The Washington herald., 1909-08-30
ACCOMPANIMENT. WI
Chinese Slave Girl in a Dip
lOmat'S Encourage.
PROBE BY FEDERAL AGENTS
Society for Prevention of Cruelty TO
Children Establishes Facts Regard
ing TweIve-year-Old NgOu Fung,
Involving the Embassy and ing
Wah, Who Has Restaurant in City.

The Society for the Prevention OF Cru
city 70 Children. which has been lnvesd-
eating the case Of a young Chinese slave
girl, Ngou Fung. has obtained positive in
formation she was brought into this
country a year and a half ago with the
encourage OF the Chinese legation when
DR.. WI Ting-fang returned TO take up
his place a second time as diplomatic rep
resentative OF the Chinese Empire.
Additional local color is given to the in
vestigation from the fact that II seri-
ously involves ing Wah, proprietor OF
Chinese restaurant here and we'll known
In Washington ing Wah admits that
the gil came here as member Of the
household OF Minister Wu. but declares
she is mis- daughter. and that he left her
In China when he departed several years
ago
The society. which has conducted such
a searching inquiry into the case, has
also established tho fact that ing Wah
had previously failed in an attempt to
obtain entry for the girl as his daughter.
Held from Alleged Father.
The society is now Withholding Ngou
Fung from her alleged father by adop-
ton. Chin Hung. OF "a Mott street. New
York. on charges that she was sold as a
slave by her grandmother I'm China and
came into Chin Hung's possession after
a series OF sales which proved extremely
profitable 70 those concerned IN the trans-
action. The society has had assistance IN
It's investigations by Federal agents and
its own representatives both on the Pa
cifc Coast and in China.
It appears that on the list OF Minister
Wu's household furnished the Federal au-
thorities the girl was entered as a stu
dent, and that upon her arrival IN Wash
ington she was not taken 10 the legation,
but hurried TO ing Wah's restaurant.
NgOu Fung has told the sOciety's agents
that on the steamship which brought the
Chinese Minister and his suite 10 San
Francisco she was not admitted 10 the
society Of the students who accompanied
the minister but was kept with the serv-
ants Of the party.
very soon after attempts were made 10
induce ing Wah 70 permit the education
Of his alleged daughter she disappeared
from MS Washington home. When she
was found in the custody OF the Society
for the Prevention OF Cruelty 10 Chill
dren. and under her own pleading 10 not
be returned TO Chin Hung, he was denied
her delivery TO him. Chin Hung said he
had adopted her by private arrangement
with ing Wah.
Sold for $50.
Reports OF Federal departments TO
which the society has had access state
that Ngou Fung was sold In China for
$50 (Mexican). or $50 gold. and that ing
Wah. IN Washington. sold her to Chin
Hung. OF New York. for $780,
That any explanation will be asked OF
DR.. WI by the State Department. as the
result of discoveries made by the Fed
eral agencies and utilized by the New
York society. is unlikely. The protec-
tIon Of diplomatic courtesy Is thrown
over all the acts Of a representative of
a foreign government.
The society In presenting its case 70
Judge Wyatt may use the information
obtained, but 1t must not look to any
Federal official for confirmation. This
viii perhaps embarrass the society IN
contesting the claim of Chin Hung to the
custody OF Ngou Fung. but its own agen-
cies have discovered sufficient evidence,
il Is believed, to prevent the girls re-
turn TO Chinatown.
Missionary Interested.
William II. Baker a clerk in the Treas
ury Department. and his wffe, Mrs.
Abbie Baker, who are active in a mission
for teaching Chinese children in Wash
ington. took an interest in Ngou Fung
from the time OF her arrival in ing
Wahs home there early in March, 1905
ing Wah IS forty years old, and then
had his wife. about nineteen years old.
with him. The wife. who was well known
to the Bakers. went to them and said:
Now there is something strange. / am
nineteen and I have a girl twelve years
old. NY husband has given her to me.
saying she is the daughter OF his first
wife. who died m China"
Mrs ing Wah did not relish the ap-
pearance OF Ngou Fune, and soon dlsap-
peared having returned to China, accord
ing 20 her husbands statements. The
Bakers offered TO find an American home
for the girl and have her educated. or
take her into their own home
"Ung Wah became angry at this" Mr..
Baker said, "and told US that II any one
tried to educate his daughter he was go
Ing TO send her TO the Chinese Legation,
where she could learn to be a cook, and
we could not set &C hsE''