Evening star., 1911-08-11
DIsTURBs CELESTIAL PEACE
Tragedy at Two O'Clock in the
Morning Sets Colony Clustering.
Funeral Plans Secret,

room at 346 Pennsylvania avenue when
he shot himself. but when the scores OF
Cinnamon who ran upstairs to see what
was the matter arrived there he was on
the floor.
Two policemen from the sixth precinct
station. Lieut. Harrison and Price Con-
rad. happened to be passing the house
just as Lee fired. They, too. ran up
stairs They did all they could for Lee.
whom all Chinatown called crazy but
even at Casualty Hospital they could do
nothing, and Lee died at O'Clock this
morning. The bullet which he used. to
send his soul into the dark land where
the ancestors of all good Cinnamon are
staying passed entirely through his body.
Say He Was "Funny."
Lee was funny said a merchant on
the lower floor Of JAG. He used to hold
his head up in the air, walk straight and
not notice anybody. His head was rot
right
Lee Chung, Lee Gong. Lee Foy and
Lee Wing, cousins of the dead man, were
asleep In the room on the top floor Of
}46 this morning when the shot was fired.
On the floors below other ChfDamen we're
sleeping. and all were awakened, some by
tiC TCpOIS kOltONluS tuc pQliih6 oA LAC
trigger. and others by the traInping UP
the steps OF curious persons who were
anxious to learn what was going on
Some OF the Cinnamon ON the lower
floors were startled by the tragedy and
were afraid to venture up the steps
Some thought there was fire on the top
floor. while others knew there had been a
shooting.
II was afraid would get shot," said
one OF those who slept on the lower
floor, land / didn't go up"
Amused by Tragedy.
This Chinanan appeared greatly amused
over what had happened laughing heart
lily as he told Of what he knew and had
heard. Lee. he explained. was tossing on
the stretcher as he was carried from the
house to the ambulance. moving his head
to illustrate jus: how the dying man ap-
peared
But said the ChiHaman. "he didn't
have to do it. and it's all his own fault.
He was tired OF living"
A few minutes after the shot was fired
the police found II difficult to keep back
the curious and excited throng. The
shooting took place shortly before tie
Chinese restaurants were to close for the
night. and many OF their patrons hurried
to the room In which the wounded China
man lay.
The Cinnamon who gathered aoour the
top floor We're excitedly talking. They
discussed the shooting. of course. but the
police in the room knew nothing of wha.
they were saying. The two policemen
recalled the recent shooting OF China
man In the southeast section. and thought
this mornings shooting may have had
some connection with that tragedy. Per-
haps friends of the Chinaman who had
been shot in the 11th street laundry had
shot a cousin or brother OF the one who
had done that shooting, the police
thought, and they proceeded to make a
careful investigation.
1t was soon apparent that Lee Hip had
shot himself. 1t was explained that Lee
had done no work for some time: that
he positively refused to work after he
had sold his laundry in the northwest
lazy. but others thought his peculiar con-
duct indicated disordered brain. II
was suggested by some Of his friends
that he was without funds, but those
who were closer to him said he was fairly
well supplied with cash.
Could Have Gotten Money.
IF Lee was broke" said a member OF
one Of the Chinese merchandise COM
panies, ''he could have borrowed money"
All day yesterday Lee walked the
sidewalk or sat in the stores in China
town. He had very little to say to
any Of his friends, the other Cinnamon
ga ID this morning, and he never VOL
unteered a remark. II addressed, they
said, he merely grunted q response.
Lee was In one of the Chinese restau-
rants shortly before midnight. where
he got something to eat.
Shortly after leaving the restaurant
the supposed insane laundryman went
to his room. There was not much time
wasted In making a change Of wear
ing apparel for the night, as China
men seem to think particularly In
that regard Is merely a waste Of time.
bunk. Lee was soon dreaming of the
act which was to send him to appear
before one Of the gods he had wor-
SHIPPED.
any thought 70 the question OF Lees
putting himself In position to be taken
TO d temporary grave In Congressional
cemetery. and not one OF them heard
him make move until he fired the
shot. Even then, it is said, one OF
them was so sound asleep that the
noise did not disturb hin.
Every Chinese resident of the section
In which Lee Hip killed himself knew
Of the affair fifteen minutes after he shot
himself but very few of those who were
seen by a Star reporter this morning were
willing TO admit knowledge Of II. They
sked who Lee Flip was and where he
lived and wanted to know what would
be printed about him. Some Of them sug-
sested that Lee would not like TO have
his name In the paper. speaking In tore
to indicate the belief that, although dead.
he would know about IL.
Excitement Soon Subsidies.
= score or more Of the Chinese residents
of Pennsylvania avenue stood on the
sidewalk aud watched the policemen and
hospitsl attendants carefully move the
wounded man. They wanted to know
where he Nas being taken, saying they
would SEQ him In the morning. China
town recovered from the excitement: lin u
short white and the celestia,s retired TO
their hunks.
soon as he reached his office this morn
ing. II is rather unusual for the coroner
TO have to art upon a case Involving the
death Of Clinaman: especially a case
Of self-destruction. He was able 10 recall
one or two other cases III which natives
of the FloWery Kingdom had committed
suicide. however. and he Was able to
pass upn. the suicide Of Lee Hip without
much trouble.
4 Certificate of death having been given,
the nody was turned over 10 Endertaker
! j. William Lee and removed to the lat
tcr's establishment on Pennsylvania ave-
nne. Tomorrow Or Sunday Lees four
cousins Will appear at tic undertaking es-
tabls ssn,Hent and want the funeral held at
short notice hoping TO lessen the number