Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-30
FURTHER TONG WAR
PROBE CONSIDERED
District Attorneys Office Dis
satisfied With "0pen'
Verdict in Staying.

Not satisfied to let the "open YER
dict" of death from a gunshot wound
from a pistol in the hand OF solae
unknown person" returned ny q
coroner's jury yesterday stanu as al
official record of mystery in the death
of Lem Chong, Chinese waiter at tns
Canton Pagoda restaurant, l3ao
street. who was slain last ftua J.
: at the resta urant while TWO otnei
employees were within 90 feet OF hiiIl'
the District attorneys office II was
learned TODAY is considering the adj
visibility of probing deeper into the
circumstances surrounding the kiiling'
To this end, Assistant District Al
torney e. Russell Kelly, who appeared
at the inquest representing the IoN-
eminent Yesterday was detailing the
facts brought out to Maj. Peyton Cor
don. District attorney, in conference
shortly after noon.
Could Not Identify Man.
A decision as to whether to take
further steps in the case or reluctantly
: TO allow it, perforce. to go down as
a mystery in criminal records here.
had not been reached by Maj. Gordon
as the conference started.
Outstanding among the facts com
ing to light at the coroner's inquest
was that the killer had so entered the
restaurant and SO left it as not to be
seen by Moy Hong, the cook, or Moy
Soon, another waiter. Moy Hong
testified he saw the back of his neck
and the side of his body as he left the
kitchen with Lem Chong. but that he
would not be able to recognize the
man. Moy Soon testified that he also
could not identify any strange man"
who might have been in the restau-
rant at the time of the killing. Moy
Soon, who was unable to speak Eng
lish, testified through George Lee, an
interpreter.
Their testimony, simmered down,
produced the weird conclusion that
murder had been committed almost
in their presence, with each of them
ignorant of the identity of the slayer
and of the details of the killing.
Clues Fail to Develop.
Detective Sergt. Edward j. Kelly,
who investigated the case with Detec-
tives Thomas f. Sweeney and Joseph
+. Waddron, on the stand yesterday
said that police were unable to develop
any clues as to the identity OF the
slayer. He admitted that such clues
as had been presented had been run
out to no avail.
Leon 3. DieuX, taxicab chauffeur,
who drove a strange Chinese away
from the restaurant about the time
of the murder Friday afternoon. testi-
fled that he had deposited him at
Ninth street and Pennsylvania avenue
and that the man had appeared fright
ened, continually looking behind him
In the cab. Dieux could see him in
the mirror on the windshield, he said.
No Finger Prints Obtained.
Dieux testified that no attempt was
made by the police to obtain finger
prints from the taxicab handle, glass
or door. after he had reported the
strange actions of his fare" approx
nlately half an hour after the trip.
He said that the man undoubtedly had
touched some of the glass in the win
dow of the door of the cab or some
other portion of it, in getting aboard
or alighting. This point was brought
out by Attorney James A. O'Shea. rep
resenting the Hip Sing Tong, which
had been contesting the right to con-
duct the burial with the On Leong
faction, both of which claimed Chong
as a member.
After the inquest it was announced
that Chong would be given Christian
funeral at the request OF Miss Louise
C. TAYLOR who had taught him in SUM-
flay school, with the two factions COM
promising their claims and sharing ex-
I,enses of the burial, while Miss Tay-
ior was to be In charge OF the arrange
ments.
Coroner ]. Ramsey hewitt presided
at the inquest.