the entire Chinese quarter was In
flames. The mob, maddened by the
sight, yelled and howled. They made
a rush on the doors and with some
heavy lumber broke them in and rush
ed through. There were a few shots.
few cries. and a few applications.
They shot down the men as they rush
&c from the burning building. and then
dragged them cut by the queues. They
picked the little Chinese women up
in their arms and crrried them out.
Quantities of silverware. cigars. liquor
and opium were found and corfscated
hy the rioters. What they could not
carry away with them was scattered on
the sidewalks. The fire department
came and turned the water on the
crowd. but some one cut the hose and
tinguishDg the flames and the ardor
of the mob. The plaintive cries of
the women and children were distinct
ly heard by the armed officers OF the
law. but they stood paralyzed and did
nothing. The mob was drinking their
fill Of blood and whisky. carrying
home rich booty, or the shapely little
Chinese women. when four men came
out of the building, dragging a China
man by the queue. Cries Of "shoot
him. went up from the throats of a
hundred men. when man, coatless
and hatless. rurhed into the midst of
the rioters. "You cowardly dogsr' he
ioared, with a voice that resounded far
above the yells and din of the crowd.
He reached back into his hip pocket
but. not was empty. He saw some
thing glistenlng in the freight at his
feet and pick 1t up unnotced. He put
1t in his hip pocket and dashed up to
the four men. Pulling 1t from his
pocket he faced them. Get out of
here, you =, or l Will kill every
c)ward of you!" said he, waving 1t in
their faces. The men stood back
aghast.
"Tll kill the first - - that lays
finger on another Chinaman. Now
get, every coward of you"
air, and its contents glistened In the
fire light.
Its Jim Moon" said one. No soon
CT had the crowd recognized him than
hey threw down their weapons and
ran. leaving standing alone against
background of burning buildings and
covering Cinnamon, still waving his
hand and the silver spoon--for 1t was
only spoon-over his head.
When the officers of the law came
out of their trance they realized that
the blood-thirsty mob had been scat
tered by one man with an ounce OF
determination and a silver spoon.
Jim then threw down his lmpro-
vlsed pistol. had hearty laugh at the
fire department and police, then went
up town and took a drink.