Analysis

History is made up of facts, inference and embellishments. I rely on inference to add details to the events, and I avoid adding embellishments.  

An inference is a conclusion derived from facts. An example of inference is when a witness states they were standing at the corner of Caswell and Ellis and saw a door open in the Coronel building. We know the location of Caswell and Ellis's store; it was in the Arcadia Building on the West side of Los Angeles Street. So it can be inferred that the door in question was facing Arcadia street, and not Negro alley. The Negro alley face of the building would not have been visible from Caswell and Ellis. 

An embellishment, is like an inference, but it is derived through supposition and speculation. An example of embellishment is when a historian states that Bilderrain was drinking whisky when the shooting started. This is not supported by any testimony or reporting from that period. Bilderrain testified to being at Higby's Saloon. But he also stated he was on his horse speaking with Sanchez at that moment.

I use inference to connect multiple names to a single woman who was central to multiple events that led to the tragedy on October 24, 1871. Pin Yin did not exist until the 1950s, so the orthography of Chinese names in 19^th century Los Angeles newspapers relied on each reporter to convert Chinese phonemes to the closest Indo-European approximation. There were many occasions where one person was referred to by multiple spellings. And even occasions where individuals were referred to by different names, within the same article.

On August 26, 1870, both papers report on an incident involving a missing girl. The Daily News named the girl, Sing Yu, and the Daily Star named the girl Sing You. Then on October 16, the Daily News reported the girl has gone missing, again:

The China girl, about which the representatives of the Flowery Kingdom were in a state of excitement some time ago, she having mysteriously disappeared, taking with her valuable jewelry, disappeared again Friday night, taking with her sixty dollars in coin and jewelry to the amount of one hundred and fifty dollars, for which a complaint has been made against her for grand larceny, and a warrant issued for her arrest by Justice Gray. Her departure, as on the former occasion, created considerable excitement among the celestials, who are making extraordinary exertions for her recovery.

The same issue has an advertisement, paid for by Sing Lee, offering a reward for the return of Lon You:

$100 REWARD WILL BE PAID BY the undersigned for the arrest and delivery to the Sheriff of this county of a small Chinese woman named Lon You. Had on when last seen a black Chinese coat with gold buttons, is full faced and about twenty years old

Considering the only report of a missing girl in the Daily News had been Sing Yu, it would be safe to infer Lon You is Sing Yu. 

Then on November 1, a story broke about a girl who was abducted and taken to Ventura by way of Anaheim. The Daily News published her name as Lon You, while the Daily Star reported her name as Sing Lo. This is the same girl that was recovered by Marshal Warren, and was present when Warren was shot by Joseph Dye. The same woman was released from jail on November 5, according to the Daily News. The San Bernardino torture event occurred three days later, on November 8. None of the reports offered the name of the girl tortured. 

On December 10, the Daily News reported that Sing Yu filed a complaint against Lee Woo who stole $160 in Jewelry and then departed to Anaheim. This complaint was likely related to the events of October 16. And then on December 22, the Carriage Incident occurred. The Daily News named that girl Lin You, but then connected her to previous arrests:

The woman arrested in this city on Thursday evening, has been several times arrested in a similar manner, and her possession as often changed from one company to that of another, through the instrumentality of the law.

And later the Daily News named the girl Lin You, but connected her to the Sing Yu who filed a complaint against Lee Woo:

The only case of interest before Justice Gray was that of Lee Woo, a "heathen Chinee," charged with grand larceny, which was continued until Monday next at 12 o'clock P.M. The prosecuting witness in this case is Miss Lin You, the girl that has figured several times in court, and it is said has been kidnapped more than once by rival dealers in prostitution. Several days ago the hearing of the case was set down for yesterday, with the understanding that the parties would be ready for trial. In the meantime the defendant, in connection with others who were ambitions (sic) to become possessed of the charms and person of the fair, but frail Lin You, sent an emissary to Santa Barbara, and lodged a complaint against the unsuspecting moon-eyed beauty, who was arrested in this city Thursday evening, and hurried off to Santa Barbara, to answer to a charge of grand larceny. How could she have stolen any thing in that county from any one but the jailer, is a mystery, as the only time she was ever there was when she fled from here, and was arrested by the officers of that county the moment she came within their jurisdiction, and lodged in jail until her return here in the custody of the law. The arrest, however, served two purposes, it gave the rival company possession and control of the girl Lin You, and prevented her from appearing this morning as a prosecuting witness against Lee Woo, and should prove to the satisfaction of the most skeptical that the "heathen Chinee" is not only adept at villainy, but that he knows how to make the laws and law officers serve him in the commission of crime.

The connection between the girl involved in the October 16 incident, and the girl involved in the December 22 incident, is further reinforced after the Chinese Massacre by Councilman George Fall in his testimony during the Coroner’s Inquest as reported in the Daily Star:

I was in my office, after dinner, with Mr. Stewart when I heard the. firing, went to the corner and met a party, leading up Bob Thompson and another with Bilderrain; I remarked they shot into my carriage team, last year, they killed a horse and shot a Chinaman through the side; this I said to Stewart; it was the same woman that caused the death of Warren, and this thing must be stopped; threw the brick at Yo Hing for the reason that last December a deputy sheriff came down from Santa Barbara with a warrant and an order for me to furnish private transportation as far as the Eight Mile House; I let him have my carriage team; after the arrest had been made and the parties were in the carriage, Yo Hing smashed in the front of the carriage; they fired two shots into the carriage; shot a Chinaman inside in the back, and killed a horse; Jake Metzker was driving; the horse died about a mile and & half from town.

And finally, there was a comment published by Sam Yuen in the Daily Star that named the girl in San Bernardino, Sing Ye:

Thus it will be seen that this same brave fellow Yo Hing now dreads that his life will be taken by those whom he has hunted and injured. The same prime defender of many villainies, together of those who tortured and burned the woman Sing Ye, at San Bernardino, last fall.

The 1870 census listed 17 Chinese residents in San Branardino, all of whom were men.

And lastly, although this connection is speculative, there is a suicide reported in the Daily Star on February 25, 1871. The Daily Star named the girl Sing Hi, which could have been juvenile play on words.  They previously referred in Sing Yu as Sing Lo on November 1, 1870:

SUICIDE. -- Sing Hi, a wee-footed and almond-eyed daughter of the sun and moon, whose small feet have gone astray from those paths of virtue which lead to happiness in celestial regions, and fallen into the mundane ways of Los Angeles -- which lead no where in particular -- some four moons ago became infatuated with a dashing young Chinese "blood," who, with a want of appreciation not very heavenly, refused to return love for love. Finding that all her woman's art was insufficient to make an impression upon the heart of him she loved, she determined to "shuffle off this mortal coil," and reascend to the "Hi" estate from which she had fallen. With this end in view, she procured from some apothecary, and swallowed, about half an ounce of opium; and "the coroner's Jury returned a verdict in accordance with the above facts.

Discrepancies

It’s beneficial having multiple primary sources to use for research. There were occasions when The Daily News and the Daily star reported on the same event, and one paper included crucial details the other neglected. But there were also the occasions when the papers contradicted one another. During the Coroner’s Inquest, General Baldwin stated that John D. Hicks translated his speech from Spanish to English:

Daily News:

"Hicks translated my words ironically."

Daily Star:

"...a man named Hicks interpreted my remarks, deservedly, I thought, into English"

We also can’t tell where Marshal Baker was at the beginning of the affray:

Daily News:

Marshal Baker stated that while standing at the corner of Main and Commercial streets, he heard shooting.

Daily Star:

Frank Baker, City Marshal, sworn-- I was at the corner of Los Angeles and Requena streets; heard some shoots and ran to the place

And there was a contradiction in the skin complexion of one of the men looking for rope at Burdick's store:

Daily News:

W. F. Macdonald sworn, testified to being a clerk in Burdick's store; ... a man asked me for a rope; ... a man who asked for a rope was tall, slim, light complexioned, about 26 years of age; should judge him to be a Mexican; might recognize the man again.

Daily Star:

W. F. McDonald, sworn -- Am a clerk at Burdick's store; ... I was standing in the door; a party came up and asked me for a rope; ... couldn’t recognize the man who asked for a rope; he was tall, slender, and dark-complexioned; should judge he was twenty-six or twenty-seven years of age; it is possible that I could recognize him; think he was a Mexican; spoke with a foreign accent; not German.

Sometimes there were gross inaccuracies in the news. On the day following the massacre, it was reported that Ah Choy was at the Coronel Adobe firing at onlookers. But Ah Choy was at the Beaudry building, mortally wounded.

Daily Star:

Two others, one of whom is said to have been, identified as Ah Choy, stood on the porch in front of Coronel Block, and emptied their pistols at the crowd, which attracted by the firing had assembled on Los Angeles and Arcadia streets.

Various names for the same locations

People frequently refer to landmarks when describing the location of events. Many times a name of a business is given. The city was growing so rapidly, new buildings were being constructed, and business were frequently moving to newer or larger locations. People had a tendency to refer to a locale by a previous owner instead of the current owner. The Griffith, Lynch and Company Lumber Yard is frequently referred to as Tomlinson’s Corral, as well as Heller’s. A few weeks before the massacre, C. C. Higby sold his saloon to Thomas Gates, but people continued to refer to it as Higby’s.

The indicted

Out of the 150 names that were listed in the indictments, only a handful of men were prosecuted. Many of the men who were prosecuted were identified due to unique traits, or because they were familiar to the public.

Charles Austin was identified in part due to his peculiar lisp, and the fact that several people recognized him as a teamster. He was also familiar, to at least one of the Justices, owning to a complaint he filed in May. He was assaulted by a ship mate while working on a schooner called the Melancthon.

Refugio Botello was a native of Mexico who was naturalized in November 1870. He ran, unsuccessfully, for the office of County Assessor the summer before the riot.

Adolph Celis was previously convicted of Manslaughter. On March 9, 1870 Celis killed a French man named Jules Fermain at the ranch of Henrigue Abila in Comptonville. A vigilance committee was assembled and prepared to break into the jail and hang Celis. But Sheriff Burns barricaded the jail and armed a posse. He then met with the vigilance committee and persuaded them to abandon their plans. Celis was sentenced to a term in San Quentin and was incarcerated only a short time before being pardoned by Governor Downey.

Edward Crawford was previously arrested in May for stealing $13.50 in gold. And He was also arrested for assaulting a boy in the street on September 12. His name appeared once in what appears to be Gaelic spelling; Mobmorency Craughfurd. He was a bootblack, and was likely a regular fixture on the street.

Patrick McDonald was charged with assaulting Peze Adolphe’s wife in June.

Louis Mendell was acquitted of Grand Larceny just one month before the massacre. He had been hung three times by the neck to coerce a confession. The Jury was never told about the method used to induce his confession.

Andres Soeur was charged with Grand Larceny, accused of stealing a gold watch at the beginning of October.

Jesus Martinez was recognized by several witnesses because he was the sexton at the Catholic Cemetery.

And the most recognized was A. R. Johnson. Numerous witnesses heard and saw Johnson flourishing a pistol, and speaking loudly. At least two guns were confiscated from him on the night of the massacre. Johnson was was a large man who spoke with an Irish accent. 

Time Line

The sequence of events can be deduced from the available reporting, but the exact times are difficult to discern. Conflicting times are mentioned during testimony. Some testimony mentioned the Affray started between 4:30 and 5:00 P. M.; while other testimony indicates it started between 5:30 and 6 P. M. I’ve based the timeline below on the times mentioned the most frequently:

• Monday October 23:
• 09:00 Won Choy and Yu Tak attempt to kill Yo Hing
• Tuesday October 24:
• 14:00 Hearing before Justice Gray
• 16:30 – 17:00 Initial Affray (lasted about 5 minutes)
  
• 18:00 Ah Wing Hung taken from Harris and hanged
• 20:00 Ah Cut shot
• 21:00 Coronel Adobe broken into and lynchings occur in two places.
  
• 21:20 Sheriff Burns addressed the crowd and the riot was over.

 
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