October 24, 1871 – Los Angeles, California: Large Mob Massacred 18 or 19 Chinese Men

Telegrams report Los Angeles mobs hanging fifteen Chinese men on Oct. 24 1871, with more targeted until ropes run out. Authorities finally curb the violence as crowds disperse, leaving the city on edge after one of the deadliest anti-Chinese lynchings in U.S. history.

A Yorkville paper claims a Los Angeles mob of 500 armed whites hanged fifteen Chinese and besieged their quarter during an attempted arrest, vowing to expel the race; order returned only after heavy violence.

In Henderson Gulch, Montana, citizens hang a Chinese burglar who stole $300–$400 from a store after a “jury” vote of 19 to 18. The paper condemns the lynchers, insisting lawful courts are sufficient and summary executions must cease.

A detailed follow-up on Los Angeles’s 1871 massacre notes extensive looting of Chinese businesses (up to $20,000), mutilation of the eighteen hanged victims, and fears of renewed violence. Coroner and grand-jury inquiries proceed amid witness intimidation and rumors of vigilante instigators.

Eye-witness narrative of the 24 Oct 1871 Los Angeles massacre describes Negro Alley’s squalor, rival “Hop” and “Ah Chop” tongs, and a 3,000-strong mob that killed at least ten Chinese, hanged prisoners, burned shops, and looted goods.

Court testimony recounts Richard Crenshaw’s 1872 Los Angeles riot trial: witnesses describe mobs storming Chinatown, shots fired, rooftop fights, and attempted lynchings during the city’s infamous anti-Chinese violence.

Testimony at the Crenshaw lynching trial recounts the 24 Oct 1871 Los Angeles massacre: hundreds besieged the Coronel Building, shot Chinese on Los Angeles Street and Negro Alley, and hanged one victim at a gateway while up to ten others lay dead nearby.

Los Angeles 1871 massacre trial: witnesses recount mob of 200–300 that hanged Gene Tong and attacked Chinese quarter.