The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-02
1CHINE WASHEE
DIES SUDDENLY
leong Sing Found Dead in His.
Bunk Yesterday.
he WORE A FALSE PIG TAIL
Coroner Taylor Found it Out at His
Exan1ination-Sing's Friends We're
Shocked at Discovery-Strange
Burial Services To-Day.

There isn't any crepe on the door OF the
C.tircse laundry OF Him Lee, at No. 24o2
Church Hill Avenue, but inside there are
a dozen or more members OF the Chinese
COZ. nunity III this city huddled in
g:rrp, and in their sing-song. ding-dong
pa, iey-vous they are mourning the SAD
and sudden demise Of Leong Sing early
y.. terday morning, which resulted. 1t IS
r:..o, from the strenuousness OF his wiring
i,g out pile OF Church Hill folks
vashee. Around the shop all yesterday
,.1tL late last night was a morbid crowd
OF men, women and children, gazing at
tile Chinks, who seemed afraid to move
fl ON q group.
1he death of Chinaman in Richmond
is an unusual event, as in the past decade
only one other death Is known. That I'M
fortunate Celestial was You King. who
6Sed and wa. buried on April 18th in Oak
wtod Cemetery about ten years ago. Not
so long since his bones were dieinterred
..r0 shipped in Theoretically sealed tin
box to his home in China.
FORNGE DBv1IS COUNTRY.
The death Of Laong Bing is, in the reli-
Eivus views OF his countrymen. dis
grace to his family. as he died in the
lana of the foreign devils and without the
pIcper adjustment Of the Joss fires at his
-ecth bed. LeonB retired Wednesday night
;sl.out II O'Clock. He slept with Him and
-, ther Chink at the laundry. Yesterday
T.. o-ning when Him went to Leong's bunk
10 wake him he found the man corpse.
In few minutes the neighborhood was
aware of the death. as the Chinaman be-
came almost Wild with excitement and his
religious duties beside the death bunk.
Mr.. Charles J. Bilsups, undertaken, was
sent for. and he removed the remains to
his undertaking parlors. where Coroner
"a az min
n,.rnccd the cause of death heart disease
Tho Chink was not an opium eater or
smoker. SO his friends say, and they be-
come frantic II 1t is suggested that the
Chnaman dreamed to death"
Leong did hard days work Wednes-
day. and 1t is thought this aggravated a
6isease of the heart.
FUNERAL OCCURS TO-DAY.
To-day at o'clock the funeral. ac-
cording to the rites of Buddha, will oc-
cur at Billups' establishment. and later
at the grave IN lakewood Cemetery tho
solemn feast Of the dead will be adj
1ninistered. The services consist of pIae-
ing money in the casket with the body.
to be used to pay the ferry hire across
the River OF Death, to buy chop suey
and rice at the inns and. If necessary.
to bride the gate-keeper at the Last
Temple OF Buddha- In the coffin also
will be placed meat and fruits. which
the Chinaman is expected to eat before
he starts on tho journey. Joss sticks
and uncanny noises on timbals announce
the departure of the dead AT the grave
the services continue. Here, after the
earth is tightly packed upon the re-
mains, chicken meat. chop suey, bird S
nest chowder. fruit an chop sticks will
be deposited upon the ea1 III mound. If
a stray dog doesn't get them, the Ch1nk
lives on this fare, but in case of an ac-
cident he has the money with him to
buy more. about every week the food
is renewed. At the end of three years the
friends of LeonE will gather around the
grave in lakewood Some one with
deep voice will call, Come. get up, and
go home and then the grave will be
opened. The bones will be taken out
thoroughly pertumed, placed in n
tcN and in the keeping of a faithful
friend. they leave for San Francisco.
where the Six Companies. a Chinese So
caety, will forward the remains to
Leongs home.
PIG TAIL WAS EALsE.
While Coroner Taylor was examining
the remains yesterday morning it was
discovered that the beautiful raven plat
that Leong wore was false.
The Chinamsn's own hair was about
false switch had been woven 1t is
supposed that Leong was at one time a
criminal in China, as the queues of con-
victs are always cut off, and he wore
the false hair to hide his shame from
his brothers in this country. Another
explanation is that he wanted to be
nearly American as possible and had
his head shaver. The idea to return to
his wife and children. in China, seized
him, and he knew that unless he had a
queue he would be unable to enter his
country. He purchased the false one with
his hrst money. and at the time OF his
death was laborins to earn money Cor
his passage home.
FRIENDS WEIRD SHOCKED.
Leongs friends are Sphinx-like regard
ing the false braid. and it being known
has shocked them. They are a clannish
people. and II Leong was criminal it
IS hardly possible they would give any
1nforma ton, as they all pose as law
abiding immigrants.
Leong was about thirty-six years old
and had been in Richmond nearly four
years. His family lived in China, where
ne intended to go next fall He was at
one time a member of a Chinese Sunday
school class at Union Station Methodist