The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-06-14
WHITE GIRL DESERTS HOME run
THE LOVE OF A CHINA
MAN.
Her Career Ended IN An OPIUM len
IN Filthy kIyondyke
Room.

SEATTLE. WaSh., June f'-i'oi II VI
respectable parents and reared IN COM
fort and happiness Lucy Billings, a
uretty 16-vcar-oId girl forsOOk her pa
ysnts and her home for the love of
Chinaman whom she met by accident
After a miserable existence of thirteen
wears with her Oriental husband, her
career ended Saturday afternoon, when
her dead body was found in filthy
room in the Klondyke house, an opium
den near the Montana stables, as pub
lished at the time. Beside her was her
husband, Jim Hong, slowly dying of
consumption and from the effects of
opium which he has smoked for years.
Mrs Hongs emaciated body, now
living on cold slab in the BOnney-
Watson company's morgue waiting to
be claimed by her relatives, is mute
evidence of a strange devotion that
brought on a life of misery, WretChed
poverty and utter depraVity. There is
perhaps not a case of its kind on rec
ord.
a little more than thirteen years ago
Lucy Billings was living happily with
her parents. Mr.. and Mrs. w. NJ. w.
Billings. on an Idaho farm. Billings
heard of the advantages he might have
an stock raising in Oregon. He pur-
chased ranch near Lebanon. Ore,
and prepared to move his family there.
The Billings family went across coun-
try III a prairie schooner. In Eastern
Oregon. Jim Hong Chinaman, was
employed on a stock ranch. BY chance
he met the Billings family as the men,
bers stopped to spend the night on that
ranch
He saw Lucy and there Immediate
~ seemed to spring up a devotion one
work and followed the family to its
new home. He worked as a farm
hand and that gave the Oriental a good
chance To be often in the company of
The young girl. Time drifted along
until the parents noticed that Hong
and the girl We're deeply in love. They
tried every means in their power to
break up the affair but it was i'm
possible Finally Billings drove the
Chjnaman from the ranch. He re-
turned in a few days and had a secret
meeting with the girl. An elopement
was planned.
one night the girl slipped from her
home and joined her yellow lover, who
WAS waiting for her with a buggy he
had hired from a neighbor. They
drove TO 4 nearby town to secure a Ii
CeHse and be married. At that time it
WAS against the law for a white man
10 marry Chinaman in the state. a
license was refused. Not to be outdone
they went on to Portland and from
Portland to Fort Willow, Cal, where
ried Icy Judge Sand, justice of the
peace at the fort.
Nj, and Mrs. Hong lived for a time
IN California. Then they returned to
her home \ sort of forgiveness was
granted by the heart broken parents
who decided that they must make the
BEST Of an unfortunate affair.
Hong tired of the farm, took his
wife to Lebanon. and there secured
employment as a cook. In that town
Il baoy boy was born to them. In a
year or SO they again moved, going
10 q ranch east of the mountains. For
three>years they lived there. The sec
Ond child was born while they were in
The mountains. Both children are now
an The hands of responsible persons in
Seattle, taken from their parents more
than year ago by Humane officer
Clarke
Hong accumulated some money on
his ranch. but. like all Cinnamon. he
could not resist the temptation to
smoke opium. The habit grew upon
him and he became indolent. allowing
his ranch to be sold for debt.
Driven from their home, the white
women and her Oriental husband. with
heir half-caste children. moved to
Seattle. That was three years ago.
Hong became i'll with a trouble of his
sSto'nach. He was able to work but a
few days out of the month. The fam
iiy lived in various filthy quarters in
the city and depended much on the
charity of other Cinnamon. Hongs
illness caused him TO smoke the slaeny
drug all the more. He finally became
such a tfend that he had no power r.
resist the drug.
pain. PAIN he said yesterda,- 90
couldn't quit smoke. Pain must stop
Hop do it,"