Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-02-02
THE CHINESE CASES,
Some Interesting Facts Given by Unit
ed States District Attorney
Rourke,
Chinese Firms That Have as High as
~ Partners-Schemes to Violate
the Law.
Important Cases.

Fargo Forum: What is to involve the
life of the exclusion act is the beginning
OF prosecution of seventy-fve Cinnamon
before Judge Amidon of the United
States district court today. The case is
being bitterly fought by the Cinnamon.
The prisoners were arrested at Portal,
N. d., by Special Treasury Agent Fors-
last November. Yesterdays train
from Chicago brought the following to
represent the government: Robert H.
forsman, a special employee of the treas
ury department., Frank Tins of New
York City, the Chinese interpreter for
the government. They were joined here
by r. w. Berkshire, a special treasury
agent from Chicago.
MIR. Forsman brought with him from
Chicago a CARLOAD of dispositions taken
in Chicago and elsewhere by District
Attorney Rourke for this district, as
sisted by Mr.. Berkshire. This mass of
statements will require
translation by Interpreter Tins. The
officials are quartered at the Metropole.
In the party were the attorneys who
are to defend the Cinnamon, ATTORNEY
Thos. II. Milchrist, former United States
district attorney for the northern dis
of Illinois, and Attorney Elmer De-
witt Brothers, partner of Luther Latin
Mills of Chicago.
The case is n of vast Importance and
the attorneys for the defense say that
it will provide a scandal which will open
eyes Of the American people. The
defense is moving with great care on ac-
count, they say, Of tho many government
spies on the case.
Some interesting facts with reference
these cases are given. In speaking of
the Chinese exclusion act, United States
Attorney Rourke said to a rep
resentative of The Fargo Call: Under
this act there are four classes of China.
men, who are admitted to the United
students, teachers, persons travel
ing for pleasure, and returning mer-
These Cinnamon could hardly
themselves off as belonging to either
Of the first mentioned classes, hence the
common claim to be returning mer-
chants"
"How does the law define a merchant
in this case?" was asked.
"a merchant" replied Mr.. Rourke,
within the meaning of the law, is a
person who has been engaged in buying
and selling merchandise, at a fixed place
Of business, in his own name for one
year previous to his leaving the country,
and who has not during that time en-
gagged in manual labor, including buck
laundering, peddling, etc. These
men claim that they belong to these
great partnerships and have gone to
and are nov returning"
"How many partners do some of these
firms have?"
1.-The firm of Tai Wah g. Co., of 1903
South Clark street," said Mr.. Rourke,
sin 1897 had 43 partners, in 1899, they
had II partners and during that time 81
partners have been admitted to the
United States who have dropped out al
together. They claim to have a stock
valued at $1,000 and the records of Cook
show assessments for taxation,
in 1896, 500; in 1897, s1OO; in 1893, 500;
in 1899, nothing.
"In six firms who claim to have stocks
which aggregate 100000, a government
expert, who has spent Is years assessing
Chinese property, has not placed the
value of any stock above $780,"
The United States attorney has plats
of the buildings used by these Chinese
firms in Chicago, and in every instance
the part of the building containing the
stock is but a small room, while the
greater part is given over to opium
smoking and gambling. 1t will develop