The Portland daily press., 1897-04-12
A RACE WAR.
The Tale Of Three Heather Chinese
and a Sheriff.
He Told Them That He Cut Off Peoples
Heads and Then They Swept the
Laundry With Him.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.J

Heads and Then They Swept the
Laundry With Him.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l
Bath, April 10. Sam Lee, Joe Fon and
Joe Yin were placed on trial this morp-
ing for assault upon Sheriff John W.
Ballou on the 18th of January last Mr..
Crockett of the firm of Noble & Crockett
of AuDurn, appeared for the respondents.
Mr.. Crockett at first announced that
the prisoners would waive the reading of
the indictment and enter plea Of guilty.
The Indictment was read by direction of
the court. and they each pleaded not
guilty. Upon consultation with their
attorney they then retracted and pleadet
guilty; but the court advised that, mas
much as the prisoners are foreigners aud
understand our language but imperfectly
the case should be presented to the jury.
The court then directed plea of not
guilty to be entered.
Sheriff Ballou told how he served two
writs on the Cinnamon one from John
Scott and one from W. S. Glidden,
relative to work they were said to have
withheld.
Continuing, Sheriff Ballnu stated what
then occurred as follows: He got Scott's
lau dry, but coulu not make the China
man, who was then in the shop alone
understand that the lawyer wantad pay,
for tseir wfits. He promised to return
later in the day, when the other China
men, who understand English better
would be present. He did not return,
however, until the next day, when he
entered the laundry at about noon aud
found all tue defendants there.
Lice seemed to be the spokes-
man, and explained to him my business
there the day before, and that l had
omitted to call that evening "a had in
tended. / told him that l had come to
ses If / cou Id not settle up the matter of
the writs for Scott and Glidtien. Lee
said they couldn't pay the two dollars for
the writs. Il told him that of course they
would be expected to appear at court the
following Monday, when the wits were
retufnable. Lee said Yes, We come to
court but We no pay. l said very well,
and then he said l owed them 80 cents
for the laundry l had taken away the
day before, and wanted to know ii |
would pay it. / told him no, I wasn't
paying John Scott's bills He says. You
no pay? and I said No." He asked ms
name and told him. He wished me to
write j. down, and l wrote it on large
sheet of wrapping paper, John W. Bal
lou, sheriff. He asked me who l was
and told him | was one of those unfor-
tunate individuals who go around hang
ing men, and cutting off their heads as |
supposed they did in China, SO that he
might understand l was very teri ible
nan. This was not spoken in an angry
way He asked me half dozen times If
| would pay the 80 cents for the laundry
and began to grow little more aggressive
in his tone eyery time. | told him
snouldn / pay it. He then said, You no
pnY9' and l said No. Then, said he,
You will never go out of b ere, and he
made a rush by me and went to the door
and vent through the motion of locking
1t. don't know whether he locked it;
| didn't try it. but l thought he turned
the key or drew the bolt, and he then stood
HSaif st it. l did not consider that there
as any very great danger in tho aft air
so | walked toward tie door | didn't
til Here was any ore Chinaman in
& wn who could prevent me from going
if | wished to so lie stood betne
tA unur AID | grahhel him BY the throat
5sst # bis garments. 1t WIS some time
b. fore could est seld of anything 10
pnl, that l could pull him away. The
othe Chip,man, Fon, t1en spiang npnn
n ri ht shout Ter, and one of them got
! is knee irto my back and | went over
to floor. ali three Of us in pile
C ga struggled ore or less. Those
hFt tfs are now HUI lnulsUlncU IT my
mind, ecause / was sl.newhat excited
AID lardly knew what WAS going to be-
me Of me. | was on my back and MT
IN fighting condition; they we're all upon
then, and we got away. some 16 or
feet from the door towards the rear of
ii e shop. NV impression is they hauled
me back, because found that was black
and blue from MY hips to my ankles. /
finally got over on my hands and krees
In the struggle and we all four got back
to the front door. got little nervous,
not knowing what might happen, so l
raisei myself hizh enough to put my
elbow through the glass in the door to
attract attention from the outside and
get assistance. Then we continued the
scrimmage. l was on my head part of
the time and guess the Cinnamon were
on their reads a part of tile time. John
Clements and William c. Perkins then
came in and got holu Of me. l had hold
of one of the Cinnamon and held him
and we all went into the street together.
I admit | took hold of the Chinaman
first; he did not attack me until | had
taken hold of him to pull him away
from the door. 80
sam Lee took the stand In his own be-
half just like Mclean man, and stated
that be had been in Bath about five
weeks He came here from New York
He had never been in Bath before. He
he came for clothes; he didn't know Mr..
Ballou; the other men were not there.
Mr.. Ballou gave a check and got the
clothes. He told him the check was 38
cents; but he couldn't understand much
and couldn't talk much.
When asked to state what occurred
when Mr.. Bullou came in on the day of
the assault the witness said: 'Mr.
Ballou came IMP ask him for 38 cents;
he wouldn't pay for it. Would he q i've
me 38 cents? NO. Well, what for you
don't pay for2' Well, he say, Pay you
by and BY he say that. Il don't know
you; you don't pay for it you stay in
while; l am going to ask the laundry
man about IT.; I will ask the laundry
man to come in, if he know you, all
right; l let you go that way say that.
He say, No. wouldn't stay minute.
l was standing in the door; say, You
pay me 3s cents 1t will be all right;' he
wouldn't pay for it, wouldn't let him
out. That is the way I say. He took
hold of me in my neck; of course / pulled
him by the neck-tie that is all He
broke tie window and threw me out on
the street; that il what do. He asked
me for two dollar; ! don't know what it