The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1908-04-22
MERRY WIDOW
HAT CAUSED RIOT
When Chinatown's Social
Leader Wore 1t.
SMASHED CUSTOMS OF AGES
did Madam Lew Chew, and
Stood Firm Over Hus-
bands Protests.

Innovation:
Chinatown is in the throes of So
cial war that bids fair to put the re-
) cent tong disturbance far in the dim
distance. Not since the time back
in the seventies, when Indignant
citizens hung a number of the Chinese
elite 10 telegraph poles, has there
been such feeling of sudden death
and desolation as now hangs like a
black pail over the yellow colony.
And II all happened because Mrs.
Lew Chew, wife Of Lew Moi, tried TO
"buck" the ancient and time-honored
form Of dress held sacred 10 the Chi
nese. In defiance of the laws of heav-
en- and earth, she tried the combi-
nation of Chinese pantaloons set off
by Merry Widow sailor that
would have made any woman sit up
and gasp.
Throwing the caution of her race
to the wind, Madam Lew Chew march
ed down Apablasa street with ere
alton of modern millinery wobblIng
about on her oily bangs and her tiny
little shoes going clickety-click on
the hard paving.
The Chinese gamblers took one look
and tainted Lew Moi, lawful hus-
band and lord of little Lew Chew,
said things.
Mrs. Lew Chew broke into the fash
ion fever early yesterday morning.
Her husband is a liberal man and Mrs.
Lew is a social leader. Yesterday, &C
companied by her eight-year-old
daughter, Lew Lum, Mrs. Lew visited
some of the downtown stores. Her
daintily embroidered pantaloons flapp-
ell lightly against her slender aukles
as she walked Her hair was covered
an inch deep with Chinese hair paste,
and several hundred dollars worth OF
gold and jewels nestled in the heavy
jet-black coil at her neck.
She entered a department store and
walked about In search of prey; wan
dered into the millinery department
and was lost. She lsaned up against
a counter and gazed at some mon
strous things hung about-gazed in
wonder.
A woman approached and seemed
friendly. Mrs. Lew thought she could
trust her. She pointed to a magnifi-
cent specimen and said, falteringly,
-'What him good foh?"
The nice lady took down the enor-
nous thing ard placed It on the oily
head of the little Celestial lady. Mrs.
Lew SHE'D and locked scared. Then
she looked at mirror and in sec
ond, tribal instinct. racial training
and the fear of the seveH heavens, the
seven hells or her liege lord, left her.
The hat was peach, and no doubt
about IT,
II had several hundred flowers an
chored on top. A ga&h OF green pep
pers hung on like grim death TO the
starboard side: while California pop
pies, Arizona hollyhocks and Long
Beach lilies clamored for help and
yelled for breath.
The hat was net u creation, II SIM
ply was a shrek. Mrs. Lew cared
not. She paid for the Merry Widow.
Having broken one vow, she cracked
another. She selected the next big
gest thing In the store and perched
II on the head OF the protesting and
indignant Lew Lum.
Then they walked out of the store
and toward the Chinese settlement.
They almost created riot before they
got there.
With the mincing steps she had seen
the women of the white race affect,
Mrs. Lew toddled down the street.
From the rear IT looked as if Paul
de Longpere's rose garden was tod
ding along
The pair reached the corner of Juan
and Apablasa streets, where Mrs. Lew
has luxurious apartments.
1t was with some difficulty that the
woman and the hat get through the
door. They approached the spot where
sat the liege lord of the house. He
had been hitting the. pipe and was
seeing things of pleasant nature.
Suddenly rude vision broke in upon
his dreams. He sat up hurriedly and
rubbed his eyes with the toe Of his
slipper. Then he jumped up.
He had not been mistaken. This wo-
man, wearing thing on the top Of
her head like huge bird of III omen.
was his wife, He used language in
large slices while the neighbors crowd
ed the door.
Mrs. Lew stood firm, She still has
the hat; Lew Lum also has hat. 9th
er Chinese women are looking on with