The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-04
MAJOR MOORE
ORDERED TO
INVESTIGATE.
Light on Fong Suey
Won's Escape.
CHIEF MEREDITH is BLAMED
INQUIRY WILL BE PROCEEDED
WITH WITHOUT DELAY.
Secretary of the Treasury Is Sur
prised at Meredith's Fail
ure to Prosecute
= Her.
CHIEF MEREDITH is BLAMED
INQUIRY WILL BE PROCEEDED
WITH WITHOUT DELAY.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3-Thorough IN
vestigation will be made by the treasury
Department into the case OF tong 0uey
Won the Chinese woman, who, as aieseu,
was permitted to escape prosecuti4-l 10
felony, even though evidence was peiore
the Chinese bureau of San FRANCISCO
showing that she had imported Chlnese
women for immoral purposes Inc pre-
: uminary report of Major Moore chlel Oh
the Treasury Department inspectors ae
:. San Francisco, was received al tue 1Ieas
ury Department to-day. Major moore
saws that he will Immediately institute an
Investigation, and he has been directed
by the Treasury Department to proceed
with such investigation without delay.
Major Moore in his report does not seek
70 locate blame for Fong Suey Won
escape from the laws clutches, but II is
evident from q conversation with the
Treasury Department officials that Chief
Meredith of the Chinese bureau is con-
sidered chiefly to blame in the matter.
According to the understanding OF the
Treasury Department officials Fong Suey
Won was only one of twenty-e1ght women
arrested in the raid by the San Fran
cisco police in the Chinese quarter OF san
Francisco This raid was made in an en-
deavor to locate and arrest some twenty
: five or thirty Chinese women who were
allowed to enter American ports for the
ostensible purpose Of taking part IN the
Omaha Exposition.
But like other Cnln6S6 WHO were etd-
mitted to the Chicago Worlds Fair ana
the Atlanta and Nashville exposItions,
they did not return to China, but re-
manned here TO lead immoral lives. Fong
Suey Won was arrested among others,
charged with being unlaWtuIly IN TINS
country but when she produced her GER
Geary act, she was released, althougn
according to Major Moore's statement ne
had already placed in possession OF Chief
Meredith evidence showing that she was
guilty of felony, to wit, importing women
restriction act. This offense is felony
punishable by Imprisonment not exceeding
ten years or $4,000 fine, or both, III the
II is alleged that various Chinese women
at the Methodist and Presbyterian mis-
sions AT San Francisco positively identi-
fied i'9 Fong Suey Won as the woman who
had brought them to the United States.
This evidence, it is alleged, was IN pos
woman was turned loose and, although
the Treasury Department approves OF the
release Of Fong when she produced her
registration certificate showing she was
entitled to be within the United States,
they fail to understand why she should
not have been held and prosecuted for
the graver charge.
Chief Meredith of the Chinese Bureau
made a peculiar break yesterday. He
was in Collector Jackson's office engaged
in conversation with the Collector and a
on the article in The Call of yesterday
morning, and particularly to the episode
of the payment of money In certain
lawyers office to Chinese Inspector de-
Scribed as having the ends OF his mus
tache tightly curled.
II never was in Lawyer IS ONCE In
my life" said Meredith
AS the lawyers name had not been
mentioned in the published story, nor by
the reporter in the interview, both the
Collector and. the reporter expressed sur
prise that Chief Meredith should know
the name of the lawyer who, il was al
legged, had paid money to a Chinese In
tightly
his mustache.
''How did you know who the lawyer
was if you knew nothing of the circum-
stances?'' asked the reporter.
Yes, how did you know it?'' inquired
the Collector.
that the lawyer had been interested in
landing Chinese some time back, and that
he had seen his name in papers and other
documents and that he had presumed
that the lawyer he had named was the
person meant in The Calls article.
the fact that the attorney mentioned by
Chief Meredith went out of the Chinese
business some time ago, although he was
the identical attorney of the story.
The trick of substitution has been fire.
Quently resorted TO by the Chinese and
their brokers when all other means fail.
It consists in substituting for a valuable
slave who has been ordered deported
some cheap old woman who wants to re-
turn to China free of expense. One of
these cases was discovered by Miss Lake.
1natron of the Methodist Chinese Mission
Home at 916 Washington street. She told
the following story yesterday: A Chinese
slave girl who recoiled in horror from the
life to which she was destined by her
purchaser confessed to q missionary on
board the steamer that she was about to
be landed on false representations. The
missionary had her brought before Col
lector Wise to whom. in the presence of
Chinese Inspector Meredith, she repeated
the confession. This happened within a
week of Collector Wise's retirement from
Office to make way for Colonel Jackson,
his successor. OF course there was moth
ing to be done under the circumstances
and the publicity given to the girls story
but to deport her. She had, however,
confided to the missionaries that there
was on board the same steamer Chinese
woman who had led the abandoned life
of slave and who desired to be rescued.
She had friends in China and she wanted
to be sent back to them. Two mission
aries who spoke the Chinese language
were sent to the steamer to talk with the
woman, but whenever they approached
her Chinaman lounged up to her side
so that she was afraid to converse with
them. They turned to interview other
women on board, and when they looked
again for the slave she had disappeared
CHANGING to the upper deck where there
were no other Chinese, they saw her
hanging up clothes on line. In response
TO sign made by her they approached
her and she told them her story. The