The sun., 1909-06-22
CHINESE AND GIRLS IN COURT
ONE LAUNDRYMAN HELD ON IT.
YEAR-OLDS STATEMENT.
Girls Had Been Seen BY Detectives Max
Ing the Rounds OF Brooklyn Down
= town wash Houses--One Of the Girls
In Hysterics When Arrsigned In Court


Three girls who looked very much
like many other Brooklyn girls were
walking In Washington street. Brooklyn,
yesterday morning, Two were all in
black One wore black skirt with a
white waist. They appeared much like
the swarm OF young women who earn
their living by work in the city shops.
but they were strolling at an hour when
most working girls are at work.
Among the loiterers in the street we're
Carberry and Doyle. detectives OF the
Brooklyn central Office squad. They saw
the three girls stop in front OF Chinese
laundry, To Carberry. having in mind
the fate of Elsie Sigel. who was just
about the age OF the eldest OF this trio.
it did not seem exactly right that these
girls should wander there. He proposed
to Doyle that they trail the young girls.
and the policemen were astonished IL not
surprised as they saw the girls enter one
after another OF the Chinese laundries OF
the downtown section of the borough.
The girls went into yellow wash house
in Adams street in the shadow OF the
Adams street police court. whence after
some minutes converse with the clothes
washers they emerged and took their
way to a similar place in Willoughby
street near by. where, apparently having
acquaintance with the Cinnamon inside.
they chatted for a minute or two and
passed on. Thence they went to an
Atlantic avenue laundry OF Oriental
proprietorship, where they fingered for
a time. and afterw8rd to a neighboring
drug store and made small purchases.
The detectives were becoming more
and more interested. They had seen
many times girls going to the Chinese
laundries apparently for some other
purpose than to leave or withdraw
clothing and they had been told by Brook
lynites OF sad sights seen at night by
homegoing citizens OF the Borough OF
Sleep and Sea Breezee. who found at late
Chinese places that bore in front signs
saying that they were laundries.
From Atlantic avenue the three girls
went to laundry in Hoyt street and then
to another laundry in the same street.
148 Here only two Of the girls entered,
the third remaining outside the window.
Inside the strolling detectives as they
passed saw thr ee Chipamen, two in native
garb. the third in the clothes OF Chris
tianized Chinese.
The policemen saw the youngest OF the
girls with Chinaman pass beyond
curtain and in few moments they entered
and without ceremony went also beyond
this screen. They arrested all three
Chinese and the three girls, and while
they held the shop sent a neighbor to
telephone to the nearest station. that in
Butler street, for patrol wagon. which
came with two other policemen. The six
prisoners we're hustled to the State street
headquarters and thence to the Adams
street court.
In court the girls said that they were
Rose Bennett, aged 22 OF $50 Fifth avenue.
Brooklyn: May Bennett. 10. of 81 Hicks
street, and Ruth Lafayette. II. of 81 Hicks
street. The Chimes said that they were
Hong Kee lin American clothes). Hong
Tong and Lou Toy. all of the Hoyt street
address. All the girls by this time were
weeping. weakness impossible to the
said that she hailed from Montana. was
hysterical. The officers expected to con-
vict at least one Chinaman Of serious
charge, but the Magistrate discharged
all three men.
The officers say that the Lafayette girl
had told them Of doings in another
laundry, where she had received 20 cents,
rested Don Teong, "a years old. OF 30S
Adams street. whom the Magistrate held
in $1,000. The three girls were held
in 500 bail each as witnesses. The girls
agreed, the Brooklyn headquarters men
said, in statements that Rose and May
Bennett were sisters, May having lately
left home and gone to live with Ruth
girl, May and Ruth. they said. were out
of work
The examination OF the prisoner was
set for tomorrow