New-York tribune., 1910-02-22
CHINESE ENTERTAIN
DINNER FOR POLICE.
Big Men Of Courts also at On
Leong Tong Board.

Little Ii Chuey Ha wore two white
crysanthenums. one nestled among red
ribbons behind each round ear. And
though she is only eight she proud
last night that her papa was the grave
commander of the On Leong Tong, the
host. of the twoscore big men with red
and white mustaches who came to keep
the feast-prouder of that. in fact. than
Of her dove coiored silk pantaloons and
her gold threaded slippers and her air of
coquetry. which made her the pet Of the
women.
For the On I.eo1g Tong outdid ali China
town and all history last night. giving a
dinner for almost half the Headquarters
detective staff and a dozen of the men
who have had to do with the sometime coll
Iisions of Chinatowns sons with the Eng
lish common law and the statutes of the
State of New York
So Ii Chuey Ha had right TO be proud
of the showing. 1t looked as if what the
Hop Sinig men said might be true, that
the road from the Criminal Courts Build
ing 10 the On Leong house had grown 20
be smooth and we'll guarded. while the
only path in which Hop Sing follower
might walk under the eyes of the law was
the way to the Tombs
And the rank and file of the On Leongs-
for it was only the sober chiefs Of the
order who sat down with the distinguished
guests-seemed to be quite as proud of it
as little Lii Chuey. Their house, across
Mott street from the restaurant where the
dinner was served, was bright from roof TO
stoop with flags and great round lanterns,
and ali the while the feast was going on
they kept up an orchestral alarum, much
as if a mad Highland piper and a mad
phonograph were skirling "Elektra" in
milk can factory.
And they started by touching off rope
of firecrackers which reached twice across
Mott street and hung in three festoons fifty
feet down to the sidewalk. The rattle of
that salute lasted for half an hour, and
it piled the street with Windrows of debris
as If red and green snowstorm had drifted
there.
1t was the Occidental guests. however,
VINO touched in words upon the grim az
fairs which have given TO almost every
house in Chinatown a history OF sort
They even INDUCED in some hunlor Whlch
snacked of the Celestial regarding the
iarring of the two clans.
frank Lloyd, Assistant United states
District Attorney, as toastmaster, sat op-
nosite the row of loose-coated older states
men and had the honor or little Ii InueS
company beside him for awhile
Here's the man. he said, introducing
former Judge William Curtis, who mas got
more Cinnamon out of trouble than any
bodv else in New York. Now, not so long
ago YOU people had one Of your little diff
ferences of opinion and they had the three
criminals I'D in court He got EN- out and
they're walking the streets of New YORK
to-day; they may be in this room. for all
l know"
Judge Curtis paid his respects to the chi
nese character in general and in particular
eulogized Tom Lee, the venerable Mayor
of Chinatown, who sat through it all calm
". If he smiled, it was behind his strag-
Cling gray whiskers.
The judge further agreed most heartily
with the toastmaster in hoping that the
Chinese exclusion act would be repealed
and that the nation would encourage Its
Celestial guests to Lecome citizens
Magistrate Joseph Corrigan said much
the same thing, and SO did Judge Warren
w. Foster and Coroner Israel L. Feinberg-
Frank Garvin, Jerome's first Assistant Dis
.trict Attorney, had a place close TO the
toastmaster. but did not speak. For all
her pride and her pretty slippers. little Ii
Chuey Ha went to sleep three times before
ii was all over.