The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-04
RIOT OVER WASHING RATES.
BULLETS FLY AND BLACKJl CHS
WHTz IN CHINATOWN

Detective and Two Cinnamon Shot, Ono
FatnIiy-sI Celestials Gathered In by the
Police. Besides Chin On and Ching Sam,
Who Did tho Shooting-Row Soon Quellod.
Chinatown was turned upside down last
night by a riot which arose because the
Oriental Benevolent Society and the Chu
Chung Society could not agree about the prices
to be charged for laundry work Before the
disturbance was 'quelled Detective McClusky
OF the Elizabeth street police station. was shot
in the left thigh and badly wounded by Chin
On Of IL Pell street: Charlie Lee OF II Pell
street was shot in the abdomen and fatally
injured by Ching Sam OF 10 Pell street;
and Quong Low OF Brooklyn vas shot In tho
right ankle by another Chinaman. whose iden-
tity the police had not discovered at midnight.
Many more OF the Cinnamon in the mob were
swatted on the head by blackjacks carried by
their countrymen. and for fifteen minutes all
Chinatown was In state OF shrioking COM
motion.
The storm broke about 6 o'clock All day
long sant-eyed laundrymen had been coming
to Chinatown from all over New York and the
little cities around to meet their fellow -coun-
trymen. buy provisions and taste the Joys Of
dream smoke. Every man OF them belonged
TO one or other Of the many clans or societies
into which Chinatown is divided. In the dingy
tenemonts and in groups the narrow
streets they discussed the news and their
interests. the chief topic being tho war going
on between the two great washing combina-
tions. formed when the German laundrys be-
gan to cut rates year ago and split the Chinese
trade organization into two parties. one OF
which wanted to meet the cut and the other
didn't
About the middle Of the afternoon the groups
in the street grew large and agitated. There
was much DeaticulHttOn and
hurried back and forth with such plain anxiety
that the detectives guarding the locality
against disturbance began to ask questions.
to which they obtained no satisfactory replies.
At u o'clock there was loud squall from the
corner Of Pell and Doyers streets. where was
ono OF the largest OF the street gatherings. A
Chlnaman had been knocked down with a
blackjack from behind, In an instant there
was fight in progress from one end OF Pell
street. the principal avenue. to tho other
ShrIeks and howls were heard in all drec-
tions. as Celestial after Celestial felt the deadly
blackjack welded by the desperate Chinese OF
whom Now York has good many. and the
weaker Cinnamon got the worst OF IT,
Detectives MeClusky, Finley and brennan
and Policeman Menshing were scattered
along tho two blocks length OF Pell street,
and for ten minutes they had the surprise Of
their lives in finding themselves a very small
minority Of very little consequence in China
town. At the end OF that time news OF the riot
had reached the policemen on neighbor
beats and more than twenty buecoats appeared
to reinforce their brethren and welded their
clubs with will.
The non -com batants fed to the shelter OF the
buildings and the windows were full
OF heads. Then there was heard the
report OF heavy revolver and most
OF the windows were shut with bang. Another
shot followed the first and there was a wild
rush away from the front OF % Pell street.
Detectives Finley and brennan jumped that
way from opposite directions and found
Chinaman lying on the asphalt writhing in
agony. Another Chinaman. with a revolver in
his hand. sprang into tho house as the detec-
tives appeared. and they followed. As they
appeared In the doorway the fugitive turned
and fired point blank at the two. Before he
could shoot again both detectives landed on
him. dsarmed him and shook him into q
Bringing and very badly scared Chlnnman.
The man was Charlie Lee. and the prisoner
Ching Sam. Of l8 Poll street. Leo had big
bullet hole in his abdomen. As he lay on the
sidewalk he identified Sam as his assailant
Then the wounded man was taken to Hudson
street hospital to die.
Meantime Detective McClusky was laying
about him in front OF 10 Pell street. and was
having hard work OF il. He was beginning to
get tho upper hand when Chinaman ap-
peared in the doorway OF IL Pell street
with a pistol and began 10 shoot. He was
Chin On. When the clubbing began he had
jumped into his room for his revolver and was
now coming out to try it, Two shots went
wild. Then hcClusky got SO close that he
couldn't be missed. The third shot hit him
full in the hip and he fell forward. dragging
the Chnaman to the sidewalk with him. There
the two were found two or three minutes later
by the policemen who dubbed their way
through the streets Quong Low was seen sit
ting Oh step two doors away. holding his
ankle and very sick because another bullet
from somewhere had broken it.
McClusky was taken home In a cab after Dr.
McWhorter OF the Hudson Street Hospital had
dressed his wound. and QuonR Low and
Charlie Lee were taken to tho hospital in an
ambulance. While their injuries were being
attended to the other policemen gathered up
tventy-one Cinnamon besides the wounded
men and took them to the Elizabeth street sta
ton. There four OF the twenty-one were
locked up, because they had blackja in their
possession. Clung Sam and Chin Tu were
placed in coils. charged with felonious assault
As Charlie Lee. 1t 10 said. cannot recover the
charge against Sam Is likely to be murder
later.
There were several parties OF visitors seeing
Chinatown" when the riot occurred Some OF
them were in the Chinese restaurant some in
the streets. and they had as lively q fifteen
minutes as the widest Imagination had pic
tured for the trip.