On December 9, 1870, Sing Yu (Lon You) filed a complaint against Lee Wo (See Woo / Ling Woo), of Anaheim, for stealing $160 worth of Jewelry. Sing Yu had been in Anaheim once before, during her last disappearance. Lee Wo was arrested and brought to Los Angeles on December 17th. His trial was scheduled for December 23rd.
The day before the trial, December 22nd, Deputy U. S. Marshal Dunlap from Santa Barbara arrived in Los Angeles with a warrant for the arrest of Sing Yu, who was in the possession of Yo Hing’s company. The warrant for Sing Yu had been arranged by a rival company to prevent Sing Yu from testifying against Lee Wo. Dunlap arranged for the use of a team of horses and a carriage, belonging to Councilman George Fall, to transport Sing Yu as far as Eight Mile House. That evening, Dunlap proceeded to Negro Alley and found Sing Yu in bed. She was taken into custody, and told to dress in a hurry. When Dunlap and the other officers stepped out into the street, they found themselves surround by a crowd of excited Chinese men armed with guns and knives. Dunlap managed to get Sing Yu into the carriage. As the carriage departed, a mob of about 100 Chinese men chased it down Los Angeles Street and then up Commercial Street. As the carriage prepared to turn onto Main Street, the angry mob caught up with the vehicle, stopped it, and attempted to extract Sing Yu. Yo Hing’s men smashed in the front of the carriage and shot at the occupants. A passenger from Santa Barbara, named Han, was shot in the back. Several constables arrived after hearing gunshots, and captured four of the attackers. The others fled. The carriage escaped, however one horse died a mile and a half outside of town due to a gunshot wound.
The grand larceny hearing for Lee Wo was held in Justice Gray’s court as scheduled. However, due to the absence of the prosecution witness, the case was continued until the following Monday. There are no additional news reports of this case, so the conclusion is unknown.
The following day, the Los Angeles Daily Star reported the California Supreme Court overturned the prosecution of the four men convicted of torturing of Sing Yu.
Sing Yu does not appear in the news again. However, the Los Angeles Daily Star reported the suicide of a girl named Sing Hi on February 25,1871. It’s possible this was Sing Yu, considering the Daily Star previously identified Sing Yu as “Sing Lo” on November 1, 1870. And both papers facetiously corrupt Chinese names for their own sophomoric amusement.
Sing Yu
Marshal William Warren
The Torture of Sing Yu
The Carriage Event
False Accusations
The Abduction of Yut Ho
Commentaries on Chinese Prostitution
The Anatomy of Los Angeles in 1871
The Affray
The Chinese Massacre of 1871
The Aftermath
Analysis
Anti-Chinese Rhetoric
Anti-Chinese Violence
Anti-Chinese Sentiment In Advertising
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