The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 8, 1902, Page 29

[ LS UCTPOUTUO NPT POt PUCTUUR | i ¢ + - > o + I ’ + + <+ 3 i - Nt pe [+ S ® +0 Qrestieee R R e e e S R e e e e ! Pages 2010 40 e asasaaass ad s o o e e e @rrrreres SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 1902. GOVERNOR GAGE PAROLES MAH NOON, A DESPERATE CHINESE WHO COMMITTED DELIBERATE CRIMES OF ASSAULT TO MURDER .. jAND INSTALLS HIGHBINDER IN HIS RANCH HOME AS A COOK HIS is the siory of the parole of Mah Noon. & gun and hatchet man in Chinatown. hand. Mah that ever fouxht shooting Mah years in | easier, the Chinese, San Quentin. But Mak Noon is a cook. dings, entrees and lollipops and loblolliex are works of art. palate what perfume is to the nose and coler and f‘orm to the eye. California is not an anchorite. ernor of who lingered and was also a cul His moups and salads, broils, roasts Mah Noon is a highbinder, and pander of the alleys He shot another Chinese murderously and fought police officers. who fell upon him while the smoking pistol was in his Noon holds the highbinder record. the police. He is the only In resisting arrest he shot Ofificer Tracy, and his izdictment for that crime still hangs over him and he may be “onvicted under it when he serves the sentence imposed upon him for many months and died of his wounds. Noon was tried for that crime, was convicted =nd When he was safe behind sentenced to the bars the police breathed for in the long list of highbinders who have made Chinatown bloody in the wars of the Tongs Mah Noon was the most vicious nnd desperate. They are to Visiting the prison he tasted the crea- covered. five one for it. questing his parole. fourteen opposed it. and pnd- bim os one of the most vicious and desperate criminals that ever lurked in the Chinatown. But he is the only cook in the State that suits the Governor. There The Gow. are white and black cooks, male and female, whe wounld be proud of ecmploy- ment in the kitchen of the Governor. tions of Mah Noon, and without inquiring what multitude The five policemen. nearly killed Had they been asked they would have Mah Noon's merits as o cook do not impress them. He says he is a friend of the union laborer of sins his paroled him and took him home to cook for his private table. about the only ease known where a parole has been issued without the prisouer or any peace officer or any one unofiicially interested in the benecficlary anking The case originates in a letter from the Governor himself to the Priron Directors, stating that Mah Noon was probably innocent of any erime and re- The Governor's request was granted. freedom and the Governor ot a cook that won't strike. There is no evidence that the act was for any other purpose except to serve the Governor's personal convenience. this bloody highbinder and one of whom was shot and fizht, had no in‘ormation of the parole. cooking It is exclude labor. Mah Noon gzot his kitchen. who -gave battic to in the They know auvd a strike settler extraordinary. it ix fit to cook in his kitchen. One of his organs, the weakest harmonica of the Governor did thix for » poor und friendless Chinese, an' innocent humar beingz with no one to love him. and co excluded and non-competing. and using bis The fact is that if Mah Noon had not been a fine cook he would still be doing the poor and friendless human being stunt in San Quentin, taking opium on the sly and looking forward to the end of his sentence to transact some more bloody business in the alleys of Chinatown. There fire good harness makers, carpenters, cabinet makers and other mechanies San Quentin and more than one white cook there in stripes. who can boss a range and buoild gravy with the best Chinaman whe ever wolloped a’ pot. not the Governor take n» humane—and—probably——innocent spell in their behalf? And here is the story of Mah Neon. There is a Cooks’ Union, but no member of He is also opposed to Chinese immigration and commissioned an embassy to represent him in Washington and vrge Congress to the Chinese, becnuse they come here He found Mah Noon nlready power as Governor. admitted him to competition ete with white union and landed him lot, says and tn his own that the suffering Why does i ¢ v TAKEN BY THE HIS CAPTURE No Information of Criminal’s Record Is Asked From City Officials. T. Gage, y the dainty the skillful er Celestial chef, ed his pow- San Noon, one of d bloodthirsty ole from who poses as the n, has thought An- as a o in cold blood at- im Sier. one of his Officer P. | rrest for his murder- victim of Mah Noon e, Yung Ah Yee, died shot. not prosecuted for on that Lim Sier had a Chinese doctor and i be produced to show d died from his wounds. reason given by Governor Gage to Board of Prisoh Directors, asking the parole of the Chinese bbinder, was that he (the Governor) had reached the conclusion that Mah Noon was probably an innocent and that he would take the convict into s employ. GAGE CONSULTS HIMSELF. It wotld be interesting to know from e lips Governor Gage by what ocess he came to the conclusion that y Noon was “probably innocent.” Governor Gage say that he com- micated ‘with the heads of the Police Jepartment to find out if Mah Noon as a victim of a miscarriage of justice .nd deserving of a parole? Did the Governor ask the opinion of he was of e of Cali-| The | man | 1 y of the Judges or officials of the de- partment of justice as to the wisdom of | paroling 2 murderous Chinese high- | binder? In what manner did Governor Gage come to the conclusion that Mah Noon | should be shown executive clemency and be paroled from San Quentin? | Why did Governor Gage and the Board of Prison Directors not follow the nsual custom and seek information from the San Francisco Police Depart- ment as to the record and career of Mah Noon 2nd the advisability of giving that criminal a parole? Mah Noon is an adept at the cooking | range. He can turn out the most palat- able of soups, entrees, roasts, broils and confections and is deemed worthy by Governor Gage to tickle the guberna- torial palate and prepare feasts fit for | Lucultus, | Did Governor Gage come to the con- | clusion that Mah Noon was probably innocent of assault to murder a fellow | countryman and a police officer on the | basis that so clever a chef. could not possibly be 2 monster thirsting for hu- | man gore? IS KING OF HIGHBINDERS. If Governor Gage or the Board 'of Prison Directors had consuited with the Police Department of this city as to Mah Noon’s record ‘the information | would have been forthcoming that the criminal, highbinder and would-be mur- derer was the king of the hired assas- sins of the Chinese tongs. Mah Noon was not only caught red- handed in an attempt to murder Lim Sier—he also battled desperately with five officers and sought to evade arrest by shooting onc of the brave guardians of the peace. Mah Noon was also suspected of having killed other Chinese in the high- binder wars of Chinatown, and when in edly said that he regretted not having killed the officer whom he had wounded. The history of the crime of Mah Noon, for which he was sent to San Quentin prison for fourteen vyears, im- pressed itself vividly on the minds of the local Police Department. There is not an officer of the police force of this city who does not look upon Mah Noon as the most desperate highbinder that ever prowled in the alleys and by- ways of Chinatown. SHOOTS BRAVE OFFICER. The fact of being caught red-handed in shooting Lim Sier stamped him as a desperado, ready - to murder for his price. The unusual crime of a Chinese shooting a police officer caused the peace guardians to look upon Mah Noon as a double-dyed criminal. When Mah Noon was sent to San Quentin prison the police officers felt relieved. Now, by the grace of Gov- ernor Gage, Mah Noon, the criminal, highbinder, would-be murderer, con- vict and probable murderer, is enjoying the balmy air of the ranch of the Goy- ernor in Los Angeles County, pleasing the chief executive with his palatable dishes. The Police Department of San Fran- cisco was disappointed when Mah Noon was sentenced to fourteen years in San Quentin prison. The officers had hoped that the murderous highbinder woyld be incarcerated for the rest of his life. Mah Nooniwas held for trial by the late Police Judge Campbell on two charges of assault to murder. He was tried by the late Superior Judge Borden. J. J. Dunne. who prosecuted for the people, is now located in Honolulu, Mah Noon was convicted of the as- sault to murder Lim Sier and was sen- tenced to fourteen yedrs' imprisonment. He was not tried for the assault to mur- his cell at police headquarters he repeat-i der Police Officer Tracy, and the in- PHOTO. OF MAH NoO POLICE AFTER BT PHOTQ OF MAH NOON Bl TAKEN AT THE 5§ GOVERNORS § HOUSE NEAR DOWNEY, THREE DAYS AGO < ))'\ PORTRAITS OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE STATE BINDER WHOM HE PAROLED WITHOUT SEEKING AND ANY THE HIGH- INFORMA- TION FROM OFFICIALS AS TO THE CRIMINAL'S POLICE RECORD. San Quentin Doors Open for Convict Three Years After Incarceration. dictment still hangs over the head of the Celestial who is now cooking for Gov- ernor Gage in his southern home. Mah Noon is liable to be arrested at any time and tried for the assault to murder Police Officer Tracy. In'that event Governor Gage will have to move to San Quentin prison if he desires to have the murderous highbinder con- tinue to cook for him. With a second conviction against Mah Noon the Governor will be pro- hibited from paroling the Chinese con- i vict, unless the chief executive sets the parole law at naught. Should Mah Noon be convicted a secand time, and he surely will be if he is exer tried for the shooting of Officer Tracy, Governor Gage will still be able to enjoy his services by using his power of pardoning. s " Governor Gage will have to act quickly, however, in the matter. His term of office. expires in a few months, and unless he sets Mah Noon at free- dom shortly he will not have the oppor- Justice Is Fbiled and Power Abused While Rules Are Set at Naught. tunity to do so later, for Gage will be retired to private life very soon. HISTORY OF CRIME. It was on the night of March 3o, 1898, that Mah Noon sought the lives of Lim Sier and Police Officer Tracy. The Police Department well remember that night for two reasons—the shoot- ing of Officer Tracy and the serious earthquake that occurred. At 20 minutes after 11 on that night the Chinatown police squad ten minutes late in making its rounds, owing to the presence of the Grand Jury in the Celestial quarter. Mah Noon | and his accomplice, Yung Ah Yee. were thoroughly acquainted with the move-? -ments of the police officers. They knew that the squad would pass the in- tersection of Baker and Sullivan alleys at 11 p. m. The two Chinese highbind- ers watched the officers pass along, and. thinking that the coast was clear, pro- ceeded to their deadly work of shooting in cold blood Lim Sier, on whose head a price had been placed. The police officers of the Chinatown squad were detailed for late duty on ac- count of the Grand Jury visiting the quarter, and for that reason were close to Baker and Sullivan alleys when the shots of Mah Noon and Yung Ah Yee rang out in the night air. Officers P. J. Tracy, John Burke and John Galloway were entering Sullivan alley when the shots were fired. Fifty feet ahead of them they saw the two highbinders, Mah Noon and Yung Ah Yee, shooting at Lim Sier, who lay prostrate on the ground. BATTLED WITH OFFICERS. An electric light overhead made the scene of murder as bright as day. Rushing toward the assassins the police officers called on them to surrender. Mah' Noon and Yung Ah Yee did not was | retreat from the officers. Their desper- ate criminality sfiowed itself when they ran toward the officers and gave battle Yung Ah Yee threw his big revolver at the head of Officer Galloway and dashed past the police officers. Special Officers Downey and Finn, who were close’ behind the regular officers, gave chase to the fleeing highbinder and caught him a block away on Dupont street. Meanwhile Mah Noon engaged Oi- ficers Tracy, Galloway and Burke in battle. The three brave officers and the two special officers, who had returned, threw themselves upon the murderous highbinder, who struggled desperately Mah Noon had his smoking Colt's re- volver in his hand, partly hidden by the wide sleeve of his blouse With yells of rage and defiance Mak Noon managed to get his revolver into play. He pressed the weapon upward until its muzzle rested against the stom- ach of Officer Tracy. Fortunately he was unable at that instant to pull the trigger, otherwise Tracy would have been shot through the body. Mah Noon, struggling desperately, was able, however, to fire his big revolver. and the bullet went ' through the arm of Tracy, and the brave officer was dis- abled. Tracy's comrades, Burke and Gallo- way, beat Mah Noon into submission and handcuffed him. He was taken to the police station, where he showed de- fiance by cursing the officers who had arrested him. HIS VICTIM DIED. His victim, Lim Sier, was taken to the Harbor Hospital and later on his friends removed him Chinatown. There he was treated by a Chinese doc- to Continued on Page Thirty., 3