Chinese Slaves in California.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3312, 2 August 1879, Page 1

Chinese Slaves in California.

\A. case was developed ia a' dan. Francis-' co police court, a few days ago, t which, presents some startling pictures Jor ihe^ social life of the Chinese. The 'Case wag against Lee Cheun Kay, arrested oWa charge of battery, alleged ttt J bave-beeii! committed Upon Ah Sin,'a Chinese maiden!; about'twenty years bid." ' Aro'seeaj^nj;-^ attorney Flood desired to show the -'map- '^ ncr in which the'Chin'epe. of 'jjhafc, pify jC every day , commit , outrageous .felqnies;; and questioned the complainant with that' purpose. Ah Sin's testimony, as trans*., lated in Court, was substantially .as, fot» lows :' I have been'iri this" afttrat nine years. I was brought here from China by an old woman known as the •Gray headed Old Lady.; She-botaght me in' China ' for some 'over 'twemyn dollars. I stayed with the ' GTdshiuss&* Old Lady' for about a.month, another girl being with me under similar condi* {ions? when we were both sold, rI? waif bought byDr Li Po Tai for something from 20 dollars to 40 dollars. ,■ Written were cheap then, and I did not fetch mtich. I lived with- the doctor for a "ftKort time only, his wife saying I.was of no account. Li Pb'Tai owed'a man named Loo Fook some'money,, and I was given to him in part payment of the ii^bt,, I do not Know how much I was Vaff(ed at then. I'Was afterwards'transferred'to one Lee Choy, who said, he intended making a cqurtezan of me. il was then between, eleven and twelve, years, old. n One, night I went out jritb, Lw Choy, % and we met a man who saw I^wm yb«ng;,l and goodlooking, and he begin to joke^ about mfr, and wanted to know if I -wait h for sale. I was finally sold to him for** about 100 dollars. His name was Lee Fong Muhgl T lived with him about thTree^ or four years, and he sold me to Lee Cheun Kay for 160 dollars: „1. lived with him both as servant and wife.* I don't know that.he. had any other wives then.; I - have lived at; two, differ«nt,wa»>h>pjie» , during,thejast. fr»n> mn^t]f llt Mjfag as snr . jant for the men there. I haven't lived with Lee Cheuri as hisi wlfi for about two years' I have-Motived no pay for - - labour in the wash house, and,- worse than that,:have, been whipped a number of times. My clothing for the lait twelve months haß heen furnished by Uie proprietors of the wash-houses, bat now that Ir'have left them they want the elothei^ back again. .When I lived in one of !th% ~ . wash- houses in Ninth street, I had ,to>: ; sleep<ih.a sort of stable in the rear of the house. I wanted Lee Chun to bring'me 'to live in the main part of $h»i city, ..where t^ere might be a.tjrpmaiy with me, and he finally did so, jtaking ,ni^. lio a place on Third .street., ; ,J as^^iniA under wliat conditions I was to go there. ; , He said as a servant, but he]intended to go tjo 1 Grass, Valley soonanditartabuteher- ' shop. He went to,the mountains and re* turned, ordering me to get.ready to go withjtjim to the mountains.,,! was sick,,, and,; asked^ for J some, nratie^', : but ".'he ' wouldn't give me any, and^aoeused.m'e';^ pretending, to. be sick.'s £ map'.<frpm, ■' Ninth street was'hhouse came to m.c.and wanted' me ,to «p and liv 9 with him, nflying^ r that if Lee Chun didn't nell me then he jWpuld do so soon, and arrangements foe' 1? my sale were then being made.) I after* wards overheard a conversation mr an adjoining room, my sale ■ being arranged by Lee Cheun and another' man,; ir/ho „ was to pay 750 dollars for .'m'e:''That' 1 man's :name was Wong. Lee Cheun wanted him to deposit. 200 dollars' for me. Lee Cheun wanted me to go back to Ninth street with him, I, refused,; , and he threatened to get- a, policeman and make me go. Just aftec, the^ Chinese New Year I was called upon by Hee Fong Mung, who advised me to go. I was then taken to'a-house on California street, where I stayed- a few days,and nights. -Lee Cheun then wanted me to go. to the mountains with him, but^lv wouldn't consent, and he struck me' with(^ the handle.'.of-a.feather duster. I then: told him I would go back to Lee Fongl" Mung, and he said he would not let in*! do so. I ran out into the'street. and he! followed mej when I was arrested. ;