The San Francisco call., 1910-09-04
SHOOTING RENEWS
ANCIENT tong WAR
Chinatown in Fever Over Pos
sibIy Fatal Result of
Alteration


Yee May and Ho Jung, the two Chinese
tong members who were shot Friday
evening. will get well or die there Will
be no cessation Of the war that is now
waging between the Hop Sing and Suey
Sing tongs. Yee May, the Hop Sing
man. is in a critical condition at Nc
Mutt hospital. and the Suey Sing man;
Ho Jung. is lowering between life and
death in Mount Zion hospital.
Never before in the history of China
towns many tong wars have the resi-
dents Of that section been so stirred
as by the outbreak of the old feud Of
the Hop Sing and Suey Sing tongs
Friday nights shooting of Yee May,
which was closely followed by the
shooting of HO Jung. has not only exer-
cised the members Of the two tongs in
VOWED. but the members of the other
tongs are greatly alarmed and have
taken unusual precautions in guarding
themselves fro massault.
Several hundred circulars were dis
tribuied in Chinatown yesterday by
members Of the other tongs and by
members Of families belonging to no
tong. asserting such to be the fact. and
asking that members of the two war
ring uOngs not involve them in their
L
pearing in The different Chinese news
papers TO the same effect and notices
are also posted in conspicuous places
by merchants and their employees ask
ing that they be left unmolested.
TONG MEMBERS IN HIDING
CIubrooms and stores owned by mem
hers OF the Hop Sing and Suey Sing
tongs We're closed yesterday and every
one concerned in the recent renewal of
The old war has gone in hiding Infor-
nation was received at Hop Sing tong's
headQua rters yesterday that the Suey
Sings intended TO. demand heavy toll
in death from the Hop Sings. The Suey
sings are the most powerful of all the
Chinese lighting uongs in so far as
wealth of its members is concerned.
On the other hand. the Hop Sings have
the greatest number of fighting men of
an the lighting tongs.
Chinese tOngs originated in Califor-
MIA more than 40 years ago. In the be-
ginning they We're formed for the pur-
pose OF mutual benefit and protection
The tongs were organized by members
of small families 10 protect themselves
against the larger families. such as
the Chin, Lee. Wong and Yee families
The four families mentioned then or
ganiZed branch societies now known
as tongs- These branches We're made
up Of fighting men and of blackmailers
and Adventures.
GID QUARREL RENEWED
The present war of the Hop Sings
"a nd Spey Sings dates back to about l6
years ago, when 2 quarrel arose be-
tween members Of those tongs who
were in business together. The quar-
rel arose over the sale of a slave girl
and the Hop Sing man was killed. At
that time the Hop Sing was not as pow
erfUl as IL is now and its members
resorted 10 the criminal courts for their
revenge. Members Of the Hop Sings
swore on the witness stand that Lew
FOok, a member Of the Suey Sing. was
the murderer Of the Hop Sing man.
Lew F'ook was sentenced TO life i'm
prisonment in san Quentin
Members Of the Suey Sings assert at
the time Of the trial and today that
the Hop Sings knew the identity Of the
real murderer 10 be a So Hoo family
man. and that he committed suicide in
q jail when he was arrested as a sus-
pect The Suey Sings assert that the
Hop Sing tong railroaded Lew Fook to
prison for life and since that time the
feeling between the two tongs has been
bitter
In the years that have followed there
nave been many killed on both sides
flday nights shooting was a simple
Illustration Of the fierce hatred that
eNlsts- lee May, gambler. importer of
save gills ana wealthy, was the choic-
est victim that could be selected bv
me Suey Sing men. He had long been
a mark Tor the Suey Sing gunmen. but
unJll FRIDAY night he had never walked
IN the alleys or streets of Chinatown
alone. He had just left the Siberia
club, one OF his gambling clubs, TO 90
10 70 one OF ms houses of i'll repute, which
is nut few steps from the club. when
ne was shot. He asserts he does nor
know who shot him.
me chinese prefer TO work ont their
own revenge under such circumstances
a fsW months ago Yee Soon. a StIev
sing man, met Toy boy, former slave
glrl Of zee Nays, who has now been
taken into his household, accompanied
py little boy, adopted by Yee Nav
Hee Soon addressed vile remarks a
Toy Doy, who in turn reported the
Insult 10 her Hege, Yee Nav. A few
days later Yee Soon received 4 terrible
heating al the hands Of friends and
fellow members Of Yee Mays tong. He
found II necessary to undergo medical
treatment so severe was the punish
nent meted out to him. Then followed
the shooting.
PRICE UPON THEIR HEADS
It Isl reported that rewards have
f0oil yiLFieQ lot lne death of Loo Soon
president OF the Hop Sings; Chu Jung
Yin, president Of the Suey Sings and
Wong Vow, big gambler, Chin Yin
and Jew 10y Sing, prominent members
Of the Suey Sings.
II Yung Yew, the Chinese consul
general, has been appealed to bv the
merchants Of Chinatown to interfere
and enforce 2 settlement between the
two tongs. The consul general has fn
turn asked the merchants, To bring
pressure to bear in whatever direction
they may ind possible in order that
the war may be ended.
Extra police have been detailed in
Chinatown, but they have almost moth
ing 70 guard except deserted allevs. as
the Hop Sing and Suey Sing tong men
are in hiding. Even their women folk
are not permitted to go on the streets.
Watchers are besides the beds of Yee
May and Ho Jung, and Chinatown is
awaiting the result Of the injuries.
Chinese Kills Another
HANFORD, Sept. 3.-Having become
insane from brooding over financial re-
verses, Young Jup, formerly a wealthy
Chinese merchant Of this city. entered
a Chinese restaurant last night and