Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-10
Chinese Slave Girl
Makes Effort to
Escape
Rescued by Officer From
Fate Worse Than
Death
Cruelty Beaten by Brutal Macquereaux
Who Would Force Her to
Sell Her Soul to
Mammon

Fighting desperately with the yellow
fiends who were attempting to hold
her prisoner and bleeding from a dozen
cuts and scratches inflicted by her tor
mentors pretty little San Wo, a 16-
year-old Chinese girl, recently brought
here from the orient. yesterday escaped
from a slave house on Apablasa street
and had nearly won her freedom when
a number of Chinese macquereaux at
tackled her.
But for the gallant dash of Deputy
Sheriff James Myers, who happened to
be driving past the place at the time
and who went to the girls rescue, the
yellow men would have probably sue
ceeded in taking the girl back to the
crib house and to fate worse than
death.
According to the statements of the
girl, there are now more than hun
dred Chinese women in the local set
tlement brought here from San Fran
cisco, and many are being held slaves
by vicious masters, who continually in
timidate the girls and take their cloth
ing away from them, holding them
prisoners in houses of evil repute.
Inspector Will Investigate
Until the ohrdes of yellow men
from the north began to arrive here
the local settlement was practically
free from slave houses, and when Of
flcer Strobe, who was probably the best
Informed police officer in the China
town settlement. was suddenly removed
from there the keepers of the houses
opened up their cribs in the settlement
and dozens of young Chinese girls were
forced into them. AS result United
States Chinese Inspector Tuttle will
probably make a complete and sweep
ing investigation of the conditions OF
the local settlement.
The escape of little San Woi yester-
day explains to a certain extent the
disappearance of number of young
Chinese girls, who were supposed to
have been killed in the Sn Francisco
disaster and who are now said to be
slave girls in the local houses, held
captive by the yellow macquereauX.
San Woi arrived in the United States
about three months ago, gaining en-
trance with her husband by way OF
El Paso. The happy young couple went
to San Francisco and lived there until
the earthquake and fire, in which the
young husband perished.
Is Easy Victim
The girl was frantic and, being with
out friends or advisers, she fell an easy
prey to celestial macquereaux who
brought the girl to Los Angeles tell
ing her she was to receive good treat
ment with a white family here.
Upon their arrival the girl was taken
to a place on Apablasa street and as
signed to a little cuddy hole in the back
of the house. She remained there sew
81" eral days, not knowing of the fate that
awaited her. while her willy captors
tO1A
On the outside of the building the
place resembled an ordinary Chinese
dwelling. narrow dirty and foul smell
ing, while an old hag sat in the door
way smoking AN evil-looking pipe. On
the inside the place was arranged like
stable and each Chinese girl had a
small crib.
Fights Her Tormentor
Yesterday a Chinese was admitted
TO the building, and went from one crib
to another until he reached the last
one, where the young widow was sew
ing. 1t was noontime and most of the
inmates were out of the building under
the guard of their men. The celestial
entered the little room and seized the
girl, whereupon she recognized at last
the character of the place and started
70 hghl and scream for help. The two
fought about the place. while the ex-
cited celestials attempted to stop the
disturbance. The girls clothing was
nearly torn from her and she was
scratched and bleeding
Without shoes or hat, she made a
last desperate dash for the doorway
and succeeded i'm crossing the small
and filthy kitchen and gaining a mar
row alleyway in rear of the crib house
when the yellow macqeureaux, seeing
their prey about to escape them. made
a dash for her free-for-all fight
ensued and the girl fought desperately
using her fists and finger nails and
screaming .frantically for help.
Falls in a Faint
Fighting back and forth the men and
the lone woman struggled to the gate
opening on Alameda street and there
half dazed by the brutal blows and
kicks heaped upon her by her captors
the girl fell fainting to the ground.
AT this juncture Deputy Sheriff James
Myers, who was driving past at the
time, saw the fight He jumped from
his buggy and made one rush. The
officer did not even take time to show
his star or draw a weapon With two
heavy American fists he made about
three swings at the yellow faces
Wherever he saw a Chinese he drove
his fist, and. shrleking with fright
the ceestias dashed for cover
Assisted by a Herald representative
who was in the neighborhood at the
time OF the fight Myers took the
woman through the crowd of excited
and iabbering Chinese and marched her
10 the Office of a hide and talow COM
pany on Alameda street
Tells Story Of Betrayal
Five hundred excited celestials gath
cred about the windows and made
threatening gestures at the girl. but
they could not intlmidate her. and a
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