New-York tribune., 1910-07-18
TONCS WARY; AVOID LINE
Gun Men in OoorWayS, but Uo
Not Overstep Marx.
AWAIT SIGNAL FOR ACTION
Feeling Runs High and PeaCe
Overtures Forgotten While
Tension for Battle Holds.

There is little store at the intersec-
ton Of two OF the crooked streets OF
Chinatown wh1cI was almost deserted
yesterday. and. according to all the signs
of tong gun men activities when that HttIs
store is deserted II presages trouble
But che sign went wrong yesterday.
Captain Hodg1ins OF the Elizabeth street
station saw the deserted appearance OF
the little store and ne put his Chinatown
force OF bIuecoats strictly on the alert
which may or may not have bad soma
thing TO 90 with the fact that there was
no gun work
That little store IS a barometer OF
Chinatown feeling II things are auiet. =
the markers and the gun men are cas-
ualIy Tipping coin over a fan-san table. 4,
the sky is clear. the little store IS hive
around which swarm many OF the big be--
Of the Celestial quarter. But when some
thing is in the air. when the gun men ara
in the street awaiting the word from ths
markers that prospective victim from
the opposite tong Is approaching. tbs
little store is likely TO De deserted. Or
nearly
Last Friday an innocent-Iookiug u1id6Is--
aged Chinaman named Gnu On wandered
Wey. 4 member Of The On Leong Tong -
in jail on the charge OF murder. Chu Os
was Four Brother, and according to ths
accepted tong rules. had no business IN
wander into Mott street which Is IN.
stamping ground Of the On Lsonzs. jusr
as Pell street. the HEADQUARTERS OF taes
Four Brothers, is forbidden ground TO ON
Leongs- But Gnu had just returned rs
the city after an absence Of nearly ysas
and told his friends In PslI street that hs
would be able 70 walk IN Mott street t1r-
recognized But he was recognizsd and,
besides that there was natter OF y
stolen girl. taken by Four Brother irons
an On LeOng, and Chu paid for his rash.
ness with his life.
A week ago yesterday although things
were apparently quiet enough IN Chinatown.
the little store was as deserted as it Was
yesterday. A week ago, as yesterday. ther-
were no shootings in Chinatown But /.
week ago yesterday. when that little stors
was deserted. a group Of gun men OF ths
On Leong Tong stood waiting for a group
Of -Four Brothers gun men. whom they hsft
been told would give battle. and Chinstovuz
stood waiting for the sound Of poppin< <
guns
Yesterday the gun men were at their sta.
tiOns. but the gun men of each tong were
in the various doorvays along the stresc
reserved by their own tong The feeling
between the two touzs IL running high, and
peace overtures are thing OF the past. IC
needed only that an On Leong should have
walked into Pei street. OF a Four Brother
into Mott street to start trouble yestsT-
day. but no tong man took the chance
Doyers street, between tho two. Is neutral
and Doyers street yesterday was quiet
Cinnamon with iuscrutabIe faces turned in
from Peu street yesterday. and walked
along the north side OF DOyers. through to
Park Row and back 70 Pell- while Other
Cinnamon from Mott street walked back
and forth on the south side or the neutral
street But the groups did not nix. ana
something held them back from de5ecrat-
ing the neutrality of DOyers street
In another week. said Cinnamon or 0otR
tOngs last n .yht- II the situation does noI
Improve DoyerS street hsTetofoTs ssreeu
( unou bv both as neutral ground VIII De-
come the battle-ground