The San Francisco call., 1910-07-24
POLICE THINK
Chinese FAXED
NIGHT ATTACK
"MayOr of Chinatown" PrO-
duces Punctured Hat and
Bullets as Evidence
Officials SkepticaI, However,
and Hint at Plot TO Start
Tong Warfare

That Chinatown is bordering on a
great tong war. or at least is seething
internally with great excitement and
fear following the offer of the other
tonEs TO close their gambling houses
If the Siberia club. operated by the Hop
sings, is closed, was demonstrated by
TWO events Of yesterday morning.
Three policemen hurried to the corner
Of Spofford alley and Clay street when
three shots rang out there at 2:40
o'clock yesterday morning. In the
doorway Of a lodging house at S41
Clay street. quaking as if badly fright
cned. stood Jew Sang, self-styled
mayor of Chinatown and owner of a
general merchandise store in Jackson
street opposite Ross alley.
The Chinese. when questioned by the
police said the shots had been fired
down upon him from one of the two
buildings bordering on narrow Spofford
alley at the corner OF Clay street In
proof that the bullets were intended
for him, Jew Sang handed the officers,
sullivan, Cagney ana Hurley of the
Chinatown squad. a soft hat with a
bullet hole passing through the rim
directly next 10 the crown.
The police discredit the story and
say that the mayor" must have fired
the shots himself, as il would have
been almost impossible for the bullets
10 have imbedded themselves in the
ssphaItum in the manner they did un-
less fired from very short distance;
furthermore, the bullet which passed
through the brim of the hat did so
from the under side and the hat itself
is covered with burned powder. shows
ing that the pistol must have been
close when fired.
II the theory of the authorities is
correct what was the object Of Jew
Sang in firing the shots? The expla-
nation given by the police and by some
of the Chinese who are not too badly
frightened to talk is that Jew, who, it
las been stated, is one of the most
disliked Of the Orientals in the city and
who is accused of causing much trou-
bile, fred the shots in the desire to
cause trouble for the other tongs. He
himself, it is claimed. is a Hop Sing
man.
Ia the celestial quarter Jew Sang is
regarded generally as a bad man. He
has been arrested for lottery playing
and gambling and the police have kept
4 close eye upon him.
Though all of Chinatown to a man
refused to discuss the attempted sui
eide Of Lee Wong Hen, a cigar maker
living At 94012 Stockton street, who cut
his throat with a razor shortly before
noon yesterday, those in close touch
with the situation say that his life
WAS probably threatened for some tong
Irsnsgression.
The threatened transfer of Sergeant
MathesOn from the Chinatown squad to
that Of other work has not yet taken
place. Chief of Police Martin yester-
day stated that matters stood as they
had since Matheson had requested that
he be transferred.
II is said that the Chinese, with the
Witness for which they are famous,
have completely changed the wood
work on the interior Of the Siberia
club, which was raided last Tuesday
night and ESQ gamblers arrested, and
viii claim that Policeman Holmes, who
entered disguised as an oriental, never
got further than between the second
and last door leading into the main
clubroom. When an effort is made to
prove his statements, it is said Holmes
viii find not single one of the many
bullet holes he made in his life and
death fight in the room.
Wong Dick, the Siberia club gambler
shot during the raid by Police officer
McEachern, still hangs grimly on to
life out at Lane hospital, but il is not
expected he viii last more than day
or two. Upon his death the Chinese
say they viii prosecute McEachern for
murder But Chief Martin and the
superior OWcefs OF the patrOlman stand
by him and say he was thoroughly
justified in shooting. Meanwhile Nc
Eachern has been transferred to the
DFarrell street station.
Policeman Holmes. who had the
nerve racking experience. of entering
the Siberia club last Tuesday night and
fighting single handed with the two
or three hundred Chinese gamblers
there. returned 10 duty last night for
the first time and has been warned by
white friends in the district to watch