From the California steamer to the board of
direction of the Chinese hospital. (An
anonymous letter.)
The committee of the hospital should come forward to save human
lives.
There was a Hakka, named Lai-on, who, several times last year, took
people over to Macao and sold them; thus, he and his brothers ate
human flesh.
[Page 221]
On the 24th of this month a certain foreigner, who does not belong to
any firm, unlawfully induced people to go to foreign countries,
which are twice the distance to California, at five dollars a head.
More than ten brokers dared not undertake the business, but Lai-on
undertook it, and brought some printed forms to our villages, and
induced the people to go to the interior of California. You had
better go to the On-Ki emigration house on Wing-on street, where you
can obtain a printed form, and request the harbor-master not to
allow people to go. Also have a notice posted up at the California
mail-steamer’s wharf. This will be the means of saving men’s lives,
as on the 24th or 25th days they will go on board the California
ship, where they will receive their pay and proceed on their
voyage.
I am Lai-on, master of the On-Kee shop, No. 31 Wing-on lane. I am
acting as emigration agent for Mr. G. E. Payne. Mr. Payne promised
to give to myself 85 as commission, and $2, $3, or $5 as expenses
and commission to the sub-agent for every emigrant from the
interior, and shipped on board the California steamer that leaves
here to-morrow. I had got on board the steamer yesterday for Mr.
Payne, altogether, 270 men. Before they went on board each of them
was promised to be paid an advance of $5 at 10 a. m. this morning.
At 8 a. m. this morning there were about 40 or 50 of those men from
the steamer who came to my shop asking me to give them $5 each as
promised. I told them that Mr. Payne said that they could not be
paid until the bank is opened, which will be 10 o’clock. They
commenced to abuse me and accusing me of selling them as pigs, for
which two of their fellow-men lost their lives by jumping overboard
and drowning themselves. They then smashed everything in the shop;
even the sign-board outside was broken. The whole of the 270 men
have left the steamer. When the men came from the interior, and
before they were shipped on board, all their expenses for board and
lodging were paid by me. From the day I undertook the agency up to
this day I have already spent a sum of $600 or $700. There was to be
an agreement between Mr. Payne and myself, and another between Mr.
Payne and the emigrants, but all of them have not been signed.
Before the emigrants were taken to the harbor-master’s office, where
each of them got a paper from that office to go on board, they got
passage-tickets from the California Mail-Steamer Company’s office.
These tickets were given to them by me, and were handed over to me
by Mr. Payne. They went on board of their own will and accord. I
never used any improper means or force of any kind to secure them on
board. When they were at the harbor-master’s office, I asked them
whether they knew where they were going to, and whether they were
going of their own accord? They answered in the affirmative. They
were further asked whether or not they had been induced to go by
unlawful means? They answered no. Then they were passed on to the
harbor-master’s office, where they received their papers or
certificates going on board the ship.
The above statement was made by Lai-on
on Saturday, the
12th instant.
C. C. S.
True copies:
I. Gardiner Austin, Colonial
Secretary.
