The Chinese Massacre of 1871
The illegal battling of two different Factions led by Chinese leaders, Yo Hing and Sam Yeun, started off the conflict that resulted in death and destruction, on the night of October 24, 1871. The reason of the conflict was a Chinese woman named Ya Hit, worth about 2500 dollars to these companies or factions. She had run away from Yo Hing's faction, and by certain actions was repossessed by the opposite faction led by Sam Yeun. In order to obtain possession of this woman, Ya Hit, Yo Hing went to court, charging Ya Hit with larceny of Jewelry. However, when she was convicted, Sam Yeun's company bailed out Yah Hit to gain possession of her.
Yo Hing was a merchant with a wide reputation, and he was also well versed in the arts of underground and illegal profiting. In order for his faction to regain Ya Hit, he secretly persuaded her to marry him, so that he had lawful proprietorship over her. After they lost Ya Hit, The rival company of Sam Yeun offered a deal of 1000 dollars for the scalp of Yo Hing. On the Monday morning of October 23, 1871, at 9:30, shots were fired at Yo Hing from an alley known as "Nigger Alley." Upon returning to Chinatown, the two factions prepared for a open conflict later that week. Then, at 5;30 pm on Tuesday, October 24th, A police officer known as Bilderrain approached the fighting area. When he could not stop the factions from fighting, he called for help and two officers named Sanchez and Sepulveda were sent to help. Eventually a crowd started to gather, and when they were told to leave, they refused, and one man even fired a gun at the rest of the crowd. Another officer, Robert Thompson, arrived later but was shot and taken to Wollweber's drug store where he died. After a few more rounds, Bilderrain was shot in the shoulder, a man named Joe was shot in the hip, and a boy named Jose Mendible was shot in the leg. The Chinese companies that were preparing to fight each other fled to an adobe building where they barricaded the doors and windows to fight. Eventually, the news of the conflict spread throughout the city, and many angry people surrounded the building in an attempt to get the Chinese out. A few Chinamen tried to escape, one being shot down and one grabbed and then hanged. By now the crowd had turned into a mob, and while guards were posted around parts of the building, a separate part of the mob smashed into the building and dragged out eight scared Chinamen. These eight men were then kicked and beaten before being hung from a wagon. Still continuing, the mob ransacked the majority of Chinese |
|