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Chinese Laundryman Was Killed After Refusing to Leave Camp

Date:June 1, 1896
Location:Quigley, Montana
Event Type:Lynching
Victim Names:Sam Hing, Big Hank, Yank, Hing Ah
Victim Gender:Male
No. of Victims:1
Accusation:Opened a laundry
Killing Method:Gunshot
Occupation:Proprietor
Compiled By:Nicholas Mason; Kevin Hegg

Narrative

In June 1896, white miners in Quigley targeted a Chinese laundryman who refused repeated demands to leave camp. Newspapers variously called him Big Hank, Sam Hing, Hing Ah, or “Yank,” and differed on the exact manner of death: some said masked men beat him with clubs, others that he was shot after an attempted arson attack on his cabin. The Princeton Union was particularly graphic in its report: the victim’s “head [was] beaten to a jelly with clubs” by the mob. But all reports linked the killing to efforts to drive him and any future Chinese arrivals out of Quigley. The murder formed part of a purge-era campaign to eliminate Chinese labor and business from the mining camp.

Related Newspaper Article(s)

Killed by a Mob

The Helena Independent (Helena, Montana)

June 1, 1896 (Page 1)

Special to The Independent (June 1): reports from Quigley say “Big Hank,” a Chinese laundryman, was beaten to death by a masked mob; earlier attempts to expel him had failed, despite prior intervention and firings.

An Inoffensive Chinaman Murdered by a Mob

The Princeton Union (Oroville, California)

June 3, 1896 (Page 3)

In Quigley, Montana, masked miners clubbed laundryman “Big Hank” to death after weeks of failed intimidation; earlier, Ed Moore defended him with a rifle, and the mine superintendent had fired ringleaders, but anti-Chinese hostility persisted.

Killed by a Mob

The Princeton Union (Princeton, Minnesota)

June 4, 1896 (Page 3)

Masked miners at Quigley, MT bludgeon “Big Hank” to death with clubs after weeks of threats to drive him from camp; his skull is “beaten to a jelly.”

A Chinaman Murdered

The Philipsburg Mail (Philipsburg, Montana)

June 4, 1896 (Page 4)

Quigley: Sam Hing (“Yank”) was shot dead after assailants apparently tried to burn his dwelling to draw him out. Prior threats to leave camp are noted; inquest found no suspects.

A Most Brutal Murder

Rock Creek Record (Quigley, Montana)

June 6, 1896 (Page 1)

Quigley, MT: Chinese laundryman Sam Hing (“Yank”) was found dead near his laundry; signs of attempted arson were present. An inquest found a fatal gunshot to the head; jury ruled death by unknown person(s).

Killed by Arrant Cowards

Bonners Ferry Hearld (Bonners Ferry, Idaho)

June 6, 1896 (Page 6)

From Missoula (June 1): at Quigly, Wong Ying (“Yank”) was shot dead—report says arson was attempted to draw him out. He’d faced prior expulsion threats; inquest found no suspects.