Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-29
SECRET OF TONG
Staying IS PROBED
Sunday School Teacher Asks
Faction Leaders to Let
Her Bury Chong.

While the District government,
through the agency of Coroner j. Ram
say hewitt, at an inquest this after
noon, was making a last desperate eff
fort to tear away the veil of Oriental
secrecy surrounding the manner in
which Lem Chong, waiter in the Can
ton Pagoda Restaurant at 1343 Il
street, met his death Friday afternoon
at the hands of q Chinese killer, the
competition Of the On Leong and Hip
Sing factions for the body of the vic
tim was oVershadowed by Il third APP
peal for the body made to the leaders
of both factions by Miss Louise Tay-
Tor, Sunday school teacher, who
taught and aided in converting ChOng
to Christianity. several years ago.
Lew Toy, leader of the Hip Sings,
and Charlie 500, chieftain of the On
Leong clan, both have been presenting
conflicting claims for the body of
Chong. Each claims him as member
of their respective organizations. In
the background, according to the po-
lice, may be the fear that the tong
which does not get the body as the re-
mains of a member may have to face
the accusation of responsibility for the
death.
While the two Chinese factions,
now calm and quiet. after hectic days
and sleepless nights last week. were
preparing to go to court, if need be,
to assert their rights to the body of
Lem Chong, letter arrived at both
headquarters.
1t was from Miss Taylor. 1t was q
simple missive. 1t recounted that
Chong had been a student in her Sun
day school class. that he was Chris
tan and that she desired he be given
a Christian burial Many years ago,
it was learned, Chong attended the
classes of Miss Taylor at the Calvary
Baptist Church. She asked custody
OF the body for funeral, expressing
willingness to defray all expenses.
The letter left the tong leaders
somewhat nonplussed. Both On Leong
and Hip Sing factions were non-com-
initial. Both evidently had decided to
await the action of the coroner's jury
in the case. The Hip Sing interests
were being guarded at the inquest by
their attorney, James A. O'Shea.
Surprises Are Expected.
The inquest this afternoon, which
opened at o'clock, was expected to
produce surprises. Before going to the
DISTRICT morEue, Assistant United
States Attorney L. Russell Kelly, who
was placed in charge of IT, was
closeted for some time with Maj Pey-
ton Gordon, district attorney Plans
for unsealing the lips of the three
Chinese who were close by at the
time Of the murder were made. Au-
thorities at the courthouse are con-
WINGED that the whole story of the
murder may depend upon getting in
formation which has thus far been
refused to the police
One of the items into which the
probe will be inserted deeply Is ex-
pected to be the delay which ensued
between the time Lem Chong re-
cesved his fatal wound and the time
when police first learned of the shoot
ing, which was within stones throw
of police headquarters. The Chinese in
the restaurant lat the time had preyi-
ously told police they waited to report
to Wing Moy, proprietor of the res
taurant, before taking further action.
and when Wing Moy appeared on the
scene, according to the account of the
circumstances thus far obtained, the
first move was to call Emergency
Hospital for the ambulance. The no.
lice came in later