Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-10
CHINESE DID NOT FIRE
ON AMERICAN FLAGS
HYSTERICAL STORIES ARE DENIED
Responsible Merchants Make Full Investigation
and Issue Dignified Statement Showing
No Dissertation Was Perpetrated


investigation of the alleged desecration
of the American flag by Chinese at an
Alameda shooting gallery, several
nights ago, the Chinese chamber OF
commerce of Los Angeles yesterday
returned statement containing COM
plete story of the affair.
The statement was sworn to before
a notary and signed by George G. Lem,
Zip Bow Yuen and Wong Fong, three
of the most prominent merchants OF
the local settlement, and 1t will be
filed on the minutes of the next meet
ing of the merchants.
According to the sworn affidavit of
the members of the committee, Chinese
did not fire at the American flag and
had no intention of doing so. During
their investigation they learned that
two Chinese boys, Is and II years of
age, returning from a theater, had
stopped to try their skill in Japanese
shooting gallery on Alameda street.
The lads bought sixteen shots for a
quarter and fired at little iron birds set
up OH the shooting rack. While they
were in the place, Japanese woman,
proprietor of the establishment,
showed her skill by firing at little
metal disc set at one end of a long
bar.
Americans Shoot at Same Target
The disc was at one end of the bar,
while an American flag was at the
other end. When a bullet struck the
disc the bar revolved and the flag fut-
tered around.
The flags had been attached to the
bar long before there was any talk OF
a Chinese war; and before there was
any cause for trouble.
The flags were put there simply for
decorative purposes, and While they
had been cut by bullets, the shots had
not been fired at the flags but had
glanced off from the disc and hit the
tiny bits Of silk.
According to the report which is sub
stantiated by many witnesses, a white
man entered the place while the Chi
nese boys were firing and he twitted
them ON being such bad shots. He
became so noisy that he was ordered
out of the place, and in revenge he
went and told officers that the flags
were being fired on.
The officers went to the place and
examined the flags and then closed
the room but when they got there
there were no Chinese present.
Yellow Yawp Grows HystericaI
The efforts of the morning Yellow
Shrek to create a sensation by spread
ing a wildly thrilling tale of blood and
thunder over an entire page and add
ing a liberal portion Of illustrations of
local officers said to have made a
desperate rescue of the flags are de-
plored by the Chinese, who state that
so bitter was the feeling engendered
by the distorted facts that riot might
have occurred and scores of peaceable
persons paid the penalty of the yellow
e,ha
lives.
According to the statement of all the
witnesses there was not Chinese in
the place when the officers entered and
no violence was required. The officers
simply took the flags and the Japanese
proprietor and his wife went home for
the night.
Following is the complete report of
the committee appointed by the Chi
nese chamber of commerce.:
Statement Made by the Committee
Several days ago statements ap-
peared in several of the American
newspapers that the American flag
had been desecra ed by Chinese in a
Japanese shooting gallery. Knowing
fully how reverently the American peo-
pie cherish and honor their flag, the
Chinese chamber of commerce at once
called public meeting and appointed
us as q committee to fully investigate
this matter; to find the culprits; to de-
termine their guilt, and to turn them
over to the American authorities for
proper punishment.
We Chinese living in America have
learned to deeply reverence this same
flag which stands for so much of hu-
man liberty, and knowing further that
in order to have harmony and peace
among all people justice must be
ceaselessly sought after, we entered
upon this investigation with the firm
to bring all and every
Chinese who might be guilty of desc
Grating the American flag before the
that the sternest punish
ment might be meted out to them.
Make Thorough Investigation
In order to get at the facts. 1t was
found necessary to investigate:
First-The shooting gallery; to de-
termine the manner in which the flags
were placed and how long they had
been there.
Second-To learn from the Japanese
proprietor who the Chinese were and in
what manner they had desecrated the
flags.
Third-To discover the Chinese who
were in this gallery
Fourth-To interview the two police
officers who closed the gallery and re-
ported to the chief of police the desc
Grafton of the flag.
We went at once to the gallery where
the shooting of the flags is said to have
taken place, which is situated at 614la
North Alameda street and is conduct
ed by a Japanese named e. Morita and
a Japanese woman.
Flags Were Merely Decorations
The targets in this place are ar
ranged twenty-eight feet from the
front of shooters, as followsi Nearest
the floor are large round targets, above
these are some smaller round targets
and others in the forms of birds. Along
The top of the partition eight feet from
The floor are a row of iron rods about
The size of pencil; on the top of each
rod rests an iron arm using the rod as