The times., 1898-07-20
CHIhAMAN's AWFUL DEED
Murderer Driven 10 Bay Blows
Up a Powder Magazine.
MANY KILLED AND INJURED
Of3cers on watch Literally Blown
Fires Into a Can OF Powder.
Thereby Exploding Five Thou
sand Pounds

San Francisco, July l9.-Seven persons
KILLED and two badly injured. This is the
result OF a desperate act of a Chinaman
who blew up the powder magazine at
Fruttvale when he saw that his arrest
was certain for killing one of his country
men. what adds TO the pity of the trag-
edy is that the Chinaman was not the
fiend that the afternoon papers report
him. but an honest workman wao was
driven 10 shoot a fellow Mongoiian be-
cause the latter sold him bogus io.teiy
ticket and who became insane through
fright over his deed. The Government
also loses some good powder.
The following are the victims:
KiIIed-Deputy Sheriff Charles White,
George Woodsum, D. Cameron, ]. 7. Lerri,
Constable Gus Koch, of Temescal; Mrs.
Hail. Of Fruitvale. and the Chinese InUr-
derer, Coon Chung.
Badly injured-Deputy Sheriffs Edward
White and Fred Sherrott.
Yesterday Chung. Chinese workman at
the Western Fuse and Explosive Company
IN Oakland, attacked 81 Chung, butcher
and lottery agent, with hatchet and af-
ter hacking rim badly shot him twice
with a pistol Goon's mu=derous assault
was due to the fact that his victim had
cheated him by selling him spurious OF
tery tickets.
As soon as he realized his act Coon re-
treated with the pistol TO the powder
magazine near by, in which were stored
b.0J0 pounds Of explosives. There he bar
ricaded himself, cutting loophoIes
through which he could shoot, and ar
ranging cans of powder al the windows
so that should anyone try TO shoot him
an explosion would follow.
When the deputy sheriffs reached the
scene they found the wounded Chinaman
in a dying condition. He was taken 70
the hospital where he died early this
morning Coon, when asked to surren-
der. declared that he would never give up,
and that If the deputies closed in on him
he would blow them ana himself into
space
Supt Pringle, OF the powder works,
crept up near the powder magazine and
tried 10 reason with the Chinaman. Coon
said he knew he would be hanged, If ar
rested. as every Chinaman in California
tried for murder was hanged, and he pre-
ferred TO die his own way.
Then Pringle promised TO see him safe
IL out and TO hire good lawyers to de-
fend him. as Coon said he shot Hon be-
cause the lottery dealer swindled him.
Goon said he would think over it, but
he would not permit Pringle or anyone
else to approach nearer the magazine
than thirty fee;. All through the night
the deputies watched.
During The evening Coon forced one
Chinese workman, who came nearer, 10
bring him q can Of water. At two this
morning the officers on watch were re-
lieved. and those who met death took
their places. Al O'Clock Coon came out
would surrender. but as the officers came
near he apparently changed his mind. -
ne rushed into the magazine, threw
down a can Of powder and fired.
There was a tremendous explosion
which shook San Francisco and the whole
country for twenty miles around like an
earthquake. II broke all the glass in the
neighborhood. and rained bricks and
spIinte-s upon Camp Barre, where the
Eighth California Regiment is now. Il
destroyed every building within a quarter
Of a mile Of the magazine and il blew
into fragments the five officers and thS
murderer. as Wei as Mrs. Hail. who
lived nearby and badly wounded Deputy
Sheriff Edward White and Fred Sher.
rotr.
A company Of soldiers from Camp Bar
rett was sent 10 the scene and heipcd eN
tinguish the fire that broke out.
Cameron was discovered close by n
cottage next 10 the fuse house. lie va
unconscious AID vas a mass Of torn flesl
and broken bones. He died half an hcu
later in OaKlald.
Groans in a house opposite, which wa
then on fire, leXt attracted attention
and il was learned that despite the sher
iff warning on the previous night MIS-
Hall had returned 10 her house. just Op
posiJe the magazine. In this house TIA
woman was found and was removed, bu
she died on the way TO Oakland.
A piece Of flesh here and there and
hand with a crooked little finger wer
found. This was identified as Lerri
A block away from the scene Of the eX
plosion. under a twisted and torn can O
powder, was found the backbone Of
man and Nearby were the remains Of
pistol such az the murderer was know
to have carried This and his queue wer
all that was left Of the Chinaman.