Evening star., 1924-10-20
WEST FINDS CURB
FOR TONG MURDERS
Threat to Jail Heads of War.
ring Chinese Factions Ends
Gunmen's Work.
BY Consolidated Press.

by ConB0llddtcd PresB.
SAN FRANCISCO, October 2Ol-If
New York. Chicago and several other
Eastern cities threatened with CORY
| outbreaks of Chinese tong warfare
want to put a sudden and effective
stop to such guerrilla killings, they
can advantageously take page from
the book of experiences of Police
Sergt. Jack Manion. for Is years head
Of San Francisco's Chinatown squad.
Local police officials will guarantee
the following advice OF Sert. Manion
as very efficacious panacea for such
murders.
San Francisco has the largest
Chinese settlement anywhere outside
of China itself, and 1t has had tong
wars-dozens of them. But there
hasn't been a tong killing here In
four years. Furthermore. as long as
Sergt. Manion remains in charge of
the local Chinatown squad. there
isn't much likelihood that the
sansuine clashes Of Hip Sings and
On I-eongs in Eastern cities will be
duplicated here.
Backed by Better Class.
1t took Sergt. Manion Is Of the
IS years he has spent in Chinatown to
assimilate enough knowledge Of
Chinese character to find a way to
check tong killinEs-but now that he
has found 1t. Chinese business men
and virtually every self-respecting
Oriental In Chinatown sponsor his
methods.
Arrest the president and executive
onicers OF the warning tonge when
ever killing occurs and charge them
with murder or being accessories' Is
the essence Of Sergt. Manion's
formula. III murders have not yet
taken place. but are threatened, Just
pass the word along that the first
killing will land all officers of the
tong sponsoring the murder In jail"
Explaining the effectiveness of such
course. the sergeant adds:
Black mail Found Common,
TO start with, practically all
Chinese tongs that resort to the
use OF gunmen are mere bIackmail-
Ing organizations. Self-respecting
Chinese don't belong to them Com
trary TO common belief. the tones
are an American product. They did
not come to us from China They
originated in California and Nevada
during the early gold rush days and
had their inception in the theory that
might makes right.
The meaning Of the word tong. fS
protective society For a yearly fee.
one tong will guarantee protection
10 its members against any enemies
they may happen to have IN a rival
Tong AS side issue Of their pro-
tective operations, most tonRs exer-
else monopolies either in gam
bling. slave dealing. drug smueeI,np
or some similar line. Almost every
tong war has started as quarrel
over one or these evfls-most COM
monty over the theft of Chinese
slave girls.
"All Tong killings are paid murders,
and all Tong gunmen are paid kill
ers. In order to maintain prestige
the Iongs maintain a regular payroll
lot killers In peace time. When Tong
wars break every victim slain has a
price on his head-put there by
ofhcers of the Tong whose eunmen
90 the killing. Because the offlcials
OF the Tongs involved in the fight
ing put up these offers Of cash for
each victim, they are really more re-
sponsible for the murders than their
paio Killers, who go out and do their
bidding.
Big Prices for Murder.
When two Tongs declare war the
first thing done Is TO put prices on the
neaos or officers of rival organiza-
lions. After that head prices are
oHered for lay members of the oppos-
ing Tongs, the paid killers being fur
!nshed with lists Of those whose
deaths are most desired Rewards
run from $4,000 for the president of
rival Tong. to $500 for an ordinary
member. Tong killers also are fur
nished with pistols and guaranteed
legal protection If caught in the COM
mission of murder
Under the laws of every state
In the Union a man who paws to
have murder committed can either
be prosecuted for the slayine or as
an accessory. II the Tongs did not
maintain forces of paid gunmen in
peace times, and if officers Of the
rongs didn't give rewards for kill
ings when warfare breaks, there
would be no Tong killings Every
Tong murder committed is with the
full knowledge OF Tong officers
whose gunmen do staying. and for
every murder they pay out cash
Here in San Francisco when Tong
wars threaten we just make a quick
call on the heads of the oYsaniza-
ticnS involved. The first killing
pulled of by one OF your gunmen we
slam you In the hoose-gow for muir
der We tell them. Usually there's a
quick conference. an appeal from
both sides for a peace meeting and