绿帽换妻

October 18, 1879

The Chinese

During the last year the Chinese have poured into the already Chinese-full town of San Leandro, faster than at any other time. Chinese houses have been packed to their utmost, and finally, a house belonging to David Moyes, was rented and not unlike the rest, turned into an opium and gambling den. Their favorite game tan is played until the early hours of the morning, and opium smoked until the smoke can be seen coming out of the cracks as it the hourse was on fire. We understand that there is a young man of good social standing, of our town, who nightly visits this house of corruption, and smokes opium until he is thrown into a deathlike stupor. If this is so, and we have good proofs that it is, it would be a blessing to San Leandro to raze this house, and thus clear our beautiful town of one of the greatest pests on earth--a leprous opium den. Someone, seeing this great blast, and the final prospects, if this den is allowed to remain, and not knowing how to act, on Saturday night, the 27th ult., battered the door of this opium hole with stones, and put the occupants to rout. After a while they returned and continued their debauchery, and was again assailed, this time by more than one, and with bricks; the volley carried away one of the window sashes, glass and all, and more than one of the meek eyed Celestials was struck by a flying brick; this time the opium eaters ran off and did not come back again that night. The next night the house was again packed, and was again assaulted, this time the missiles tore away the upper part of the door, and the window. Again the house was cleared, but kept up the games unmolested until Sunday last. This time a little more force was used: pistols being brought into requisition, and several pistol bullets piercing the house, one or two nearly proving destructive. Since this little bombardment, the house has been almost empty, and when there is any one in the lights are all out. As in all lawabiding places measures were taken to bring the culprits to light, which resulted in the arrest of an innocent party, and which positive evidence showed that he was in bed long before anything which lead to any kind of a raid on this den, or any other was spoken or thought of. the warrant was drawn up by Justice Hodgkins, calling for John Doe, Richard Roe and Wm. Dunn. we do not know why it was Mr. Sherley arrested Lars Bagge, taking him from his work on his charge, which we believe, there was nothing even insinuated that Bagge was on the street or within a hundred miles of the place. Bagge was arrested Monday afternoon but not lodged in jail, and the trial set for 10 o'clock Tuesday morning. Witnesses were supoenaed and promptly at the appointed time the defendant, with his attorney, Mr., Wm. Bagge, made his appearance. Mr. R. B. Moyes acted as attorney for David Moyes, the plaintiff. The witnesses were brought in seperately, and after testifying took their seats in the courtroom.

The testimony of a number of men who were on the street at various hours of the night went to show that Bagge went home about 8 o'clock and was not on the street again that night., and that another man, a stranger was seen with a revolver and saw it discharged, but did not know in what direction it was shot.

We don't see why this case was not worked up a little and put on the right track, on one that had some foundation and let innocent parties alone.

Wherever these Chinese dens are their neighbors, who live in tenement houses, soon move away to get rid of the sickening stench which issues from these places. If we are to be troubled with these pests why not have them put off to one side in a "Chinatown", like all other well regulated towns and cities ahve and leave them to wallow in their filth alone, and not give decent people the beneft of these horrible stenches? We appeal to the Honorable Board of Trustees of our town to remedy this nuisance and give us a "Chinatown".