The Los Angeles Tragedy

An Eye Witness' Account of the Scene

Los Angeles, although boasting of being the city of the Queen of Angels, is cursed with a spot unwashed of crime and depravity, whose black valley, as San Francisco has in its Barbary coast and Chinatown. The negro alley is a small street connecting with the very business portion of the city. It is inhabited by a dense mass of degraded, one-storied shanties, built of adobe and wood, standing in striking contrast with its neighbors of brick and iron fronts. The street is crowded with workshops, the din and whirr of whose machinery are deafening. In this accursed spot, deserted by law and order, congregate the burglars, pickpockets and harlots of all nationalities, but more especially of the Mongolian persuasion. It is in these two-thirds of the buildings are occupied by Chinese, and into whose midst the Celestials are thrown by immigration. Scarcely a day passes without quarrels and disturbances between them. Outbreaks are uniform, and firearms are resorted to by the parties on more than one occasion. And such was the case on Monday last, when occurred the present tragedy we perform. The sheriff met the rival companions and had signs of concealed wounds, which, it is alleged, the one party—"the Hop Company"—had abducted from the other—the "Ah Chop Company" by the aid of "Mexican" fashion with "his own men," so to precipitate the general finally seated in the parish drawing pistols and firing. All escaping uninjured, although "Bling's" coat was perforated by the two balls fired at him. The parties were arrested, and the case came up before the Justice of the Peace for preliminary examination. The prisoners were called at 10 o'clock. The alley was long since pronounced unsafe. It is estimated that from $500,000 to $1,000,000 worth of goods exist in the midst of the most desperate neighborhood, and in the very heart of one of the most flourishing cities of the continent. While one party was in the office, with one officer, the other guard, sent off to summon a witness, left the alley unguarded. A shout arose. The mob rushed in. It is estimated that about 3,000 in less than ten minutes. The affray resulted in the death of at least seventeen, and the wounding of as many more. The worst passions were aroused. Among the slain were ten Chinamen. The crowd surged on. They burned buildings and sacked shops. Some of them, it is stated, were stripped and left naked. A Chinese boy was shot, cocked and placed against the wall. One of the excited mob endeavored to plunge his knife into the Chinaman’s back, striking the captor’s hand in its stead. When about two-thirds of the crowd were in sight, the mob, now maddened, were crying “Hang him! hang him!” “Take him from the house!” A rope was produced, and flung, knot and noose over the prisoner, and five men dragged him to the corner post, and hung him.