The San Francisco call., 1910-05-07
CHINESE COMPLAIN
OF POLICE OUTRAGE
Sergeant Accused OF Using IL
legal Search Warrant and
Humiliating Merchants
MatheSOn and Members of His
Squad Sued for Breaking
Into Store

Acting under instructions from the
Six Companies former Judge Carroll
Cook complained to Chief of Police
Martin yesterday of outrages alleged
to have been practiced in Chinatown
by the police squad under Sergeant
Duncan Matheson. This step followed
an Indignation meeting held Thursday
night by 75 of the leading Chinese
merchants. many of whom threatened
to take their establishments to Oak
land if their rights were not respected.
Sergeant MathesOn was accused of
breaking into the stOrerOOm of the
Sam Kee Jan company at 739 Grant
avenue without a proper search war
rant and cOnhscating a number of ar
ticles.
MERCHANTS CALLED VAGRANTS
Six merchants reported that they
had been stood up by plainclOthes pO-
icemen and forced to undergo humiH-
ating treatment. They were searched
for concealed weapons and for lot
terry tickets and then charged with
vagrancy.
The Chinatown squad is charged
with forcing entrances into private
houses at all hours of the night. even
when no lights were displayed. and
subjecting the inmates. women as
one occasion, il was alleged, many of
the clerks of "A store We're searched
during the busiest hours of the day
Sergeant MathesOn was given charge
of the Chinatown squad two weeks ago
and his activity since that time in COM
pany with Corporal d. NJ. Reavis has
raised the storm of protest. Attorney
Cook yesterday said:
The police are perpetrating OutrageS
in Chinatown thar Galf-TP
American would permit. Houses are
invaded in the dead of night and the
privacy of women ignored. They insist
on doors being opened and if this is
not complied with doors are broken i'm.
Sergeant Matheson is TO blame.
was instructed this morning by the sec
retary of the Six Companies to take
whatever legal action that might be
necessary to stop the continuance of
the Outrages
INVESTIGATION DEMANDED
Il saw the chief of police this morn
ing and demanded that the unwar-
ranted actions of Sergeant MathesOn be
investigated by the police commission
ers and / am prepared to take the
matter to court"
Ling Ye, secretary of the Six Com
panies. said:
Chinese of good standing in our
vagrancy, though il is known that they
are persons engaged in business. Ii is
the only charge that they can be taken
into custody for. and such UnwarTanted
acts are humiliating TO my people.
"A petition will be drawn up and
signed by prominent Chinese detailing
all the indignities to which we have
been subjected and presented to the
city authorities through our consul"
Judge ShOrtan yesterday ruled that
the search warrant used by Matheson
in effecting entrance into the stOrerOom
of the Sam Kee Jan company was void
and instructed MathesOn 70 return the
articles taken from the place.
Sergeant MathesOn and three un-
named members of his command were
sued yesterday by the Sam Kee Jan
company for $4,000 exemplary dam
ages and $3.50 damages representing
doors and furniture alleged to have
been destroyed by the policemen when
they broke into the cOmpanys stO-e
Nav 4.
Carroll Cook and a. :. Newburgh are
attorneys for the sam Kee Jan com
pany.