The sun., 1919-08-10
Murder of Bow Kun, Who Was
Stabbed as She Slept, Is Memorable
as the Cause of Greatest Conflict
Among Bitter Factions Thrill
ing Careers of Mock Duck,
Tom Lee and Others High
in Chinese Councils
By HERBERT ASBURY.

Waged II with ferceness. Many were
the -Four Brothers and the On Leongs
whose dead bodies were found in the
streets and houses after the Four
Brothers had declared war on the On
Leongs over the killing Of Bow Kum,
asChinese woman who was stolen by
a On Leong hatchet man in San
Francisco from a Four Brothers man,
brought to New York and finally mur-
dered by hatchet man who stabbed
her with a dirk. .a-..!
The Four Brothers lived In Pell
street In peace and harmony with the
Hip Sing Tong. while the On Leongs
controlled the stretches of Mott street.
Often each invaded the territory OF the
other or II there was some particularly
fine bit Of killing to be done, hatchet
men unknown to the enemy tong were
brought in from other cities, did their
work and left silently with pockets
lined with money. Doyers was the
principal battle ground for the tongs
and the old Chinese theatre. now a
mission OF the New York Rescue So
ciety, was the scene of many killings.
So many. in fact, were the battles that
interrupted the performances and so
numerous were the killings In the
theatre that for a long time detectives
stood at the entrance and searched
each Chinaman as he entered 70 make
sure that he bore neither a hatchet nor
a gun and that he came to enjoy the
play and not to kill rival tongs men.
But while a Hip Sing man and
Four Brothers man were supposed TO
be able to walk unmolested and in
safety along Pen street and the On
Leongs were supposed to be secure
frem harm in Mott street, none of
them was really ever safe anywhere.
The buildings are not high n China
town, and many q Chinaman has been
killed by a bullet fired from a roof. And
there were scuttles, too. that led from
the roofs down into the opium dens
and to the dark and dismal holes
where the hatchet men OF the tongs
took their ease-and slippered feet
padded noiselessly along the roof tops
and down into the houses. and there,
with the victim sunk in the stupor of
an opium sleep or sitting serenely in
imaginary safety. the hatchet men
took their toll OF lives.
For many years the Hip Sings and
the On Leongs and the Four Brothers
lived together In Chinatown and there
were no killings. That was in the
days when vice and gambling held full
sway in all the Bowery and Chatham
Square district. The head men OF the
tongs waxed rich. and many Of them
amassed such wealth that they were
able to realize the ambition OF every
Chinaman-they could 20 back 10
China to die. The venerable Tom
Lee, who later attained such eminenee
that he was called the Mayor OF
Chinatown, was the head OF the On
1.songs, and one Gum Kee was the
chief Of the Hip Sings. Then Gum
Kee became possessed of wealth and
went back TO China with more than
$4,000 OF tribute money. and Noel,
Duck came into power as head man
Of the Hip Sings.
Mock Duck is perhaps the outstand-
Ing figure OF all the tong men who
cut and stabbed and shot their way
to power in Chinatown. II Is not toe
much to say that for many years he
was the ruling power OF the district
and although now Mock Dock is a
respectable citizen and a silk mer.
chant of considerable wealth, In the
days prior TO 1910 he was the mos,
dangerous OF all the killers OF all tn.
tongs. He killed his man. and hs
often narrowly escaped being killed
himself; he was mixed up ir