The Washington times., 1919-02-01

That the calling card OF one OF
washington's police detective may
have been the innocent cause Of the
tragedy is the theory on which the
police are now working. On Wednes-
day a call came into Precinct 10 from
Secretary Hsie of the mission, asking
| that a man be sent at once TO inveS-
tigate some larcenies. Detective c. H.
Bradley who had previously investi-
gated some petty thieving at the
He called at the house at about .
o'clock and his repeated ringing
brought no response.
Making a note on one of his cards
\ that he had called at o o'clock he
! slipped it under the door and went
away. When the police searched the
house after the discovery of the
crime, BradIey's card was found on
! the desk in the mission office. The
police believe that Wan had been
\ stealing, found the detectives card.
realized that an investigation was
about to be made, that he quarreIed
| with DR.. Wong when he returned
home that night, and that the shoot
| ing followed as a result. VANS be-
longings are missing from the house.
A ghastly sight greeted the police
when a squad entered and searched
| the Kal0rama road residence, right
! in the heart Of Washington's most
/ beautiful and fashionable residence
| district. Lying fat on his back with
outstretched arms, his head in a
pool Of blood, lay the director of the
/ mission, DR.. Wong. Everywhere were
] evidences that a terrific struggle had
| taken place almost within sight and
| certainly within sound of dozens OF
/ other residents Of the section
In the office in the rear furniture
was overturned and a large electric
lamp shattered. Further search by
| the police led them down a narrow
/ stairway into a basement kitchen,
where a trail of blood revealed the
| two other victims of the tragedy,
their blood-stained bodies lying head
to head.
The slayer must have been a per-
/ feet shot, every one of his victims
having been struck in a vital point.
DR.. Wong was shot clear through
i the heart and at such close range
| that his clothing was burned. Young
| Wu was shot in the back OF the head
and the breast. Hsie was shot in the
heart.
Revolver Found.
The .s2-caIiber revolver with which
the shooting was done was found on
a bamboo chair about three feet away
from Hsie's body.
The most battling phase Of the
case is presented by the finding Of
/ Acting Coroner E. w. Titus. DR..
Titus declares that the condition OF
! the body shows that DR.. Wong met
| his death some hours previous to
Hsie and WI. Rigor ,mortis had set
in in the case Of Wong but the other
bodies were still limp. The theory
had been that all the men were muir
| dered in the midnight quarrel Of
| Wednesday. II that were so all the
bodies would be stifr unless WI and
Hsie, although mortally wounded and
unable to call for help lived through
a greater part OF Thursday.
This may be explained, however, by
the fact that upstairs was cold and
! the basement still warm from The
/ smouldering furnace.
How such a murder could be per
/ petrated and be undiscovered for
/ thirty-six hours and only then be
| revealed by. accident is one Of the
most amazing factors of the case.
That Il was perpetrated by another
member of the same race is evident
by the fact that the faces Of the vic
tins were covered by the slayer,
curious adherence to tradition and
| Oriental custom even in the face OF.
! extreme excitement DR.. Wong's face
was covered by a satin-lined over
| coat. Hsie and WI, whose heads
were found touching, were covered
/ by a sofa pillow taken from an up
/ stairs room. This covering Of the
| face in death is the Chinese token OF
respect to the dead
That none of the men went to their
death without putting up a terrific
struggle for life is shown by the dis
order Of both lower floors Of the
house. All three apparently died
lighting with their backs to the wall.
Hsie and WI had obviously made
desperate attempt at, escape.
shot on Stairs.
Wong, a man of forty-eight years,
distinguished among his own coun-
trymen and loved by the hundreds Of
Chimes students who carried on their
studies in various parts of the Uni
ted States under his direction, was
apparently either coming down the
stairs or going up when he met his
death. He must have been hit as he
! $1,000 on inc ldnuluB anu lllGu Itll
to the floor a few steps below. Death
in his case must have been imme-
diate.
Hsie and WI were either in the
| basement when the first shot was
fired and rushed to their sponsors
aid or they fled there for safety and
were overtaken by the slayer
! Wong and Hsie were known to have
eaten a late supper at a Chinese res
! taurant on T street Wednesday night
They were also known to have made
a call later, and it is supposed they
/ reached the house shortly before mid
night. Wan has been placed at the
house at that evening.
Although the watches and jewelry
Of the three men were found intact
on theiP persons, their pockets had
apparently been riled. Wong especi-
1 ally was known to carry large
amounts. Nothing but some small
coins scattered on the floor were
found in the house. Checks. signed
by Wong and made out to the vari-
Gus students, TO cover their monthly
/ - -NV