"He must have done something. They don't kill you for nothing." - Chicago Gangster Ted Newberry. Rubbed out January 7, 1933

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

What to much starch?

One hundred and three years ago today one of the most perverse murders took place when five members of the On Leong tong stopped in to visit Hop Lee, a Hip Sing tong member, in his laundry shop. Lee was asleep in his den when his five adversaries surprised him early in the morning. They dragged him to his ironing table and as four of the men held him while the fifth went to work on him with a hatchet. First he cut off Lee's nose and then began swiping at the rest of his face and body all the while the two men holding Lee’s legs tickled his bare feet with feathers. Before they had a chance to finish him off however they were interrupted by a policeman who had been informed that five members of the On Leong were on mission of murder. When the Tong members saw the cop they ran up to the roof where two of them managed to escape after a chase. Lee was able to indentify two before cashing in later.

2 comments:

John DuMond said...

That one was weird even before they brought out the feathers. Needless to say, the feathers put it over the top.

By the way, I put a link to your Dead Guys in Suits art contest post on my blog. I'd enter the contest myself, but the International Association of Art Critics got a court order barring me from drawing. Something to do with having no talent, I think.

Patrick Downey said...

Yes, this is probably the oddest killing I've come across. Thanks for linking up the art contest. By all means send something in yourself, there is no such thing as a bad entry. It's all in fun. A Happy face with a fedora and a bullet hole works.