The San Francisco call., 1897-06-24
AN AMERICAN GIRL
SOLD To SLAVERY
Laura Lees Narrow Es-
cape From Living With
Chinese.
A White Mother and Asiatic
Father Traffic in Their
Own Flesh.
Failing to Secure a Good Price in
Chicago They Come With Her
to This City.

A most shocking case OF depravity, the
enslaving of a free born American girl,
has been called to the attention of the
Eureka Society for the Protection of C9il-
dren and the ladies of the Methodist Chi
nese Mission. The person in question is
girl II years of age, the daughter OF an
American woman and a Chinaman. Her
full name. Chinese aud Christian COM
bined. Is Yee Gin Laura Lee, but she
usually goes by the name of Laura Lee.
Her fathers name is Y Yot Lee and her
mothers maiden name was plain Martha
Bryant.
The story of the young girls trials and
tribulations is indeed pathetic and inter
esting. Back in Chicago nearly twenty
years ago the strange union of the Chris
tian American white woman and the hea-
then Chinese laundry man took place, and
little Laura was the first issue Of this
strange mesalliance. In time three boys
and anotaer girl OF mixed blood came into
the family, but Laura was the principal
one of the brood, for she helped her pa
rents in their labors of washing, ironing
and delivering the linen of the people of
Chicago
Even at the early age OF 10 years she
kept the accounts in the strange charac-
=
had cousins who became interested in
the girl as she approached womanh hood,
and they began to lay plans as TO how she
could be turned to the most immediate
profit, in monetary sense.
They followed the teachings of their
race and decided that she must be sold
o. they more politely put it, be married
off to the best advantage.
Thanks to the efforts of Lanra's Chris
tlan friends the father was unable to de-
liver the goods: for everywhere the girl
went she was accompanied by half doz-
en- white friends of the church. 1t was
told to the girl that she had been sold for
handsome price, something be-
tween $1,000 ami $4,000, and that her
father had received all, or nearly all, OF
the purchase money. There must have
been some truth in this story for an at
tempt was made to kidnap her one day
while she was walking the streets of Chi
caeo. The matter was invesIiea eated By the
police, but the difficulty was settled out of
court.
About two months ago the mother
brought the family to this City the
father having preceded The others by sew
eral weeks. On the advice of Miss l.. A
Hill, the deaconess of the Chicago church,
Miss Laura put her church card into the
Powell-street church in this City. In this
way she came 10 know Miss NJ. La he of
the Methodist Chinese Mission, TO whom
sue IOlQ the SlOIS Ol AeI i1OuDleS.
Miss Lake thought she saw trouble
ahead ior the girl, as the little deaconess
has had much experience among the
Chinese of this City. The first signs of
trouble made their appearance several
weeks ago, when the mother ompeled
the g-rl to attire herself in gaudy Chinese
garments and have her picture taken
therein-a sure sign that another attempt
would be made to marry" her 10 some
man of money. The picture of the bri de
is always sent to the groom, but the
grooms' photo is never sent TO the bride.
The next move on the part OF the parents
was to take Laura into the presence of the
secretary of the Sam YuU Company, and
from the conversation between that per-
son and her mother the girl learned that
she was once more on the auction block, a
human slave in free country.
There is still one very dark chapter in
this story, and that the defenseless young
girl escaped uninjured is ineed Temarka-
bic. a few nights ago the mother made
her child again dress in Chinese attire
and go to place on Jackson street, but
for what purpose Is not fully understood
by the ladies of the mission. Other Chi
nese women were there, but no men. The
impression seems to be that the place is
intended for the subdCing OF refractory
women and girls, who are made to und err
stand that they must consent to become
the wives" of whoever their owners and
parents choose or expect some ethlng worse
Laura realized the situation and deter
mined to assert her rights as free-born
American citizen. She protested so Wig
orousy and demanded with so much force
that her American garments be restored to
her that the keeper of the place thought
ii best to send for the girls mother. Her
own clothes were given to her and she
left the place. Miss Lake was informed
OF what had taken place and decided that
il was time to act.
She sent for Secretary f. A. Holbrook
OF the Eureka society, who, accompanied
by Officer Moulton of the Police Depart
ment, went to the residence of the Lee
family, at IA Prospect place, near Clay
street, and took the girl away. She was
only too glad to go with ner friends.
They went TO the City Hall, where Miss
Lake applied for letters of guardianship
over the gIrl.
The mother did not yield up her
daughter without a struggle, for she made
a vigorous protest against giving up her
child. The latter showed her American
spirit By plainly telling her parent many
facts that must have been very unpleasant
to near. and the most direct was that she
knew the life that her parents intended
that she should lead. The application
viii be conside later.
Laura went back 10 the mission, where
she is likely 10 remain for some time to
come. She is a bright, pleasanl-faced
Young woman, but she bears the Asiatic
features OF her father. When seen at the
mission yesterday, she stated that in ali
OF the transactions looking to her enslave-
ment, her father seemed TO be almost
wholly advised and directed by his many
cousins" and that her mother seemed
more desirous OF facilitating than prevent |
ing their operations.