The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-27
CHINESE PUZZLE
NEVER SOLVED
BOTH HAD CERTIFICATES
WHEN CHINKs APPEARED BEFORE
COMMISSIONER.

Interpreters Mixed Things and Satd
Things About Each other-Witneea
First Knew no English, But Dur
ing Progress of Hearing, Learned
Considerable - Gave wonderful
Exhibition of Juggling with
Truth and FalsehOOd-One Was
Recognized as Having Been in
Sunday-schOOI.
Again the oily wiles of the heather
Chinee have aided him in eluding the
clutches of the law, and Wong Fang
Ho and Lon Chang, the two celes-
tials held as being illegally in this
country, have been released. The
hearing was held yesterday before
Commissioner Hewlett, Attorneys
Akerman and Leaken representing the
government and Attorneys E. H Abra-
hams and John Rourke, Jr., the celes-
tials.
The almond-eyed yellow men sustain
ed the reputation they have been given
in song and story for being able to
produce much from their copious
sleeves. They further sustained their
reputation for prevaricators par excel
lence, and for vile and guile, the pair
have seldom been equalled.
The first startling thing produced
was a certificate, brought forth by
each Chink from some unknown place.
When arrested they had none, and yet
all at once the two appeared. When
arrested both had stated that they
were laundrymen, and yesterday one
developed into a Chinese merchant.
When arrested both stated that they
came from Ocala, and that they had
never been in Jacksonville, and yes
terday both had been in Jacksonville
for two or three years, and had come
to Savannah straight from the Florida
city. These are but few instances
of the tales told.
Interpreters Mixed Things.
Wong Fong Ho, the cousin of Char
lie Wong of Savannah, was unable to
speak the English language when first
put on the stand, and an interpreter
was secured, passing under the given
name of Arthur. Special Assistant
United States Attorney Leaken found
great difficulty in keeping the inter-
prefer from talking with the witness,
more than was allowed by law. Sew
eral times the attorney limited that the
questions and answer were not being
correctly given, but the mysteries Of
language of the Celestial prevented
him from proving it.
But in the room was one Robert
Chung Chang, and he startled the
court by exclaiming, pointing to the
interpreter, He no askee what you
say" This little variation caused
change to be made, and Robert was
s.,41
thur put the questions and Robert re-
ceived the answers. Satisfactory prog
ress was made by this arrangement,
though it was found necessary to place
the other Cinnamon in such a position
that they could not signal to the wit
nesseS.
Stories Filled with Interest.
The story told by Wong Fong Ho
was one of unusual interest, and truth
and falsehood were strangely mixed.
The following will give some slight
illustration of how Wong mixed things
in replies to Mr.. Leaken:
did you work in laundry in jack
sonville?"
mo sullee." No laundly in Jackson
Vile"
what were you doing there then?"
''NTe workee for Chollie Johnson"
what does Chollie Johnson do?"
HE keepee laundly."
In the face of such astonishing
statements and sudden changes, the
attorneys admitted themselves baffied.
1t was a case of which Is true. if
either"
Found in Sunday-schOo1.
When both had been examined, If 1t
could be called an examination, Char
lie Wong took the stand. He was
shown the certificates and stated that
he knew Wong Fong Ho, his cousin,
and that he was a Bowery merchant,
having met him there ten or eleven
years ago.
He was then shown Lon Chang's
picture and replied, after looking at
Lon, "Lookee likee heem. Me know
heem. See heem in New York In
Sunday-school. Me know heem three,
four, years. Heem alice light
When asked about names the fol-
lowing delightful explanation was CIV
en- by Charlie: "Chinamans have many
name. Hava baby name, school name,
marriage name, and store name. All
name Wong clousin to me. So I know
Wong Fong Ho, he my clousln. Me
know both in New York"
Wong Fang Ho was recalled and
questioned without an interpreter. In
the interval since he was first on the
stand he had learned English, in soI@e
degre, and answered questions ialrly
well.
Commissioners Hewlett, in view of the
fact that the Cinnamon had certih-
Gates, could do nothing but release
them, and after the crowd had giD-
pered out congratulations, with the
clogging of wooden shoes, the cninks
adjourned to the laundry OF Willie
wang Kee, to talk it over. What Chink
will use those certificates next Is
p1zzling the authorities.