San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-09
LITTLE FANNY FONG
TOOK HER OWN LIFE
BUT WAS MURDERED
Jealous Girl Caused Death
of Idol of San Fran
cisco Tongs.
BY LEE OVERMAN.

Copyright. 1929. by Consol. Press Assn
San Francisco. Cal, March s.
| There is mourning today in San Fran
cisco's "city of whispering alleys.
An ominous cloud of sorrow, sur
charged with a thirst for vengeance,
hangs low over the queer housetops,
the Tempe Of joss and the gaudy
gathering places of the tongs. The
voices of chattering Orientals arc
pitched low, but there is vindictive-
ness in their words and the glow Of
angry fires in their slanting eyes.
Fannie Ng Fong. bcauteous flower
Of Chinatown is dead and buried
but memories of her enhancing smile,
! of her happy ways and of her many
kindly deeds will long survive her.
Fannie Nc Fong was the wife of DR..
prominent physicians. To denizens of
the Oriental quarter who had watched
her toddling babe, as a romping
girl and later as its fairest ally" of
manageable age. however, she was
always "Little Fannie"
Little Fannie died q victim OF a
self-adminItered poison draught.
Nevertheless she was murdered. That
is why Chinatown has an ominous
tinge to its sorrow.
Three years ago when she became
the happy bride of DR.. Fong Wan,
Little Fannie was accounted the luck
lest girl in Chinatown. Young, hand
some. educated in an American uni
versity, and the son of rich parents.
he was tbe prize catch of many
Chinatown matrimonial seasons.
But there were other Chinese girls
of manageable age, it develops, who
also wanted DIR. Wan for a husband
one of whom it seems was bitterly |
and relentlessly jealous. The night |
lney were married this jealous one
telephoned the police that n crime |
was being committed in the house |
where the ceremony was being per-
formed. The police, with patrol
wagons and drawn pistols swooped
down, charged pell nell into the |
place and almost disrupted the we'd
ding plans. After that there came |
other plots intended to disrupt the
happiness of the young couple, but
none Of them succeeded-except the
last.
Four days ago Mrs. Fong received
a fervent missive urging that she
keep tryst with the writer at a
designated place. The letter referred
to previous trysts. 1t bore the name
IF a young Chinese business man who
lad been one of her childhood sweet
~ 1
)usly cast the letter aside. Her hus-
band found it and charged her with
unfaithfulness. Her protestations of
innocence were unavaiiing. Little
Fannie went home TO her mother.
There she locked herself in a room
and drained a vial Of poison.
1t is part of the code of ancient
China that an unfaithful wife. con-
fronted with proofs of her infidelity |
shall end her own life. News of the |
manner OF Fannie Ng Fong's leaked |
out and for a day ii was believed |
she had sought TO make reparation for |
the wrong to her husband. tsses 4
Then the young man whose name
was signed to the fatal love missive
came forward. He not only denied
writing the letter, but proved he was
several hundred miles away when it
was mailed. The letter be charged
was a malicious attempt to bring
.rouble upon him and Little Fannie.
And so it has proved to be. Police
md handwriting experts declare the
etter was written By young Chinese
woman.
Little Fannie was buried today.
But it was not in disgrace. In re-
pect to her memory every shop in
was closed, n brass band
marched at the head of her funeral
and all the tongs hung out
Mourning hammers