Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-27
THE TONG WAR
Is 0nAgain in New York's
Chinatown Settlement.
Fire 40 Shots and XIII Three
In 80 Seconds. .
Cause Presence OF chu Hen at
four Brothers Banquet.

New York, June 26.-The furtive
Tong war that sleeps but never dies,
despite threats. promises and solemn
treaties, broke out again this Sunday
afternoon within the little triangle of
narrow streets. just off the lower
Bowery known as Chinatown. In 80
seconds, three Cinnamon We're shot,
two of them fatally. third painfully
wounded and more than 10 shots from
heavy calibre revolvers spattered
against the bricks or stained the pave
ments red. In three minutes seven
Cinnamon We're arrested. 1t was all
over nearly as quickly as it had begun
and tho remainder of the afternoon the
streets were as quiet as they had been
an instant before battle and burden
broke the stiffness.
1t happened that the 200Oth anniver-
sary of the founding of the Society OF
the Four Brothers fell on this day of
rest and in it's honor the members
were to give a banquet at p. M. in
Pel street. A monster scarlet flag.
scalloped in green, tloated from the
banquet hail. and guests began to ar
rive early. On Sundays the streets are
thickest with sightseers.
1t was in the midst of the restless
shutting throng at just P. M. that
the shooting began. There is no GER
tainty of the precise provOcation. but
it is generally understood IN China
town that the Ong Leong Tong did not
relish the fact that Chu Hen. recently
acquitted of the murder of an Ong
Leong Tong man. was to be the guest
of honor.
The Hip Sing Tong, the Ong Leong
Tong and the Four Brothers occupy
each their own street and no prudent
member of one society trespasses on
the territory of another. Pickets had
been posted today at the ends of Pell
street by the Four Brothers, and
scouts of the Ong Leong Tong pa
trolled the adjacent boundary of Mott
street. There were more policemen on
the beat than usual, both because this
was Sunday and because of the ban
quet.
Somebody stepped over the line.
Somebody began to shoot. 1t is doubt
full if any white man will ever know
who trespassed and who punished, be-
cause the rain of bullets came too fast
from too many directions at once for
the eye to catch the first flash. And
no Chinaman will ever tell. Sen Chin.
the inevitable innocent bystander. was
the first to fall shot through the abdo-
men. He will die Chu Foo was shot
behind the ear and in the back. He
died tonight. Chu Pan was shot
through the left thigh. His injuries
are not serious. Thus far it has been
impossible to tell to which Tong the
wounded belong. All were
taken to a hospital.
The police made scramble for
everybody that ran. but there were
more honest fugitives than combat
ants. and door ways are thicker in
Chinatown than burrows in rabbit
warren. Seven were caught. some of
which the police say they saw shoot
ing, and on others of whom revolvers
were found. The reserves were called
out. Gordon was drawn tight about
the entire quarter. all visitors were
barred. and no curiosity wagons were
allowed tonight. Then the interrupted
banquet of the Four Brothers with
Chu Hen as the guest of honor went
on. The lights were bright in the
banquet hall and the talk was still
running spiritedly late tonight.