Borders - The Story of Wong Ah Choy and Why Borders Suck

Chinese woman. Detained at Angel Island (CA), 1910, was disguised as a man and hidden on a ship.

 

STEWARD'S 'BOY' IS PUT UNDER ARREST

Chinese Accused of Unlawfully Bringing Young Woman Into' Country:

Vow On, chief steward's "boy" on the J Toyo Kisen Kaisha steamer Chiyo 1 Maru, was arrested yesterday and is | in the Alameda county jail, in default j of $5,000 bail, charged with unlawfully bringing a Chinese^ S" 1 mto tn ' s country... The giri is-Wong AhChoy, and it is on her evidence that Vow On is held. Tue_arrest is the result of long inj vest igation by Assistant Immigration Inspector Edsell, who persuaded the girl to make a full confession. On the arrival of the Chiyo Maru in this port December 9 Wong Ah Choy was found. Preliminary to making an inspection for stowaways, the Chinese members of the, crew were mustered below. They numbered 56. After the inspection of the upper and lower decks, the Chinese were. ordered above to the smoking room, where they were again mustered. It was found that only 55 were present. The absentee was Vow On. He was presently . seen by Customs Inspector Hackett coming out" of the linen, room, in the steward's department. Hackett fouud Wong Ah, Choy hidden behind a pile of sheets in the dry linen room, clad, in boy's clothes. Vow On was ordered ashore at the immigration station at Angel island for examination, 'together with Wong Ah Choy. 'After several days of examination and argument, Wong Ah /Choy broke down and told the whole story of how Vow On had enticed her aboard at Hongkong and had hidden her in the linen room when the inspection was ordered. Vow On was brought before her and she identified him positively. Commissioner Edsell then applied for a warrant and. it was 'granted yesterday afternoon by United States Commissioner H. M. Wright. Vow On was sent to this city on the steamer Monticello under guard and at 6 p.m. was turned over to Deputy United States Marshal George H. Burnham, who conveyed him to the Alameda county jail. Wong Ah Choy is being held as a witness at Angel island. This was not Wong Ah Choy's first attempt to land. She came over in August, 1909, but as she seemed destined to an immoral life she was deported. Vow On undertook to bring her in, it is believed, on his own responsibility, as a speculation, as Chinese slave girls bring from $2,000 to $4,000. . . . "This was not an incident of . the working of a regular ring," said Commissioner Etlsell yesterday, "but a mere sporadic case of the desultory unlawful importation of • Chinese girls that is going on all the time. Vow On was evidently doing this on his own account." Vow On stoutly maintains his innocence, declaring he had nothing whatever to do with the girl's immigration. He is 39 years' old, and has had a long experience in Pacific ocean steamers. He served as a messman on the old Belgic, on the Empress of China, the Manchuria and a number of years ago was captain's "boy" on the United Siates flagship Lancaster of the Pacific squadron.

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Paul Schultz, the stevedore who was wounded on the night of .-the" smuggling, was also arrested y&sterday afternoon at the Hahnemann hospital, where he has been since receiving his wound.

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Source: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19101218.2.34