The San Francisco call., 1908-08-08
Merchants Prepare TO Resist
the Petty Tyranny and
Graft of Policemen
Chief Accused of Giving Orders
That Cause Reign of
Oppression
Many Indignities Practiced and
Unjust Searches and
Raids Made

Close on the heels OF the grilling
given Chief OF Police Biggy Thursday
by the mayor and members of the
board OF supervisors has developed d
concerted movement among mer-
chants OF Chinatown TO bring charges
against him before the police commits
sion The Chinese six companies
and the Chinese chamber OF commerce
have held meetings. agreed TO take
definite action and have engaged at
torneys 70 represent them IN exposing
the oppression which they declare is
prscticed In Chinatown under the thin
guise OF regulation OF the gambling
evil
Not only DO the Chinese six COM
psnies assert that dozens of proprietors
Of legitimate businesses are constant
~ hsrsssed and annoyed by unwar-
rsuted police Interference carried out
under orders given by Biggy TO the
Chinatown squad. but there is no secret
OF the fact that petty grating is car
ried on Just as extensively as II ever
was under the Schmitz-Dinan admin
istrstion-
BIGGT IN IGNORANCE
No one charges BiggE personally
with having any hand ia this grating
OF even with any knowledge Of its ex-
istence. That IS the very cause OF the
whole couplsfnt-the fact that graft
ing goes on directly under his nose
while be Is too busy enforcing minor
or obsolete rules and ordinances TO
realize the actual conditions that exist
Biggys Erlllllg on Thursday IN Ine
mayors ofice was the outcome OF MS
long continued failure 70 observe q
warning given him az the time OF his
appointment There had then been
long deadlock over the appointment
among the police commissioners, and
when Biggy was finally determined
upon for the place he was called be-
fore the mayor and commissioners. and
IN effect told 70 try not 10 make an
ass OF himself, but 10 conduct police
business on broad police lines, content
ing himself with exercising a reason
able control in petty matters and d.
rectink his real efforts 70 the eradica-
ton OF crime and the more notorious
vices In that respect the city Of
fcisIs consider his administration
signal failure.
When the newspapers containing the
account OF his carpeting before the
mayor reached the streets at 2-30
o'clock yesterday morning, BiggE had
lust completed a call at Pratt & Beck
srs 1enderloin resort and was standing
In the barroom- Biggy saw q paper
and Immediately lost the last semblance
OF Official dignity AS he stormed
about the room his glasses fell 10 the
hoOr. and. in his anger. he threw the
paper from him. striking the bar tender
IN the head with il
RESULT OF PETTY TYRANNY
The trouble brewing in Chinatown is
he result OF & petty tyranny that has
grown from q strict observance OF rules
and orders that the Chinese dealers
are without warrant, which have been
made 10 apply indiscriminately 10 all
Chinese Conditions, they aver, are no
longer besrable, and as q result OF
the many protests that have been made
the Chinese six companies and the Chi
nese chamber OF commerce-organiza
rions which do not sanction or protect
gambling or prostitution-have taken
decided stand IN behalf OF the many
complsfnsnts.
A list OF some OF the most fagrant
cases of the alleged police persecution
Is In the hands OF the ATTORNEYS re-
tanned by the organizations and the
charges VIII be specified IN detail in
the complaint which viii be fled with
The police commission One OF the in
vssions Of their rights about which the
Chinese are bitterly complaining IS the
order from the Office OF the chief Of
police which prohibits them from play
ing any game with dominoes, whether
gambling OF otherwise. The gambling
game OF -piegOw' is played with
domtnoes and from this fact a regula-
tion has gone into effect that prohibits
me use OF the little black blocks al all
POLICE INTERFERENCE
Chinese card games are allowed in
-
but even these places have been sub
sected to continued raids. although
their doors have remained open, and
the result has been that many cigar
stand men have failed and gone out OF
business Il is said that II the Chinese
gather in numbers around one OF the
stands they are often scattered by the
police and even arrested on vagrancy
charges
The owners OF several OF the large
chinese stores tell OF constant inter
ference from the police Sue Wo. who
conducts q large bazaar at $50 Dupont
street says that he has been harassed
by raids made almost daily, although
there has never been any gambling in
his place A few nights ago he OBJ
5ected 20 having policemen searching
his premises without z search warrant
and when they insisted upon going
through the building he turned out the
gas he explained that he would not
furnish light for them 70 rummags
his store by and asserts that for
his pains he was choked and cuffed
on the head by the policemen sue
Wo Yesterday exhibited several
scratches on his neck. which he said
were inflicted at the time. and other
Chinese aver that II is q common oc-
currence for the Chinese TO be slapped
and struck by the policemen
INDIGSITIEs INFLICTED
At q cigar stand IN Dupont street the
police scattered a crowd OF customers