A CELESTIAL VENDETTA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2100, 21 September 1885, Page 2

A CELESTIAL VENDETTA.

It appears that Lou Johnstm, the Chinaman who wa3 recently murdered, s'ays&it correspondent of the" New York ■ was a detective in tlie employ of the city, and his death was the result of jealousy on the part of certain persons whom he had betrayed. Tiio murder was caused by a factional war which has been waged in St. Louis for some time past between tho Cantonese and Hong-Kongites, the two parties into which all the Chinese in St. Louis are divided. The Hong-Kongites number about 300 and the Cantonese 350. All was peaceful here until Joe Gong started a gambling-house, and commenced a systematic fleecing of the Cantonese, The latter society found their numbers becoming demoralised, and they sent to Denver for Lou Johnson, one of their clan. He went into Joe Gong's gamblinghouse and caused it to be raided and th'a players fined. Joe then put up a job on Johnson and accused him and some of his associates with obtaining money by threats. An examination of the charge convinced Judge Noonan that there was no truth in the matter, and Johnson was released. Joe continued to run his game, and Johnson kept up the proseci)ti«jL against him, and Joo is said to threatened to import a Chinese desperada from San Francisco and have Johnson killed. Johnson heard of this and had Joe arrested and put under bond to keejj ' tho peace. Joo Gong was also arrested under tho felony charge of setting up a gambling-house, and the case was set fo hearing in the Court of Correction. Johnson was the principal witness for the State, and it was necessary to have him out of the way, Six Chinese cigarmakers of the Cantonese Society live at the house where the murder was committed. They went to work one morning together. One who was not feeling well remained behind a few minutes, and before leaving, walked into Johnson's room, and handed him the key of thf) front door, and requested him to Jack it when he went out, Johnson had an appointment with Joseph C. Baptise, the Official Chinese interpreter of New Ifork City, who had been trying to arrange matters here, and as Johnston did not keep the appointment, Baptiste went in search of him, and about noon looked into his room, but found it empty. Johnson's friends became alarmed, and bro]JA in the door of his room, and on * ing his couch found it saturated with * blood and covered with a straw ■ matting. A pool of blood was discovered under the' bed, and a crimson trail extended to & door leading to an attic stairway. On opening this door the assembled Qhina-> men were horrified to find the mutilated body of Lou Johnson standing on a step with a stairway partition partly supporting it, The face was covered with bloody paper, and the head of the corpse was thrust into a pail half filled with rice, jilie whole a token of deadly Chinese hatred and revenge, four large wounds were discovered in tho neck, the right lung protruded through a terrible gash made by a diamond-shaped knife. The right arm was almost severed from the body by a Blash, and the left side had two deep stabs, There were seven wounds on the body, any one of which would have been fatal. There was nothing but the underclothing on the body, and as his clothing was thrown into the closet, it is evident - , that ho was assaulted while lying in: bed. The police arrested Joe and a dozen of his companions. . I;.,- . :