The Aftermath

After the initial affray, but before the riot, the writers at the Los Angeles Daily Star prepared a story critical of the Chinese and suggesting they be forced to leave the county. Rather then discarding that story, they ran it in their Wednesday edition with a brief epilogue condemning the subsequent events. This one article gives insight into the temperament of the city at that exact moment. Anger and resentment fueled by bigotry and social contagion would lead to the massacre of 18 Chinese men.

Los Angeles Daily Star, Volume 3, Number 438, 25 October 1871

THE CHINESE OUTRAGE.

The horrible assassinations which were perpetrated in our city last night by the brutal, uncivilized barbarians that infest the country, is an indication of what the consequence would be were their race transmigrated in large numbers upon the coast. Upon all the earth there does not exist a people who ---- life so lightly, who practice so many horrors, or are so unmerciful in their outrages. From their very mode of existence they have little regard for their own lives and none whatever for the lives of others. The shooting of our citizens upon the streets yesterday, ere daylight had gone, and the frequency of their horrible acts of a sinister nature, has now, at last, set our citizens to thinking as to the best mode of ridding ourselves of such a living curse. Little doubt exists but that such measures will be immediately taken as will entirely rid the city of their accursed presence. In this matter we should little heed the opinions of those abroad who are not familiar with the Chinese nature and our circumstances. Have we n----en -- have we not sadly realized? During the excitement last night several methods were proposed, among which was one, that a brief period of time be allowed for every Chinaman to leave the county. The more moderate course which could be pursued would be to withhold from them all business and all employment.

After the above was written, last night, eighteen Chinamen were hanged and shot to death. The friends of the killed and wounded Americans were exasperated to such a degree that all attempts to quell the hanging and shooting were without avail, until the very horror of the scenes became sickening to the participators themselves. Comment is useless.

Overnight, the bodies of the dead Chinese were collected a placed on the North side of the Jail. Gene Tong’s finger had been cut off by thieves who stole his diamond ring. Cues have been cut off four of the men.

The following morning a coroner’s inquest was held to determine the cause of death of Robert Thompson. Jesus Bilderrain was the only witness, and following his testimony, the jury rendered a verdict to the effect that the Robert Thompson, came to his death "from the effect of a shot fired at him by a Chinaman, whose name is unknown, from the house of Sing Lee, while in the act of assisting officer Jesus Bilderrain."

Following the inquest into Robert Thomson’s death, a second jury was impaneled to identify and determine the cause of death of the each of the Chinese. The victims were:

• Chee Long Tong (Gene Tong), Doctor, shot through the head and hanged, Chin Wa Company.
• Wa Sin Qua, resident of Negro Alley, received eight shots in the abdomenand legs, Chin Wa Company.
• Chang Wan, resident of the Doctor's house, hanged, Chin Wa Company
• Leong Quai, hanged, Chin Wa Company
• Joung Burrow, was shot through the head and left wrist, Chin Wa Company
• Ah Long, cigar maker, hanged, Nin Yung Company
• Wong Chim, storekeeper, hanged, Nin Yung Company, had three cartridges in his pockets.
• Tong Wan, just arrived from San Francisco, shot, stabbed and hanged, Nin Yung Company.
• Ah Loo, just arrived from China a week before, hanged, Hap Waa company.
• Wan Foo, cook, hanged, Nin Yung company.
• Day Kee, came from Sidney, hanged.
• Ho Hing, cook from San Francisco, hanged, Sam Yep Company.
• Ah Waa, cook, hanged, Nin Yung Company.
• Ah Cut, liquor maker, shot in the abdomen and extremities, Sam Yep Company.
• Lo Hoy, hanged, Nin Yung company.
• Ah Wan, cook, hanged, Nin Yung company.
• Wing Chee, cook, shot and hanged, Sam Yep company.
• Ah Wing, whose body was taken the cemetery Tuesday night, was the first victim hanged. Ah Wing was likely one of the assassins who came down from San Francisco.

Fun Yu died on October 27^th from a gunshot wound to the head sustained on the night of the massacre. Fun Yu was identified as one of the men who came from San Francisco to kill Yo Hing.

Won Choy, the brother of Yut Ho, also died on the 27^th. He was shot in the neck during the initial affray.

Nine or ten of the victims were members of the Nin Yung company.

Funerals were held on Wednesday following the Coroner’s inquests. The Several of the Chinese coffins were buried in one grave. There was no name on the coffin of Ah Wing. The Los Angeles Daily News noticed the peculiar treatment of Ah Wing’s burial:

There is one thing in connection with one of the lynched Chinamen which is altogether unaccountable. Of the eighteen bodies, seventeen were claimed by their friends and interred by them with all the regular formula of a Chinese funeral; but the solitary exception was altogether abandoned. None of the Chinese would have anything to do with him. Even after he was interred, they declined to offer the departed spirit, that tribute which is customary for them to pay, viz: placing rice, burning tapers, etc, on the grave. Four of these unfortunates had their pigtails cut off, consequently, the loss of it could not have been the reason why they ignored him. Such, however, was their inexplicable conduct.

The Coroner’s inquest lasted four long days, and was conducted variously at the District Court room and the Council room. Initially, few suspects were identified. Many of the witnesses could recognize the riot participants, but few knew their names. As the inquest wore on, suspects were gradually named and arrested. By the conclusion of the proceedings, thirteen men had been arrested, and a list of additional contributors was provided for the next Grand Jury. There would be a total of 150 names listed in the indictments. By December 7^th, the jail was at capacity with 50 people incarcerated. And the District Attorney would start allowing bail in cases that otherwise would have been disallowed.

The men arrested were:

• A. R. Johnson, Shoemaker
• Charles Austin, Teamster
• Edmund Crawford, Bootblack
• Jesus Martinez, Sexton at the Catholic Cemetery
• Louis Mendell
• D. W. Moody, Store clerk from Anaheim
• Patrick McDonald
• Andreas Soeur, Butcher

There were also five men arrested for offenses connected with the riot. One of the names mentioned during the inquest was Star reporter H. M. Mitchell, who was heard encouraging the mob. The Daily Star coverage of the inquest appears to have been ended following that testimony.

The verdict of the Coroner was published as follows:

We, the undersigned, the jurors, summoned to appear before J. Kurtz, the Coroner of Los Angeles county, to inquire into the cause of the Chinamen, deceased, after having made such inquisition to recognize the bodies, and having stated the cause of death of each one separately, further state, that we find the mob consisted of people of all nationalities as they live in Los Angeles, and find that we have sufficient evidence to accuse the following persons as having taken part in the destruction of the lives of property of the Chinamen, to wit:

[Here follows a list of persons, some of whom are in custody, and others at large, which we at present withhold so as not to defeat the ends of justice.]

And we further direct the attention of the Grand Jury to the reported testimony in which they will find many names of such persons who seemed to have encouraged the mob by their sympathy with them in the expressions, amongst them.

[Here follow the names of the parties thus referred, with the names of the jurors attached, as published in our first day's proceedings.]

In addition to the murders, the Chinese suffered great financial loss. It was estimated that between and $14,000 and $30,000 in gold and currency was taken during the riot. Clothing, blankets, and other necessities were stolen. And the Coronel Adobe was uninhabitable for some period afterward.

Criticism was leveled against law enforcement for their lack of action, and their inability to identify participants in the riot. There were even accusations that officers were complicit in starting the riot. One City Council member named Osborne claimed that he had been informed that some of the police officers, including the Marshal, offered bribes to men to induce them to riot. And during the trial of “Curley” Crenshaw, it was insinuated that George Gard, Emil Harris, and Charles Beatty stole money from the one of the Chinese stores and bribed Louis Mendell to remain quite. It was well known that following the assassination attempt on October 23, officers visited a Chinese storekeeper in Negro Alley to verify he had the means to post bonds for the accused men. The storekeeper displayed $3,000 in gold to the officers.

On October 25^th, the day after the riot, the proprietors of the Griffith, Lynch and Company lumber yard, where five of the men were hanged, tore down the large beams that were used as a makeshift gallows.

Antonio F. Coronel filed a lawsuit against the city for damages to the his building. He alleged damages of $5,000 were sustained during the riot. Coronel had plans, as far back as October 1870, to replace the old Adobe with a new three-story brick building. And the last county assessment valued the building at $1,500. The Daily Star suggested the amount of the lawsuit was excessive, which sparked a response from a reader named “El Uja” who suggested the city should sue Coronel for $100,000 for allowing his building to be used for prostitution, and “commencing and perpetrating a nuisance which has now involved the city in the loss of character abroad also direct monied interests.” The city would eventually take a bulk of the property for the purpose of extending Los Angeles Street.

The Grand Jury met for nearly a month and concluded in early December. A notable decision of the Grand Jury was to order Yo Hing discharged from custody. Tong Yu, the widow of Gene Tong, had filed a complaint charging Yo Hing with inciting and participating in the riot. But the Grand Jury failed to find enough evidence to justify a prosecution.

Shortly before any of the trials began, District Judge Murray Morrison fell ill with a severe case of erysipelas in the face that spread to his brain. He passed away December 18. Robert M. Widney was appointed to complete Morrison's term. Widney had been one of the leaders of the vigilance committee that hanged Michel Lachenais in 1870. And he was one of the men responsible for saving Chinese lives during the riot.

The first trial was People vs. Richard Kerren. Kerren was accused of assault with a deadly weapon. Benjamin McLaughlin had testified during the trial that he saw Officer Kerren, and a crowd of others, fire at an open doorway of the Coronel building where two Chinese women were standing. One woman was wounded. Kerren’s trial concluded on January 6. He was found not guilty of the first charge, and the second charge was dismissed by the District Attorney, on the grounds that it would be impossible to obtain a conviction.

The next trial was People vs. David Thompson. Thompson was never mentioned during the Coroner’s Inquest, but was arrested for burglary after the Episcopal Church was robbed in December. Thompson stole the donations made by the children of the Sabbath School that were intended for their annual Christmas celebration. After Thompson's arrest, it was discovered that he had stolen a watch from one of the bodies hanged in front of Goller’s shop. He had given the watch to the landlady of a boarding house as security for board and lodging. Thompson was found guilty, and sentenced to six years imprisonment in the State prison. Thompson had been brought to Los Angeles from Anaheim in June of 1871 to stand trial for arson. He was accused of burning down the the Planters Hotel in Anaheim.

People vs. Ah Shaw et al was held during February. The defense asked for the trial against Ah Shaw be set aside due to the defendant being served with a second indictment. The trial commenced against Qong Wan and Ah Ying. Ah Ying was tried In Absentia, having failed to appear. There were six witnesses that gave testimony in the trial, including Bilderrain, Sanchez, Ventura Lopez, and Ah Ling. Ah Ling had been the man who identified Qong Wan to police as the man who shot Ah Choy. But duing the trial, Ah Ling admitted that he never saw the suspects with pistols, and was told to identify the suspects to police. He did not recall who gave him the instructions. The District Attorney acknowledged his failure to establish a case, and Judge Widney instructed the Jury to render a verdict of not guilty. Ah Shaw was remanded and scheduled to appear the following day.

People vs. Crenshaw started on February 16. A. L. “Curley” Crenshaw was a 22 year old born in Illinois, who had been in Los Angeles less than a year. He worked as a teamster and groomsman in Bowman’s stable. A jury was impaneled from a single venire, however, prospective jurors were questioned about membership in, or sympathy with, vigilance committees, and whether or not they had already formed an opinion about the case. The trial lasted two days. “Curley” Crenshaw was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to three years in the state penitentiary. The most relevant testimony came from Benjamin McLaughlin who overheard Crenshaw bragging that he killed three Chinese.

People vs. Mendell et al. started next. The process of impaneling a jury started February 21, but before a jury could be seated, the defense proposed joining Moody, Mendel, Martinez, Johnson, Austin, McDonald, Botello, Celis and Scott, into one trial, with the possibility of adding Alvarado. J. G. Scott was discharged before the trial began. It took until March 16 to impanel 12 jurors. Venires totaling two hundred and fifty-five prospective jurors were exhausted due to the number of people who had formed an opinion or were sympathetic to vigilance committees. Witness examination started on March 18, and the trial concluded at 2 A.M. on March 27. News coverage of the trial was almost nonexistent.The verdicts were:

• Alvarado, Esteban, guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to four years
• Austin, Charles, guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to five years
• Botello, Refugio, guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to two years
• Celis, Adolf, acuitted
• Johnson, A. R., guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to six years
• Martinez, Jesus, guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to four years
• McDonald, Patrick, guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to five years
• Mendel, Louis, guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to six years
• Moody, Dan, acquitted
• Scott, J. G., discharged

People vs. Sam Yuen was tried on November 18 and 19, and resulted in acquittal. Sam Yuen had been charged with the murder of Robert Thompson. News coverage was sparse. During Sam Yuen’s habeas corpus trial, Sanchez testified to Sam shooting at him from the inside the store. However, there must have been reasonable doubt as to Sam Yuen’s involvement in the affray. Sam Yuen previously published his side of the events in the Daily Star on October 31, 1871. In Sam’s words, Yo Hing instigated the events on October 24. “Yo Hing and three others of his party (Chinamen), as here related by Ah Choy, who stated that he was eating his evening meal at a back part of a house on the east side of Negro Alley and heard a fuss, went out to the front door; Yo Hing and three others were around with pistols, and one of them shot Ah Choy in the neck, of which wound he has since died.” This narrative seems suspicious considering the East side of Negro alley was where Yo Hing's company was situated, and it seems unlikely Won Choy would risk being in that vicinity following the attempt to murder Yo Hing the day before.

The Wing Chung company filed a claim against the city for losses amounting to $6,530.34. The City Council referred the claim to a special committee that likely denied the claim. Wing Chung Company then filed a lawsuit for $5,000, which concluded June 5, 1872 in favor of the city. The Daily News reported, “It transpired during the examination that one of the plaintiffs -- Sam Yuen -- was one of the most prominent actors in the broil which brought on the riot that resulted in the destruction of property for which damages were claimed.”

There were several other cases listed in news coverage, but no outcomes were ever reported. At least none that I found:

• Wong Lick vs. Wing Chung Co.
• Fong Yuen Sing et al. vs. Los Angeles city; trial was held June 3, 1872 in the District Court.
• People vs. Yo Duc

On August 6, 1872 the Daily news reported:

Monday, August 5. -- The following cases were passed informally until next October:

People vs J. G. Scott; People vs. Ramon Dominguez; People vs. Victor Kelly; People vs. Ambrosio Ruiz; People vs Sam Yuen; People vs Cyrus Sanford.

People vs. Edmond Crawford; application for change of venire passed informally until District Attorney file affidavit of his views.

And then on December 24, 1873 the Los Angeles Daily start reported:

People vs. L. Crenshaw et als. -- The old Chinese riot cases – Motion of District Attorney, these cases were dismissed.

It should be noted that there were several heroes during the massacre. Men who risked their lives to save others.

• Ed Roberts cut down one of the men hanging in front of Goller’s front door. According to testimony from Frank Leonard: “afterwards went to Goller's; saw Ed. Roberts with a hatchet cut down the hanging Chinaman before Mr. Goler's (sic) door.” This act was also mentioned in the Daily Star: “One Chinaman was cut down, and his life saved when nearly extinct.”
• Officer Billy Sands is credited with saving four lives. Edward Wright testified: “Billy Sands a policeman, stopped them from hanging two or three and said if three or four would go with him he would stop the hanging.” Sands rescued a man from Johnson and took Johnson’s pistol; one of several that Johnson had that night. According to his own testimony he “testified that he recognized that man - Antoine Silva as a man from whom I rescued a Chinaman at the foot of Commercial on Los Angeles street; he was alone at the time; I took a pistol from the hands of Johnson the shoemaker; I took it from him because he handled is as any crazy man would do. Rescued four Chinamen from that mob that night but do not remember who they were, I rescued the Chinaman from Antoine because he was shouting "Hang him" and was dragging him towards the place where they were hanging.”
• John Lazzarovich, Robert Widney, Walter Widney, and Walter White saved at least four men. Robert Widney testified to attempting to stop the hangings at the Corral, but was unarmed at the time and helpless against the crowds. But after Walter Widney brought his gun, they were able to confront the next wave of lynchers: “I then returned; when we got to the corner of Temple and Spring streets, we saw two or three groups coming with Chinamen; John Lazzarovich, I and others were standing together; John said he would help, and he and I took hold of a Chinaman, and pulled to get him away; my brother came up, and I got my pistol from him; the Irishman I before alluded to was one of the parties; I took hold of and jerked him back, put my pistol to his face, and told him he couldn’t do any more hanging, that the rest of the Chinamen must go to jail; the others were threatening Lazzarovich; I stepped between them, put my pistol up, and stopped them; another crowd were then trying to take one up Temple street; it was only by leveling my pistol that we could save the Chinaman, got him off and sent him down Spring street to jail; they made two attempts to recover him, but failed; we sent up four, all we met from that time on.”
• Henry Hazard attempted to remonstrate with the crowd at Goller’s and almost got killed as a result. Later he persuaded Ramon Dominguez to release a man who was likely headed to the gallows.
• Jacob Cox removed a wounded man from the Coronel Adobe and provided the man aid with the assistance of Charles Avery. Together, they protected the man from others who wanted to kill him.
• S. C. Foy assisted in escorting Chinese to the jail. But he also had several men safely in his house.
• There were several others who helped escort the Chinese to safety, and others that provided shelter in their homes. The Daily Star reported, “About sixty sought refuge in the house of a citizen on Main street and smaller squads at different houses in the southern portion of the city.”

The conflict between the Chinese was not over. In February 1872, the Daily Star reported an attempt to kill Sing Lee:

TROUBLE IN CHINATOWN. -- An unsuccessful attempt was made to rob and murder a Chinaman, named Sing Lee, a few nights since, by a party of some three or four other Chinamen, who have repeatedly attacked his house. On Tuesday last, another call was made by these depredators, who tried to smash in the door with large rocks. Failing in this, they went around through an Alley and tried to burst in a door on that side of the house. Discovering that the house was too securely locked to admit of their effecting an entrance, they became angry, and cursed in English as a disguise, shot through the door, the ball penetrating a water bucket, within few inches of the face of the wife of Sing Lee, who they are probably after. Officer Bilderrain has been on the watch for the last two nights, but has not seen any of the rascals.

 

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