The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1912-12-18
Force of 100 Marshals,
Armed With Axes and
:: Hammers Break in Doors,
Demolish Windows and
Chase Fugitives Through
Dark Alleys in the Night
PANDEMONIUM IS
. !" RAISED BY ATTACK
Scores Of the Women's Con-
sorts Are Taken to City
Prison to Await Action
That Will Be Taken to
End Hideous Trade Long
Practiced in This City

The United States has laid down.
mailed fist on the Chinese slave girl
trafic which has fourished in San
Franeisco's Chinatown for over half
century. The orient will not be per-
nitted to ply its evil trade in this
country
Last night the federal service, for
the first time in history, raided a Chi
nese slave den at 16 Portola alley, cap
turing five girls. rounding up several
score Of their consorts. and revealing
steel protected doors, iron barred win
dows. and floors Of cells which could
be reached only through hidden trap
doors and ladders. optrivaling any of
the widest dreams OF fancy of the con
e Seeafed and mysterious Chinatown Of
Bgore the fire.
g Feeble and intermittent attempts to
deport the Chinese slave girls. bought,
sold and Imprisoned like Gagged wild
animals. have been made before, but
the long arm of the federal govern
ment. which does not give UP or f~r-
get, last night stretched forth into
the transplanted Chinese city to show
highbinders. tong leaders, procurers
and slave dealers that the power at
Washington is supreme.
Backed by the people through con-
gressional act against white slavery,
end with the certain knowledge of the
strength Of their cause, the federal
officials planned the raid
Four stories of slave cells, bolted
and barred against any possibility of
thee revolt of the inmates. huddled to-
geeher under roof four stories from
the street, was the objective point
oThe building, which is Of brick, is
bounded by stockton street on the
west. Portola ALLEY on the east. Jack
ssE street on the south and vacant
lot on the north. Nearly 100 United
states marshals, deputies, immigration
oficials and San Francisco police took
part in the raid. the most sensational
in the history of Chinatown United
States Attorney John L. McNab was the
guiding force, and active charge of the
raid was under Captain Frank Aims
worth of the immigration station
CHINATOWN IN UPRoAR
Chinatown was in an uproar. fright
eneds hurrying to and fro, slave girls,
who. perhaps, had never been out of
the houses, huddled in groups in the
streets, police and federal officials bat
stering down steel doors and chasing
Escaping visitors to the slave dens
down gloomy passageways
A Gordon first was formed around the
building and watches were set on ad-
joining houses. Battering down the
steel doors and rushing in with axes in
hand, they charged the slave den. scat
tering Chinese girls and men visitors
around them.
With shrieks of dismay and frenzied
calls for help. the occupants attempted
to fee in all directions. some rushing
out into the night, and others lodging
into the tiny gilded cells in which the
women lived
Others climbed UP ladders, disap
pearing through hidden trap doors into
the stories above. Scrambling after
them. the raiders encountered heavy
steel coverings on the doors. Batter
ing with axes again, they rushed up
ward, capturing girls and men as they
wene In every direction trap doors
opened to admit terror stricken Chi
nese, and after the work had gone on
for nearly half an hour the Americans
found that numerous secret trap doors
and ladders led into adjoining shops,
into dark alleyways and streets, so
that here and there few Of the more
lucky of the hunted escaped altogether.
FIVE GIRLS CAPTURED
Five girls were captured by the at
tacking force. and were Immediately
taken to the city prison in the hall of
Justice Miss Donaidina Cameron Of
the Presbyterian mission went with
them. and secured from one of the
slaves a picture of the procuress of
the raided den, affording valuable
means of Identification.
Tom sun Ying. who was already out
! Continued on Page :. Column