TONG WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 194, 17 August 1922, Page 13

TONG WAR.

- CBOWIgS ANB CBOWBABS A CHINESE MIX-IT , . (From Our Own Correspondent.) SUVA, August 10. A Jjvely scrimmage occurred in WaiHianu Road on Tuesday afternoon in premises above, and at the rear of, a leading Indian fttore. Tfoi? row emanated from a Toug war between two factions of local Chinese. Suva at the present has a number of Chinese labourers caused by the slump in copra, which has affected rather seriously the Chinese merchants, vrbo have been importing for some time indentured Chinese labour for their country stores. These men are in many cases idle, and indulge in gambling, which among them is usually the cause of trouble. It appears that five members of the Tonjj went to the upstairs room and attacked a meniber of another faction, the five then went downstairs to the kit-chen to have soup. Shortly after two Chinese, named Ah Jong and Ah Fong. friends of the injured man, went to the kitchen to peaceably inquire what the trouble was. No sooner had they entered the 'kitchen than, '"bill"" came an iron bar on AJi Jong's head. Immediately the two of them rrecame the centre of a maclttrom of whirling forms, tierce blows, and Chinese yeJls. Blood flowed freely, and A. Jong, who was a powerful man, ivas forced outside. Some countrymen tried to take him away but he said he must stick to hie pal, and once more got into the kitchen and tho fight. After a few minutes the two attacked men were laid out, but not before they had dealt many hard blows on their attackers. The latter then disappeared and the police on arrival a few minutes later found Ah Jong and Ah Fong very seriously injured. Tho doctor said that two cuts in Ah Jong's head, each three inches long and made with an iron bar. were sufficient to have killed any ordinary man. Two of the five nave •been arrested, both wounded.. They were found hiding in a courrtTVmari's boarding-house. These Chinese labourers are a rough lot in a scrap and a source of worry to the police.