The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-06-06
Whence He Was Struggled By
Frisco COnSpifatOrS
Trail OF A Years Hunt Ter
inmates In Mt.
Vernon

Charged with violating the Chinese
exclusion act, Chin Ping Lee, alias
Lew Kin Ngook, an employe of the
Charlie Hop laundry, 23S South Main
street, was placed under arrest Fri
day night at Z o'clock by immigration
Inspectors Joseph Frances and S. W.
Mason of Cleveland after a hunt of
over year.
The Chinaman was taken to Colum-
bus Saturday morning to be arraign-
ed before Inspector Frances on the
charge above stated, the result of
which will probably mean imprison-
ment for Kee or permanent Danish
ment from this country.
Determined efforts have been made
for some time by the government of
the United States to break up practic-
es of improper entry of Cinnamon and
other residents of the Orient into this
country, as well as to check all con-
spiracies of which San Francisco mer-
chants have been guilty.
1t is said that Kee came into the
United States the last time by i'm
personating merchant of San Fran
cisco. This happened about years
ago and, as late as March, 1914, he
resided in Columbus, where he was
employed in a Chinese laundry.
Kee, according to the inspectors,
entered this country from Mexico in
1909 whence he was smuggled under
false pretenses and under misrepre-
sentations as to his identity. He lived
in San Francisco but a short time,
the inspectors state, and then jour
neyed east, locating in Columbus.
The facts in the case, as well as
minute description of Kee, were
placed in the hands of the inspectors
who started on a hunt for the man
over year ago. The trail became
hot in May this year and, on the
fourth day of that month, the inspect
ors paid visit to Mt. Vernon. Ali
efforts on their part to locate Kee
here proved failure at that time.
1t was lately tipped to them that
Kee was actually residing in Mt. Yer
non and was an employe of the only
Chinese laundry in the city. A re-
turn trip was accordingly made to
this city and ON Friday night, the in
spectors located Kee in the Hop laun-
dry, satisfied themselves as to his
identity and then arrested him. He
spent the night in the county Jail and
was taken to Columbus in morning.
Conversing with a representative of
The Banner Saturday morning, the
elder of the inspectors, Joseph Fran
ces, stated that regular system of
smuggling foreigners into the United
States obtains in San Francisco, but
that the government is slowly break
ing up the various gangs that operate
for this purpose. IIe said that GER
tain merchants, among them white
people, will, for the consideration of
$500, swear that a Chinaman has
lived in the United States for three
year period after he has resided here
only two months.
The inspector told of the arrests OF
numerous white men who have been
guilty of these illicit practices and
stated that all devices are resorted to
by the operators and also the immi-
grants in order to change identities so
as to conform to descriptions of nat
uralized foreigners.
With the inspectors was a govern
ment interpreter whose name is Yee
Back Hop and it was through him
that conversation was held with Kee.
--Sfs----
Job was a patient man, who never