The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1905-08-04
RESCulN6 CHINESE SLAVES.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Slavery in the United States still ex-
lists in a most loathsome form ir San
Francisco, says Everybody's Magazine.
The reference Ia to the servitude Of
Chinese women in the notorious Chi
uatown" Of that city. For many years
a determined war has been waged
upon 1t by the Presbyterian Chinese
Mission of the city. but although much
diminished it still persists.
Much Of the work during the last
ten years has been done under the per-
.sonal direction Of Miss Donaldine Cam
eron, q young woman Of Scottish de-
scent who attributes her success in
lance Of her "Hieland" forefathers' ap-
titude for cattle-raiding. Time and
again she has taken her life in her
hands and plunged boldly into the dens
In search Of some slave girl who had
sent word that she wished to be free
for slavery can be prevented only by
consent Of the slave. Rescue is I'M
possible so long as the slave Is in vol
untary servitude.
Two years ago, with a sergeant Of
police, Miss Cameron raided a den in
San Luis Alley, narrow thoroughfare
In the worst depths Of Chinatown.
They eluded the Waterman and made
for the door Of the marked house. The
sergeant, putin his shoulder against
1t, broke it in.
Chinese women, which had begun with
the attack, sounded farther and far
Their away. The raiders found the
lights burning, tea-urn singing in the
corn U, guitar with its strings still
Quivering, but there was no one in
sight, and there was no visible exit
from the room.
Experienced in these things, they
knew there was secret passage some
where, leading to the endless mazes Of
underground Chinatown. They went
over the wall foot by foot, pressing
and tapping. At last, under a couch,
Miss Cameron found a spot which
sounded hollow. The sergeant had
stepped outside, but Miss Cameron, too
excited to think Of the consequences,
pressed with all her might. and pam
ell dropped away. Below was dark
ness.
Miss Cameron rolled bodily through
and fell six feet. The sergeant, hear
ing her call, ran to the hole and held a
lighted candle. There was a passage,
stretching farther away than they
could see, and 50 narrow that to
thread 1t one must stoop and present
his shoulders sideways. Following 1t
to widening. they found Chinese
bag lying face downward. without
ceremony the sergeant rolled her over.
She was the mistress Of the house. Un-
der her was trap-door. pad-locked.
Miss Cameron snatched the keys
from the woman's belt, unlocked this
door, and dropped again into foul
smelling bleckness. They found another
passafe. narrower than the flrst. It
sloped downward for a story, till they
were deep underground. turned two or
three times, assembled BY two flights Of
stairs al steep as ladders, and ended
in a deserted room with a door in tho
farther corner.
Again the sergeant's shoulder forced
a way, and they fell out into the fresh
air. They were on the alley, only six
feet from the door by which they had
entered the building. A casual watcher
told them that two minutes after they
had entered six Chinese women and
two men had come out through the last
door. ran across the street and disap-
peared. The girl they sought has not
yet been rescued.
Many attempts have been made to
kill Miss Cameron, but she has es-
capped unframed. Her rescues Of
slaves have made the buS9ness SO pre-
carious that three Thousand dollars is
now the price for 14-year-old girl AMI
two thousand for a baby.