The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-05
Plymouth Rock Hen Killed, but Some
of the Chinese Refuse to
Take Oath over 1t.
PUT ON ICE FOR USE TO-DAY
KILLED BY ATTORNEY WITH CLEAy-
Err USED BY MURDERER.
Various Stories Told by Witnesses
Who Were with Chin Hee Be-
fore the Murder.

The preliminary hearings OF Chin Hoe,
the Chinaman accused of the murder of
Doc Lung on May 4, began yesterday aft
ernoon in the Police Court The evidence
was not all given and the case will again
be resumed this morning at IL o'clock.
When the hour for calling the trial came
the courtroom was filled with curious peo-
pie Several policemen were employed 10
keep later arrivals from squeezing in.
Chin Hee was brought from the Jail by
Bicycle Policeman Morgan. He was first
placed on the witness stand and was later
taken to a seat beside his attorneys,
Messrs. Harding and Wiltsie. Chin Hee
was cleanly shaven and his long queue was
neatly wrapped around his head. He pre-
scented better appearance than on the
night he was arrested. He grasped the
hands of his countrymen who came near
and seemed not disturbed over the serious
charge he was to answer.
Coroner Brayton carried the ceaver used
in committing the murder. AS all the wit
nesses were at hand Prosecutor James Col
Inns asked of Acting Judge Connoway, as
there were among the witnesses several
who did not recognize the Christian oath,
the privilege of administering the 'chick-
en- OATH" which is said TO be binding among
| the Chinese
To this Attorney Harding objected, say
| ing that the chicken oath would be a mock
cry TO the Constitutions of the United
States and Indiana, which have made a
certain form of oath binding on all. If
| any one does not care to take that OATH"
he said, there is another form called an
aft 7ru1a hat fS he of
Mr.. Harding precipitated long legal ar
gument Moy Kee, Chin Gum Shing and
several other enlightened Chinese were
asked about the chicken oath and they
said they thought it was necessary to get
the truth concerning the murder Judge
Connoway said he would allow the chicken
to be killed and the Chinese witnesses
would have to take the Christian form of
oath with the Chinese oath.
Assistant Prosecutor Gronninger, with
Willie Moy, a Chinese, took the chicken
outside and chopped off it's head. 1t was
brought into court wriggling in a paper
bag. In another bag were several punches
of joss sticks, punches OF Chinese incense
and two bars of common laundry soap
! When Judge Connoway allowed the chick
en- to be killed Dong Gum Hong. brother
of the murdered Chinese took a Plymouth
Rock hen from the sack and placed it on
| a Shingle. He tied its head with a white
string to the board and also tied the feet
Mr. Harding caused another delay by ask
| ing who was TO kill the chicken. 1t was
| decided at first that Chin Gum Shing, ia
| miliarly known as E. Lung, should do IT.
| To this Mr.. Harding objected. Then Willie
| Moy was selected, but his shyness would
not permit him to take such a prominent
| part. Then Dong Gum Hong was asked
| If he would chop off the chickens head
| but he hung his head and said he would
rather not. Mr.. Harding said he thought
| il was the duty of either the prosecutor or
| his assistant. Mr. Gronninger, to expedite
| matters, took the chicken to side room
where he, with one of the Janitors,
chopped off the head with the cleaver that
| the murderer of Doc Lung used. They
| hurried back into the courtroom carrying
| the bleeding chicken.
THE BLOOD ON THE CLEAVER.
| Coroner Brayton was the first witness
called. He described in detail the wounds
| found on Doc Lung. He pronounced the two
large cuts in the neck as the fatal wounds.
| other cuts were on the jaw and head. he
| said He was asked by Mr.. Harding II the
| cuts were made by a Ratchet or a knife.
| DR.. Brayton said he thought they were
made by a long knife-like instrument
weighing, he judged, about two pounds.
| The three largest cuts, he said. could not
have been made with any other instrument.
He was then shown the cleaver. He took it
| in his hand and said in an undertone:
What a mistake they made in getting that
| chicken blood on the blade" DIR. Brayton
| was asked il blood was found on the
| cleaver after 1t was given TO him shortly
| after Doc Lungs murder. He said there
| was several slight stains or blood, which,
under a microscope and a salt solution,
| resembled human blood. He was then asked
| by Mr.. Harding If there are any other lower
| animals that have round cOrpuscles similar
| to the human corpuscles. He said that the
blood corpuscles of small puppies and some
| kinds of beef are similar. DR.. Brayton
would not say on oath that the blood cor
puscles found on the blade were from a
| man.
Bernard Kaufman, a shoemaker on In
| diana avenue, followed DIR. Brayton on the
stand. He told of meeting Chin Hee on the
| Sunday night of the murder. He said he
met him in the middle Of Illinois street
about 1880 o'clock. He had met Chin Hee
on the Friday night preceding. He said at
| that time he had a slight conversation with
| the Chinaman. The conversation consisted
of Chin Hee telling Kaufman that Doc
| Lung had a wife and child in China.
Kaufman said when he met Chin Hee
! Sunday night Chin Hee wore wide smile
and nodded greeting.
| Captain Of Detectives Gerber, who ar
rested Chin Hee, was next put on the stand.
| Capt. Gerber went into detail concerning
the story told by Chin Hee In his office on
| the Tuesday after the murder and also on
the night OF the arrest He said Chin Hee
| was accompanied on both occasions by Moy
| Kee and Chin Gum Shng. Moy Kee acted
| as interpreter. Chin Hee said he worked
| Friday and Saturday for Doc Lung, for
| which the latter paid him So. He paid Moy
| Kee a bill amounting to 81 and then Capt.
| Gerber asked Chin Hee where the extra
| dollar came from, as Chin Hee said he was
| broke" until Doc Lung paid him for his
services. He explained this by saying that
| his uncle in Winchester had sent him
| $40 After paying Moy Kee 81 he retained
| 49, which he said he lost in gambling.
Capt. Gerber said when he arrested Chin
| Hee he found several dollars in small
| change in his pockets and $3.50 in nickels
| and dimes in his trunk.
Capt Gerber said he asked Chin Hee
where he secured this money and he said
| Chin Gum Shng had given 1t to him Chin
| Gum Shing was brought in and he denied
! giving Chin Hee the money When Gerber
| was cross-examined by Attorneys Harding
| and Wiltsie, they closed by asking IL Chin
Hee could speak English. They were told
| that he could not They then asked II Moy
| Kee and Chin Gum Shing. who acted as
| interpreters for the detectives in the Office
| of Capt. Gerber, had been sworn. They were
! told they had not. Then the attorneys
| created another stir by asking Judge Con
| noway that all the evidence submitted by
| Capt Gerber be stricken out as il was
| kearsay. Judge Connoway agreed with
them and allowed the evidence 10 be strick-