The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-27
TRAFFIC IN CHINESE WOMEN.
HOW THEY ARE SMUGGLED IN AS
PART OF FAIR EXHIBITS.

story OF n Raid in Chinatown, san
Francisco, to Redeem Forty Al
mOnd Eyed Beauties From slavery.
Twelve Hundred Held in Bondage
in CRIifornia--SoId for song
when Children and Raised for the
Market Like stock.
From the Philadelphia Times.
The slave traffic In Chinese women,
winch has been conducted more or less
largely in the Chinese quarter in San
Francisco has had a big boom lately be
cause Of the successful smuggling into the
country of a number of Chinese women.
The United States treasury department
officials are determined TO capture the Of
tenders and instituted, with the aid of
the police department, last week a raid,
which resulted In the capture OF some
thirty of the inmates of a dozen Of the
Chinese slave houses and at least one of
the smugglers. The raid nearly precpita-
ted riot IN Chinatown, but the police es-
capped without any accident more serious
than a couple of broken Chinese heads.
The women will so back to China.
The subterfuge which enabled the slave
importers to escape the vigilance of the
customs officials was a clever one. When
the Omaha fair was opened application
was made by the Chinese Six Companies
for permission 10 land clerks artisans,
musicians and merchants for the Chinese
exhibit at the exposition. 1t was granted
by the treasury department Among the
many Chinese who landed were a number
of women. who were to be in charge of
exhibits and work at certain trades The
Orieutals went 10 Omaha but they did
not stay long. Before the fair had grown
very old they had taken their departure
from Omaha and scattered over the coun-
try.
When a treasury official went to Omaha
TO check up two months ago he found that
less than 40 per cent. of the Chinese who
had been permitted to land were stu at
The fair. Inquiries We're made at once IN
all the large cities of The United
States, and il was discovered that the
aliens We're domiciled In haunts of their
countrymen. Thrty-ive slave women
brought into the country by their masters
had, it was found. been sold in San Fran
cisco and were living in the local China
town. A raid was planned a month ago,
but a Chinaman IN the employ of the
custom house betrayed the plans, and the
slaves were spirited out of the city and
hidden in Los Angeles Portland, San
Diego, Fresno and other cities.
The slave owners thought they had
achieved master stroke Soon they grew
bold and, believing that The government
officials had given up the attempt TO seize
their chattels, they caused them to be re-
turned to the city few at a time and
again placed in the dens Of Chinatown.
When the plans had been well formulat-
ed a second time for the raid the officials
who were to participate in II went 10
Chinatown singly or in pairs, the secret
service agents in citizens clothes The
leaders carried with them the plans of
the various dens to be invaded Approach
ing these in numbers from all sides and
surrounding them so that there was no
possibility of the inmates escaping, the
word was given and the seizure begun.
Then there was excitement in China
town. The Mongols gathered in force
and threatened TO attack the officers. The
latter drew their revolvers and kept back
the mob. Clubs were freely used, and af-
Ter the melee many a Chinaman nursed
a broken head
The doors of many of the dens We're
found to be heavily barricaded, but axes
were brought into play and the obstruc-
lions removed Some Of the women fought
viciousiy against arrest, scratching and
biting the officers who tried to hold them.
The poor creatures had been made to be-
lieve that women of their class were put
to death when captured by the "barba-
rians," and they fought as do persons to
whom life has not yet lost all its charms,
despite the fact that body and soul were
in bondage
In their attempt TO escape two women
in a Baker street den jumped from sec
ond-story window and ran down an alley,
screaming and imploring their countrymen
to save them. Highbinders and mer-
chants truck vendors and laborers threw
themselves In front of the white officials
in the attempt to impede the pursuit, but
again were clubs freely used, and after a
lively chase the two frightened women
were captured.
Others Of the girls mounted to the roofs
of the houses, hoping thus to escape de-
lection They were doomed to dlsappoint-
ment To guard against an emergency of
this kind, Maj. Moore had posted men
upon the highest houses, so that they
could See all those who emerged upon
the roofs beneath them.
One hour after the word had been given
the object of the raid had been accom-
plished and the officers had In their pos
session thirty slaves. The captures had
been effected without loss of life and with
only the breaking of the heads of a few
highbinders who grew too bold in their
attempts to foil the raiders.
The arrested slaves were led in pairs to
the mission homes, followed by a mob
Of tabbering Celestiafs On the faces Of
the unfortunates fear was depicted and In
their peculiar language they walled and
pleaded for mercy They believed they
were being led to death by torture and
that their bones were 10 be ground up to
make medicine and offerings to the gods
Of the white unbelevers.
When the prisoners appeared in the Fed
eraI Court building 1t was found that
among the thirty women taken into GUS
toby there was notorious Chinese slave
dealer, Fun Suey Wan, who each year
makes trips to the BloWery Kingdom, and
on her return smuggles into the country
a number Of slave girls purchased during
her sojourn an her native land. II Is said
that during her career she has brought
into this country hundreds Of girls, but
heretofore che has succeeded IN evading
all attempts to apprehend her.
Through the Interpreter it Was learned
that the total number of slave girls IN
Chinatown was estimated at upwards Of