The New York herald., 1922-08-08
TONG CHIEF KILLED
AND WOMAN shot
~
Assailant Fires From Across
Street as Pair Are Leaving
Pell Street Resort.
REvIvES TONG WAR TALK
KO Low Is National President
Of Hip Sing-Companion
an Uptown Visitor.

/ hO lLOW, iidtiOhat PiScAAShs ~ sAAS
Hip Sing Tong, was shot and killed
last night in front. OF Delmonico's
restaurant at 241 Pell street. There
was a series Of pistol shots and Ko
Low dropped to the sidewalk with a
bullet in his back. He was taken to
Beekman Street Hospital, where he
died at 2:10 o'clock this morning.
Chinatown was in an uproar. The
shooting, which at first seemed to have
all the earmarks of Tong warfare.
was believed by the police to be
revival Of the Tong fights in China
town, but later they said the cause
| probably came nearer being woman.
The police were having hard time
in trying to get at the facts In the
case owing to the indefniteness of in
formation given by Chinese who were
in the vicinity at the time of the shoot
ing. Some said that three shots were
fired, while others were positive that
they had heard pistol bark six or
seven times. Two or three witnesses
| told of shots being fired simultaneously
by two and three gunmen. but most of
them thought the shooting had been
done by lone assailant.
Woman in His once.
The police were further confused when
| Mrs Mae Malsbenden. 81, Of goa West
i Eighty-fourth street. was found in the
business Office of Ko Low on the third
floor of his Chinese sailors boarding
house at Is Doyers street. with bullet
wound in her big toe. Mrs. Kittie Ra-
venette, widow. of the same address,
! was with her and had made tourni-
| quet of her belt and checked the flow
| of blood
The women told the police that Ii was
their first trip to Chinatown, and that
they had come to get some tea and
| Chinese trinkets. They were leaving
Delmonicos when somebody opened fire
with a pistol, they said. and bullet
penetrated Mrs. Malsbenden's toe.
| A man pushed them into the hallway
OF the boarding house, and they wan
| dered to the office on the third floor
and sat down to rest Chinese who were
| questioned by the police told different
lstory, saying the two women knew
4 10 Low
There has not been tong war in
/ Chinatown In many years. but the shoot
/ lfk Oh NO LOW IN view VI his pC5lllOU
as head of the Hip Sing Tong, one of
| the militant organizations of bygone
days, gave rise to rumors that another
4 outbreak may be impending. Lee Yee
| Hing, president OF the New York branch
OF the Hip Sing Tong, was asked IL he
1 thought that the shooting of the national
| chief was the work of adherents OF the
| On Leong Tong or some other rival
| Chinese organization and replied that
he did not think so. n
Pistol Found I'm Gutter.
| While the circumstances concerning
the shooting have not been determined, 1t
was evident to the police that the shots
were fired from the side of the street OPP
posite the restaurant. Detective Barron
/ found ar automatic pistol lying in the
gutter in front of % Pell street. Five
/ OF its cartridges had been discharged
and three remained intact in the maga-
zine. The nth bullet had jammed
thousand dollars In cash was found In
the pockets of 10 Low.
/ Mrs. Malsbenden told a different story
| when detectives questioned her after
she had been removed to the Beekman
Street Hospital. but Mrs. Ravenette stuck
| TO the Information which was first given
to the police.
| Mrs. Malsbendcn said that Mrs. Ra-
/ ttnette Chtieu neT oIl tit tcitpiohc tHais
last night. advising her that she had
dinner engagement and asking her to 90
along They met at the Canal street
subway station and went to the office
of Ko Low. Mrs. Ravenette introduced
her friend to ko Low and the Tong
leader introduced two Chinese acquaint-
ances. The party went to Delmonico's
which is two flights up. and had dinner
and when they were about ready to
leave one of the Chinese. according to
Mrs Malsbenden. went to a balcony
cverhanging the sidewalk and she saw
him make movement with one OF his
| fands. as though he were beckonIng TO
some one. He was there only a few
moments then returned and joined the
others and they walked down the two
flights of stairs to the street.
AS they stepped to the sidewalk. Mrs
Malsbenden said. she saw a Chinese on
pistol and begin firing at them The
first bullet penetrated Ko Lows back
and the second Mrs. Malsbenden's foot.
All ran away after the shooting ex-
cept Ko Low. who had dropped. Mrs.
Malsbenden said she did not know what
became of the two Chinese. The pv,we
are making search of the neighborhood
for them. Gee Tog of 81 Mott street
was taken into custody at his home on
information given TO the police that hc
had had Some connection with the
shooting and he Is being detained at tho
Oak street station.