The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-08-14
Imported From China to This Coua-
try by Scores for
IMMORAL PURPOSES.
San Francisco to Fight Sin That Is
Her Greatest Curse-Merc Chill
dren Imprisoned in Low Oriental
Dives to Die of Brutal Treatment.
Interpreters and Some Lawyers In
League With Smugglers.

One of the most terrible curses
that ever blighted a city is the slave
traffic among the Chinese of San
Francisco and other ports of the Pa
ci1c coast. Helpless young Chinese
girls, ignorant Of the ways of the
world and unable to speak any other
language save the dialects of the in
terror of China, are brought to this
country through the unscroupulous
agencies which deal in human flesh.
San Francisco is the center of these
evil operations for the West, and St.
Louis for the East Chinese girls are
being smuggled into this country by
the hundreds and, after they get here,
are thrown into vile dens where they
are subjected to the most brutal and
degrading treatment on the part of
their masters and the other Chinese
and low whites who frequent the
dives.
A duel in the street of Chinatown,
recently following the attempted as
sassination of slave importer by a
slave agent who demanded money
due him for bringing fresh victim
to this country, revealed anew to the
authorities the horrows of the prac
tice and the extent to which it has
expanded. The whole system is
network of exil practices, wheels
within wheels, by means of which the
girls when once caught have little or
no hope of escape. When existence
in their tiny cells in the low Chinese
dives becomes too unbearable, they
take their own lives. Sometimes they
manage to escape by the aid of
friends who appeal to the missionar-
les, who are working night and day
to save them and who are doing won
derful work against such discourag-
ing odds.
Chinese slave importerssof San
Francisco employ many agents who
are sent to the old country to get the
girls, picked out before hand by other
agents working constantly on the otn.
er side. When an agent goes to get
girl he tells her parents that he wants
her for his wife. According to the
Chinese custom he pays a generous
sum for her and she is his. The girl
may be anywhere from the age Of 13
to 20 years. the younger the better,
as the Chinese think a woman aged
when she has gone beyond her t"en-
tieth year. The innocent little girl is
taken by her husband on board
ship where she travels as first class
passenger. He buys her costly clothes
and Jewels and the poses as an
American Uorn Chinese who has be-
come prosperous in this country, and
who is bringing a bride from his
fathers country. This he may do
under the immigration laws.
He is provided with marriage pa
pers, which by the way, were MADE
out for him by unscroupulous Amerl-
can lawyers in league with the slave
dealers. The little girl never suspects
that she is geing victimized and does
lust as her husband coaches her 10
do. The immigration officer conVerses
with lher through Chinese interpret
er. usually in league with the slave
dealers. If the girl does suspect any
thing, the agent makes 1t worth tue
interpreters while to misconstrue ner
words. Once she is safely past TINS
barrier she is as good as doomed, for
rarely is she rescued on her way 10
the den. -,
She is taken to house in the foul
est of the Chinese quarters OF san
Francisco and placed in tiny room
alone. If she submits quietly to
life Of shame it is not likely that her
master will beat her. If she not not
She is cruelty mistreated until ner
spirit is broken. Then she will either
do one or two things. She will go on
living in the little room with one oreath
Of fresh air week, submitting ne
self to her masters wishes. or she
will end her life. If she tolio"s tne
first she eventually becomes tnln ana
male, her beauty fades, ana sne Is
thrown aside to become a servant Ioi
the next slave.