‘The Chinese Murder,’ April 29, 1891

 
 

  April 28, 1891, Wong Ark      
  April 29, 1891, Chinese Murder  

April 29, 1891: The Times reports the death of a Chinese woman named Ah Gue/Goot Gue, who was shot in the abdomen by her husband, Wong Ark/Gam Duck, outside a brothel on Apablasa Street. Ark allegedly killed Gue because she didn't give him all the money he wanted for gambling. The Times covered this case extensively, and said that because the Chinese witnesses were “heathens,” they were unconcerned about telling the truth under oath.

The first jury deadlocked. In his second trial, Ark was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder, but the conviction was overturned on appeal because the dying woman’s statements were inadmissible. (The Times reported that she said "him killee me.") Ark was convicted of manslaughter at his third trial and served six years at San Quentin.

Bonus factoid: Apablasa Street vanished during construction of Union Station, which was built on the old Chinatown.

 

  April 28, 1891, Wong Ark  
  April 29, 1891, Chinese Murder  

  May 9, 1891, Wong Ark  

  June 10, 1891, Wong Ark  

  Nov. 23, 1892  

  Aug. 10, 1899, Wong Ark  

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
This entry was posted in #courts, 1891, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD. Bookmark the permalink.

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