The New York herald., 1922-09-23
BODY OF Chinese IS
FOUND TIED in BAG
Police Work on Several
Theories OF Murder OF
Butler, Pong Tom.
SAILORS HAND in JOB
Seaman'S Bag Was Used
and Knot Tied in Pecu-
liar Way.
TAG MAY LEAD TO CLEW
Wrapping Bought by Two
Orientals From Storekeeper
Who Remembers One.
TAG MAY LEAD TO CLEW


Who Remembers One.
PONG. Tom, the suave little Chinese
butler Of William Shivers. f25 West
Fifty-eighth street, who always seemed
able TO anticipate the wish of each
guest as he suff-suffed silently among
them. is dead. lie was found muir
dered yesterday at daybreak in the
hallway of the dingy tenement at 81
East Broadway, just around the block
from a similar tenement at 36 Division
street. where he lived in the shadows
OF Chinatown His arms and legs were
folded along his slight back and Sc
curely bound so that the body mt
snugly into the sailors bag which hid
the grewsome secret until curious
boy united the seaman's knot. A short
hempen cord that buried itself in the
flesh Of his neck and a score of gashes
from butchers cleaver told how the
job was done. A heavy blanket
wrapped around Pong's body shielded
the bag from telltale blood stains.
Half a hundred Chinese trooped into
the Oak street police station yesterday
at the behest of the police and We're
grilled for hours. Each left without his
questiorars being able to break his ORR
entail reiicence. Last night half dozen
detectives searched Chinatown for the
rf Do, ,,c~'- hnlieNpd
they were nearer the persons who killed
him, and, by that much, nearer the
story of vengeance or inexorable tong
law that lies back of the deed, but that
was all.
Signs of - sailors Hand.
If one theory is correct, the story OF
Pong's death leads TO a little room IN
Hongkong which is the headquarters Of
a sailors tong, of which it is believed
Pong Tom WAS "A member The pollce
are informed he had been sailor. Inc
sailors bag in which his body was
found and the sailors knot which bound
II show the hand OF a sailor in the
murder. The police also are investigat-
ing report that former clansman
Of Pong's came to New York two
weeks ago from China TO even up an
old score.
Should II turn out that this visitor
arrived at the order of the tong, tne
police AFRO certain that Pong knew ne
was a marked man and that the law OF
his tong. IL he violated It, would reach
him-that there is no port at which ships
drop, anchor where it could not strike.
Then the police suspect also that
Pongs death may wipe another dent
from or add another debt to tho books
OF the Hip Sing Tong, whose head. ko
Low, went to an unsolved death OF vio-
lence month ago. There WAS nothing
more tangible in one theory than the
other last night, but John II. Hennis,
Assistant District Attorney. said:
I'VE believe that Pong Tom may have
met his death in continuation of the
tong war which ragged here for a brief
period some time ago and which was re-
Gently terminated by the signing of a
truce"
Pong Tom lived in the midst OF a
colony Of Chinese with white wives. and
the possibility Of jealous revenge is a
third line the police are following.
BOY Opened the Bag.
This much is definitely known Frank
Arnone tenant nj 81 East Broadway,
returning home early yesterday morn
ing, saw a white bundle lying i'm tho
back of the first floor hallway. lie told
Mrs. John Bancenza, the janitress, that
some one had left bundle of trash In
the hallway. Mrs. Dancenza sent her
14-year-old son, August. to drag II out
where the street cleaners would carry IL
away.
August dragged the bag into the light,
where II occurred TO him that the bag
itself was a good one and worth keeping,
so he united the knot 10 empty the con-
tents. August fled with shrieks that
set the block IN an uproar and brought
the police. Three Italians and two
Chinese families live in the building.
but IL anyone of the hundreds who
crowded in To see the body recognized
II. the police were unable to gain a con-
fession.
Thus matters stood when Lee Yot and
Jan 10y of IS Division street slipped
silently through the crowds and looked
at the body
Pong Tom" said Lee.
Pong Tom" exclaimed Jan.
They then told the police that Pong
Lee lived with them ana six other Chi
nese IN flat at the Division street
house and acted as a sort of bookkeeper
and treasurer for his companions at
night. while he served Mr.. Shivers in
the daytime.
An examination OF the comforter In
which the body was wrapped disclosed
d small tag sewed in a corner bearing
(he name Of Max Zetrin. who has a
Small store at 76 Allen street, not far
away.
Under long questioning Zetrin adj
mtted that two Chinese had come to his
store Thursday night and told him they
wanted to buy n very warm blanket.
Zetrln said he had seen one of the men
before and gave the police - clew which
may lead TO that mans address.
SAYS RUM RUNNERS RUN