The herald., 1897-01-26
hU,DtR OF LITTLE PElE"
The Remarkable Chinaman Killed
in San Francisco
ACCUMULATED A FORTUNE
Playe the Races and Was a SkiIlful
Politician
His Alliance With Chris Buckley,
Whom He Christened the Blind
White Devil

Little Pete. who was murdered in San
Francisco on Saturday night, came to
this country when he was five years
of age, and at the time of his death was
about thirty-two years old, says the
San Francisco Examiner.
At an early age he started as errand
boy in a shoe factory on Sacramento
street. Afterwards he went into the
business of manufacturing shoes and
built up a big business at 8191a Wash
ington street, under the firm name of j.
c. Peters & Co., used when doing busi-
ness with white people and Hung Yuen
for Chinese patrons. His business,
however, was almost exclusively with
white people. He employed a white
man as drummer and another as book
keeper, and always paid them the high
est wages.
While an errand boy he spent his
nights at school, studying English, in
which he soon became proficient. He
could not read or write Chinese, but W as
an excellent English scholar.
His possessions here are his business
and book accounts, while in Canton his
property is valued at over 100000 The
property is in fish ponds, the most profit
able Industry in the country.
Little Pete has been mixed up in more
peculiar transactions than any Chinese
in San Francisco. His name has been
prominently connected with the Illegal
landing of Chinese, opium smugglin G
and other unlawful transactions. In
politics he was a power, when it came
to corruption. His English education
fitted him to cope successfully with his
white brethren and engineer schemes
which they would not dare to under
take.
The murdered Chinese was ready TO
venture in any scheme that promised to
yield a dollar profit. He played the
races with success, and in the last five
years it is estimated that he has won o
less than $25,000. In March last he be-
came mixed up in the turf scandal which
resulted in the undoing of several we'll
known jockies, including Jerry Chorn
and Eeinrichs.
He first came into prominence in
1887, when he was arrested on the charge
of bribery in connection with the mur-
der case of Lee Chuck. He was con-
victed on the first trial. but the supreme
court set aside the verdict on the ground
that the evidence was not sufficient 20
warrant conviction.
Some years later Little Pete became
closely associated with Chris Buckley.
whom he named the Blind White
Devil" 1t is said that the Chinese aided
in many Of Buckiey's plots, spending
money where 1t would do the most good,
anu at tIlc SAINT lllflG Keeping so we'll in
the background that he could never be
reached legally.
Little Pete stood high in the councils
of the Sam Yups, and the rival society
thought that by getting rid of him the
strength of the Sam Yups would be
broken. The last named association
is composed almost entirely of mer-
chants and men of wealth, while the
See Yups, embracing over four-f fifths of
the Chinese population in this city, is
made up of labOrers.
Some months ago thousands of coun-
terfeit half-dollars were circulated in
Chinatown, and though the government
made an attempt to fix the crime on
Little Pete nothing came of it.
1t Is unlikely that the decedent left a
VIII disposing of his property, as it is
against the Chinese custom With
them the property goes to the eldest son,
Pete left widow and three children
the eldest being but five years of age.
IN addition to his property possessions
in this country and China his life was
insured for over $4,000.