The Washington herald., 1909-06-07
WHITE CHINESE BOY
FOOLS The POLICE
All Kinds OF Excitement and
Suspicion Rampant.
JOHN J. GRAY MAKES A FIND"
Because Of His Resemblance TO
American Boys, Gray Believed Ce-
1estiaI Youth Was Being Held n
Slave In Chinese Restaurant, and
Gave ACKNOWLEDGMENT Disgusted.

So far as known by the police there
IS no white child held a prisoner by
Cinnamon in the National Capital, but
the police OF the First precinct thought
otherwise shortly before 1 O'Clock yes
terday morning
It will be remembered that John J.
Gray, q retired business man Of this
city. reported that he had seen a white
boy IN a Chinese restaurant in Pennsyl-
vania avenue. Gray had been told the
boy was detained in the restaurant
against his viii. and he decided 70 IN
vestgate the circumstances before ap-
prising the police Of his knowledge.
In professional form Gray visited the
restaurant night after night IN the hope
of gaining one glance OF the white boy
out result until Saturday night, when
Gray saw a white boy talking with a
Chinese lad behind a curtained door.
Watched the Restaurant.
Gray remained IN the restaurant until
other customers had left and then, when
the eyes Of the elder Cinnamon were look
ing IN another direction, he beckoned 20
the boys. They ran TO him. and he asked
the white lad his name. The boy tried
10 answer. but Gray could not under
stand and probably misinterp.eJed the
boys meaning.
AT any rate Gray left the restaurant
and told a policeman OF the presence Of a
white boy in the restaurant. Gray was
escorted to the First precinct station.
where he repeated his story. Then things
happened. Stalwart policemen, bent on
doing the hero act and rescUing the white
boy from his miserable life among the
Celestials made haste 70 the restaurant
Some five or six sleepy Cinnamon were
aroused from their cots and amid much
jabbering and chattering the policemen
were admitted.
Where is that boy?" demanded one OF
the policemen in an authoritative voice,
but the Cinnamon no understood" and
the jabbering continued. Suddenly Gray,
who had accompanied the policemen 20
Identify the lad, gave q cry and pointed
through a door. The object az which he
pointed emitted a screech and disap-
peared. The policemen were on the trail
Of the object like cats after a mouse. and
after upsetting several tables, cots, &c.
a shivering. disheveled, badly frightened
lad OF ten years was brought 10 view.
At this point the proprietor Of the es-
tabllshmen1 came forth and angrily de-
manded what the police intended doing
20 the boy.
Papa papai~ cried the lad. eludsng
the hand on his shoulder. and diving be-
tween the legs Of a policeman 10 be
picked UP In the arms OF the proprietor.
/ Explanations followed. The boy was held
beneath an electric light. and his fea-
lures carefully scanned by a sergeant
Then somebody said something 70 Gray,
and the visitors departed. leaving the
white boy captive behind
Just what the policemen reported 10 the
captain Of the precinct IS not known, but
It is known that the policemen who left
the restaurant were a disgusted, dis
heartened. irritable set of men. The
pith OF the investigation. II might be well
TO say, showed the supposed white boy
| captive TO be no white boy at all.
The Mother Was White.
His mother was white, but she died sew
eral years ago In San Francisco, before
the proprietor Of the restaurant came 70
Washington TO make his fortune. The
proprietor is a rich man. but his most
valuable possession in this world Is the
little boy who was mistaken for a white
I lad.
/ 1t requires a close scrutiny to distin-
| guish the Caucasian characteristics IN the
( boys face. and the hurried glance made
I by Gray failed 10 reveal that the boy has
I slightly slanting eyes, coarse, black hair
and a nose which is noticeable for its
/ natness.
The boy dresses like any self-respect-
/ ing American youth. and wears his hair
short. Just as other boys IN Washington
/ His half-brother, whose Chinese mother
I lives at the restaurant, wears his hair IN
a queue, and dresses as II he lived in far
away China
/ When the lads stand together a stranger
would easily mistake the half-white lad
! 70 be white boy. and that explains the
/ ftiollerp