Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-01
OMAHA CHINESE IN TROUBLE
Local Merchant Visits FlOwsry Kingdom
and Fails to Get Back.
HELD At SAN FRANCISCO BY RED TAPE
Customs House omcers Hard to SAT-
isfy az to Eligibility of Leo
All Ham 60 Enter United
States.

omaha Cinnamon are very much inter-
ested in the fate Of Leo All Ham, one Of
their number who went to China a few
months ago to visit. He returned to this
country more than a month ago, but was
not permitted to land, being held as a re-
turned laborer. the insr ector at San Fran
cisco claiming that his certificate did not
plainly set out the fact that he was a mer-
chant. The certificate in question was pre-
pared at the office Of the surveyor of Gus
toms in Omaha before Ham left the city.
1t included his statement that he was going
to China to visit, together with his photo
graph and the statement Of two residents
Of Omaha who were acquainted with him as
to the fact Of his being engaged In business
In this city and not being a laborer within
the meaning OF the Chinese exclusion act.
When be returned to the country he was
detained and his papers sent TO Omaha for
more complete answers to the questions
asked
The original statement was signed by A.
S. wolcott, cashier Of the Pacific Express
company, and by Alfred Thomas, at that
time c clerk in the First National bank.
both o. whom had transacted business with
Ham for several years while he was a part
ner in the Wing Tong company Of this city.
which has a house on North Sixteenth
street. Some Of the questions could not be
answered ty these persons, as they had not
followed the daily walks Of the Chinaman,
but enough was certified to in the opinion
Of the local government ~oficisls, to prove
beyond question that Leo All Ham should be
permitted to return These signers were
asked to sign another statement, practically
identical with that originally signed, which
was done.
Whereabouts Become Mixed.
The matter rested at San Francisco for
some time, the friends and relatives Of
Ham becoming more anxious as time
elapsed. Letters we're written to the Pa
cihc port, one OF which brought a state
meDt from an inspector that Leo All Ham
had been ordered TO be deported May s, but
that upon receipt of a letter OF protest
from the surveyor OF the port at Omaha the
deportation order had been abrogated. The
letter stated, however, that Ham had been
shipped back to China by the Pacific Steam
ship company, which had done that on it's
own motion because Ham had refused to
pay board bills while in the detention quar-
tiers, pending the Investigation of his case.
Thd matter was then placed in the hands
Of an Omaha attorney, who wrote to a San
Francisco correspondent. This letter, later
than the one telling of Hams deportation,
SAID t0dt ne was SIll IN the QeLeQtlOn
house and that it would require from 800
to $3.50 to secure his release. but that 1t
could probably be done. The attorneys
asked for no money unless the release was
secured.
Another Chinese Comes Through.
A short time after Leo All Ham was
detained. Leo Chez, another Chinese resi-
dent of Omaha, arrived at San Francisco
and was detained temporarily. A letter
written at the instance of relatives to
Senator Willard on the subject brought
forth a reply stating that Leo Chez had
been released and that the Treasury de-
partment has sent to San Franscico for the
documents in the case Of Leo All Ham.
The case will be actively pushed in Wash
ington, as there are numbers Of Omaha
people who know Ham and know that for
nearly twenty years he has lived in the
city and that for six years he has been
in business for himself and not within the
terms Of the exclusion act.