The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-20
WAR OF CHINESE
TONGS At FRESNO
Three MOngOlians Shot
to Death.
Special Dispatch to The cali.

FRESNO, April 19.-The long expect
ed outbreak between the rival tongs
in Chinatown took place just before
dark tonight. The battle was short
but bloody, and within five minutes
after the firing of the first shot three
Of the warning Nongolians lay dead, a
fourth was mortally wounded and seV-
eral were under arrest for murder
The battle had been skillfuily planned
and there We're no officers on the scene
when the shooting commenced. Police
man Antoine George, who has the day
beat in Chinatown, had Just gone of
duty and his place had been taken by
J. u. Morss. The latter had been in
Chinatown only a few minutes when
TWO Chinese walked up to him and in
Vited him TO a saloon two blocks away
10 have a cigar. The policeman sus~
pected nothing wrong and accompanied
the men. While they We're in the
saloon the shooting commenced.
The first shot was fred in the alley
just north of Tulare street, between +
and & streets. No one saw the open
ing Of the battle and it probably viii
never be known just how it COM
menced. Hi Rapelji a Chinatown
Waterman, was at the corner OF q and
Tulare streets when the first shot was
fred He rushed to the scene. and
upon reaching the alley saw two Chi
nese leaning over the PROSTATE form of
a third. Each of the men was armed
with a revolver and both were shoot
ing at the body on the ground between
them.
Farther up the alley were at least
a dozen other MongOlianS, all blazing
away and running TO and fro in an
excited manner As Rapelj ran UP TO
arrest the Chinese who were shooting
at the man lying on the walk Leon
Tung, prominent member Of the Bing
kunE Company, rushed 10y him. pur-
sued by a highlander. The fugitive
took shelter in q hallway leading to a
fan tan den. AS he reached the door
the man who followed him fired The
bullet struck Leon Tung in the fore
head and he dropped dead. Rapelii
caught the murderer by the queue and
held him until other officers arrived.
At the jail he gave the name Of Wong
Duck.
The men who We're shooting at the
man on the ground ran away before
the officers arrived. Strange to say the
fellow who had been shot at was not
fatally wounded, for he jumped up and
ran away as soon as his assailants had
left. him.
In the meantime Policeman Morss.
who had heard the shots, was running
from the saloon to the scene of the
shooting. As he arrived at the alley
he saw Chinese running from the cor
ner Of G and Tulare streets diagonally
across Tulare street and toward him.
AS soon as the fellow reached the north
side Of Tulare street he ran up to a
Chinese named Chin Chi, who was
standing in a doorway and deliberately
fired two shots at him, killing him in
stantly.
The gunner then continued to run
down the street toward the spot where
MOrss was standing. The policeman
ordered him to stop, but he threw his
pistol at the officers head and con-
tinued his fight. Morss again ordered
him TO stop, and, upon his failure TO
obey, fired. The ball penetrated the
MOngOlians liver and kidneys aud he
is not expected to live. He was taken
TO the County Hospital, where he is
now under guards.
After the shooting had ceased the of
ficers found a Chinese mOrtally wound
ed in the alley just above the spot
where Leon Tung was killed. His name
is unknown, but he was a peddler. He
died shortly afterward.
As soon as quiet had been restored
the orlcefS made q thorough search of
Chinatown and arrested a number of
suspicious characters.
The war between the rival companies
was one of the results of the trial of
Tai Choy for the killing Of Chuck Hook.
ChOy was convicted a month ago on
what the members of his company
claim was perjured testimony. The
trouble has been brewing in Chinatown
ever since. Within the last few days
over forty highbinders have arrived
from San Francisco.