The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-08
CHINESE CALL
THE POLICE
BLACKMA|LERS
Educational Society Is
Indignant.
HARB0R NO HIGHBINDERS
THEY CLAIM THE OFFICERS, ARE
PROSECUTING THEM.
Want Money From the Members, and
Not Getting 1t, Threaten to
Break Up the Organ
ization.
THEY CLAIM THE OFFICERS, ARE
PROSECUTING THEM.

The Chinese Society for English Edu-
cation, with headquarters at 709 Com
mercial street, is much exercised over
the charges made by the police that 1t is
an organization of highbinders, and the
members claim that the charges are en-
urely false. They assert that the society
was organized solely for the advance
ment of members in the English Ian
guage and that the members are entirely
opposed to slave dealing and other pur-
suits prohibited by law. They further
claim that the po..ce are prosecuting
them in order to compel them to give
money and thereby gain immunity from
police scrutiny.
The society was organized two years
ago and since that time, the members
claim, classes in English have been held
constantly The hours of meeting are
from 7:30 to $50 o'clock p, m, and the
members are at that time instructed in
the English language by an English
teacher. Aside from the meetings held
al these hours there are no others, ex-
cept when special meetings are called to
transact business, such as raising funds
to keep the association alive. The soci-
ETY., so the members say, has always in
terested itself in English charities, hav-
ing, donated literally to the Red Cross
The officers of the society at the pres
ent time are: Chin jim, president: HON
hay I II, secretary, and twelve directors
who, II is claimed, are all reputable mer-
chants. An Indignation meeting was held
at the society's rooms last night and the
members were strong in their denuncia-
ton of the police for branding them as
highbnders and blackmailers. AS an
evidence Of their Responsibility they have
secured the signatures of twenty mer-
chants who attest that the society is or
ganized only for good and is not engaged
in anything Illegal.
Besides denying that they are black
mailers the members of the society make
counter charges against the police. They
claim that for some time past officers in
Chinatown have been attempting to
shake down" the society and when I'M
able to secure money threatened trouble
The arrest of Ong Foon for attempted
extortion, the Cinnamon claim. is merely
play made by the police to brighten the
society into filling the itching palms of
the police. Asserting their innocence the
members say they will fight the case to
the bitter end and will make no compro-
mise with the officers.
The police, on their part, will not take
back water on their claim that the soci-
ETY. is a highlander tong. The injunction
filed by the Cinnamon has for a time put
a stop to the breaking-up of the society,
but as soon as the suit is settled. work to
that end will be begun Immediately In
the mean time the society headquarters
and the members are being closely
watched. The assertion of the Cinnamon
that reputable merchants will vouch for.
the society Is scoffed at by the police and
the officers claim that every reputable
merchant in Chinatown will testify to the
disreputable character of the society