The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30

HE late Fresno battle among Chi
- rcse hiChbinders, in which three
were killed is not the biggest bat
tie that ever took place between
the rival societies, by any means.
The first really successful fight
ever put un by any tong or high
binder society was the most dis
ae-~ous of all. II was consummated in
the old Chinese Theater on Jackson street
i0 the early seventies I saw the result
which can never be erased from my mem
crv The djabOlical scheme was evolved
I'm the brain of the old rascal who was
the chief adviser Of the Ok Gong Tong. a
society very popular at that time. His
plot 10 raise money was as follows:
Certain members of the tong were to
enter the playhouse on a certain night
when another rival society was TO have a
festival These picked men were to take
seats I'm the gallery and when the house
became well filled they We're ordered TO
throw some lighted papers saturated with
oil down upon the heads Of the audience
seated below in the main portion of the
auditorium. Immediately this was done
the others were to give an alarm of fire.
He explained that the result would be a
stampede and q general rush for the
front door The hatchet men were to be
stationed near that exit and carefully
watch for the men with whom the tong
had to deal Incidentally. those who were
capable Of good lght-ffngered work were
10 pick the pockets of the frightened peo-
pie who We're trying TO escape the flames.
The scheme worked beyond expectation.
As soon as the burning paper was thrown
from the gallery there was wild rush for
the front door the only exit from the
building. Leading from the theater proper
was a long and somewhat narrow
hallway fully forty feet in length and
~ the auditorium end of this passage
We're a pair Of heavy wooden swinging
doors. After the first few people who
We're seated or standing near the doors
had made their escape. the springs with
which the big doors were kept closed re-
coiled and they flew back into the faces
Of the next portion Of the surging mob.
With a fury horn of desperation they
forced the doors from their hinges, threw
them into tine hallway. telling TO the floor
those who had escaped ahead Of them.
The result was a. bridge over which the
rest rushed, trampling the very lives out
of the unfortunate creatures who were In
the narrow death-trap ahead of them.
There was no public MOrgue in those
days and 1T was the custom to farm out
the privilege of caring for the dead TO
some enterprising undertaken. When that
official arrived at the scene Of the disas-
ter he found thirteen cold. repulsive bod
les laid out on the sidewalk, and all had
been robbed of their valuables.
The lob had been done in "A most care
ful and workmanhke manner and the
ok Gong Tong was avenged. When the
history of the highbinders in this city is
put into types it will record a sanguinary
tale that might well rank with any of the
ErewsOne stories of Edgar Allan Poe, or
other clever writers of fiction who have
depended upon Imagination for their ma
terial The heroic stand made by Lee
Sar Bow in Cum Cook alley when he was
pursued by his many enemies from one
Of the buildings facing on that narrow
thoroughfare is worthy of mention.
Bow was one Of the boldest Of fighters
ever known in the Chinese quarter. He
declared to his dying day that he had
never taken a human life unless he was
convinced that the act was necessary to
save his own.
on this particular occasion Bow had
been wanted for some months by mem
bers Of a rival tong. He had been in hid
ing in one Of the flash houses in the alley
for several days. protected by the woman
who remained true TO him until the end
came A careful watch was kept on the
house day and night by his enemies.
Finally through lack Of provisions. Bow
was obliged 10 make a trip to the shops
to replenish the larder. He had scarcely
reached the second dark landing of the
crooked stairway leading from his quar-
ters on the top floor, when the sharp
crack Of a revolver and the whiz of bull
let told him that he was discovered.
Bow flew 10 the street, for experience
had taught him that it was useless to
fight highbinders in the dark. On his way