Leung Ying
Encyclopedia
Leung Ying was a Chinese
mass murder
er who, at the age of 29, killed 11 people and wounded another four on a farm near Fairfield, California
on August 22, 1928, before escaping the scene. He was arrested by police the next day and sentenced to death on August 31. Ying committed suicide in his prison cell on October 22, about two weeks before his set execution date.
This was the worst case of mass murder in Californian history at that time, surpassing the killing of six persons each by James Dunham
on a farm in Santa Clara County
in 1896, and by John Goins in Stockton
and Galt
in 1926.
He had a reputation as a killer, boasting he had killed three people in a tong war, and was generally regarded as a "bad" person.
For some time he lived in San Jose and worked there at a local packing plant. He was a member of the Hop Sing Tong
, until he was expelled due to his excessive use of narcotics.
For three months he was employed as a cook or fruit picker at the Bryan ranch five miles from Fairfield, which was leased by Wong Gee. Ying was eventually dismissed for either assaulting or having an affair with Wong Gee's daughter Nellie.
Six months prior to Leung Ying's attack on the ranch, another Chinese worker had run amok there with an axe and set fire to two buildings, before he was shot by Wong Gee. The killing was later declared an act of self-defense by the superior court.
According to reports, Ying first entered what was variously identified as an underground gambling room, or a dugout
, where Wong Gee attempted to wake two farm hands. He shot Wong Gee through the heart and also killed worker Cheung Yueng. Both were later found by police lying fully dressed on a bed. The other farm laborer, Wa Wey, was fatally wounded by a shot in the back, when he was trying to run away.
Next the killer went to the house of Wong Gee's brother, Wong Hueng, who had locked himself in and attempted to hide under a bed, though Ying shot through a window, hitting him in the abdomen.
Ying then made his way to the home of the cook on the ranch, 61-year-old Low Shek, who was wounded in his cabin by a shot through the stomach. Low Shek was later brought to Fairfield hospital, where he died after a few hours.
While proceeding through a pear orchard towards the home of Wong Gee, Ying shot and killed worker Yeung Soon. At the door of the house he killed Wong Gee's wife with a shot between the eyes and decapitated the 2 week old baby in her arms with the hatchet, before walking into the children's room. There he shot Wong Gee's 4-year-old son, Johnnie, through the head at close range, before using his axe to crush the skull of 3-year-old Willie Wong, who was lying in his bed. Ying also fatally wounded 15-year-old Nellie Wong by shooting her in the back, after she had jumped out of a window and tried to escape through the orchard. She died in Vallejo hospital on August 27, becoming Leung Ying's eleventh and final victim. Two other of Wong Gee's children, Ruth and Helen, managed to escape unharmed by hiding under a bed.
After mutilating the body of Mrs. Wong with the hatchet, Leung Ying eventually escaped in an automobile owned by Wong Gee. In less than 20 minutes he had killed or fatally wounded eleven people and injured four others. The next day, after abandoning his car and rifle, Ying was captured by police, while sleeping in a tank house near the Empire mine
in Grass Valley
. He was taken to Nevada City, where he was held until the arrival of the Fairfield authorities.
The night after his arrest Leung Ying attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself with a blanket. After this attempt was foiled by prison guards he spent the night beating his head against the floor and walls, crying for narcotics. The next day, on August 24, Loy was arraigned at the Superior Court in Suisun City
, where again he admitted committing the murders, stating he wished he had the opportunity to kill half a dozen more.
After pleading guilty, Ying was sentenced to death by hanging on August 31, 1928. His execution was to take place on November 9 of the same year.
On October 22, 1928, between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., Leung Ying committed suicide in his prison cell in San Quentin Prison by hanging himself with a towel.
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
mass murder
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
er who, at the age of 29, killed 11 people and wounded another four on a farm near Fairfield, California
Fairfield, California
Fairfield is a city located in Solano County in Northern California, USA. It is generally considered the midpoint between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, approximately from the city center of both cities, approximately from the city center of Oakland, less than from Napa Valley, 18...
on August 22, 1928, before escaping the scene. He was arrested by police the next day and sentenced to death on August 31. Ying committed suicide in his prison cell on October 22, about two weeks before his set execution date.
This was the worst case of mass murder in Californian history at that time, surpassing the killing of six persons each by James Dunham
James Dunham
James C. Dunham, was a multiple murderer who, on the night of May 26, 1896, killed his wife, her family, and two of that family's servants in Campbell, California.Using an axe and firearms, Dunham murdered:*Hattie Wells Dunham...
on a farm in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
in 1896, and by John Goins in Stockton
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
and Galt
Galt, California
Galt is a city in Sacramento County, California, USA. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in 1926.
Life
Ying, who also went by the names Wong Gay and Lim Onn, had been arrested by San Francisco police in 1924 as a gunman and narcotics peddler.He had a reputation as a killer, boasting he had killed three people in a tong war, and was generally regarded as a "bad" person.
For some time he lived in San Jose and worked there at a local packing plant. He was a member of the Hop Sing Tong
Hop Sing Tong
The Hop Sing Tong is a Chinese American Tong that was established in 1875.-Branches:The Hop Sing Tong has several branches in the United States including in:* Boise, Idaho - 706 Front Street ...
, until he was expelled due to his excessive use of narcotics.
For three months he was employed as a cook or fruit picker at the Bryan ranch five miles from Fairfield, which was leased by Wong Gee. Ying was eventually dismissed for either assaulting or having an affair with Wong Gee's daughter Nellie.
Six months prior to Leung Ying's attack on the ranch, another Chinese worker had run amok there with an axe and set fire to two buildings, before he was shot by Wong Gee. The killing was later declared an act of self-defense by the superior court.
Murders
On August 22, 1928, Ying, armed with a rifle and a hatchet, and under the influence of cocaine, returned to the ranch and attacked the residents and workers there.According to reports, Ying first entered what was variously identified as an underground gambling room, or a dugout
Dugout (shelter)
A dugout or dug-out, also known as a pithouse, pit-house, earth lodge, mud hut, is a shelter for humans or domesticated animals and livestock based on a hole or depression dug into the ground. These structures are one of the most ancient types of human housing known to archeologists...
, where Wong Gee attempted to wake two farm hands. He shot Wong Gee through the heart and also killed worker Cheung Yueng. Both were later found by police lying fully dressed on a bed. The other farm laborer, Wa Wey, was fatally wounded by a shot in the back, when he was trying to run away.
Next the killer went to the house of Wong Gee's brother, Wong Hueng, who had locked himself in and attempted to hide under a bed, though Ying shot through a window, hitting him in the abdomen.
Ying then made his way to the home of the cook on the ranch, 61-year-old Low Shek, who was wounded in his cabin by a shot through the stomach. Low Shek was later brought to Fairfield hospital, where he died after a few hours.
While proceeding through a pear orchard towards the home of Wong Gee, Ying shot and killed worker Yeung Soon. At the door of the house he killed Wong Gee's wife with a shot between the eyes and decapitated the 2 week old baby in her arms with the hatchet, before walking into the children's room. There he shot Wong Gee's 4-year-old son, Johnnie, through the head at close range, before using his axe to crush the skull of 3-year-old Willie Wong, who was lying in his bed. Ying also fatally wounded 15-year-old Nellie Wong by shooting her in the back, after she had jumped out of a window and tried to escape through the orchard. She died in Vallejo hospital on August 27, becoming Leung Ying's eleventh and final victim. Two other of Wong Gee's children, Ruth and Helen, managed to escape unharmed by hiding under a bed.
After mutilating the body of Mrs. Wong with the hatchet, Leung Ying eventually escaped in an automobile owned by Wong Gee. In less than 20 minutes he had killed or fatally wounded eleven people and injured four others. The next day, after abandoning his car and rifle, Ying was captured by police, while sleeping in a tank house near the Empire mine
Empire Mine State Historic Park
Empire Mine State Historic Park is a state-protected mine and park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Grass Valley, California. The Empire Mine is on the National Register of Historic Places and a federal Historic District. Since 1975, California State Parks has administered and maintained the mine...
in Grass Valley
Grass Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Grass Valley had a population of 12,860. The population density was 2,711.3 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Grass Valley was 11,493 White, 46 African American, 208 Native American, 188 Asian, 9 Pacific Islander, 419 from other...
. He was taken to Nevada City, where he was held until the arrival of the Fairfield authorities.
Victims
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Aftermath
During his interrogation Ying readily admitted to having committed the murders, and stated that he had seen the police officers trailing him during the night, and, although he had the opportunity to shoot them at any time, he refrained from doing so, because he feared he would be hanged, if he killed a white man. Asked for the motive behind his rampage, Ying initially recited the story of his love for a Chinese girl and the disapproval of this relationship by her family. Furthermore he stated that the Wong Gee family tried to kill him with poisoned food, so he killed them first, while he later told that incessant teasing had pushed him to commit the murders. He also expressed his admiration for Californian criminals Joe Tanko and Floyd Hall, saying: "I just like Tanko and Hall - very, very sick."The night after his arrest Leung Ying attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself with a blanket. After this attempt was foiled by prison guards he spent the night beating his head against the floor and walls, crying for narcotics. The next day, on August 24, Loy was arraigned at the Superior Court in Suisun City
Suisun City, California
Suisun City is a city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 28,111 at the 2010 census. The city takes its name from the adjacent Suisun Bay, which in turn is named for the Suisunes, a Native American tribe of the area.-Geography:...
, where again he admitted committing the murders, stating he wished he had the opportunity to kill half a dozen more.
After pleading guilty, Ying was sentenced to death by hanging on August 31, 1928. His execution was to take place on November 9 of the same year.
On October 22, 1928, between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., Leung Ying committed suicide in his prison cell in San Quentin Prison by hanging himself with a towel.
External links
- Chinese community falls apart after mass murder, Daily RepublicDaily RepublicThe Daily Republic is a daily newspaper in the town of Fairfield, California. It is owned by McNaughton Newspapers....
(March 23, 2001) - Eleven Chinese, TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
(September 3, 1928) - Runs amuck and kills 10, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
(August 23, 1928) - Capture California Chinese Killer, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
(August 24, 1928) - Chinaman runs amuck; 10 dead, The Atlanta Constitution (August 23, 1928)
- Chinese slayer of ten caught in chicken house, The Atlanta Constitution (August 24, 1928)
- Chinese massacres ten, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
(August 23, 1928) - Chinese Cook Slays Nine Persons, Wounds 6 Others With Rifle and Hatchet, The Hartford CourantThe Hartford CourantThe Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is a morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury...
(August 23, 1928) - Chinese, Who Killed 10, Sought 6 More Lives, The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
(August 25, 1928) - Chinese cook goes on rampage and kills 9, Eugene Register-Guard (August 22, 1928)
- Chinese killer of 10 is terror to countryside, Miami Daily News (August 23, 1928)
- Slayer of ten, The Pittsburgh Press (August 28, 1928)
- Nine Chinese slain by crazed Oriental, Berkeley Daily Gazette (August 22, 1928)
- Crazed Chiaman slays 10 persons, The Ludington Daily News (August 23, 1928)
- Chinese slayer is sought by posses, The Owosso Argus-Press (August 23, 1928)
- Murderer of ten and victims, San Jose News (August 25, 1928)
- Ten Chinese dead when worker runs amok with pistol, The Palm Beach PostThe Palm Beach PostThe Palm Beach Post is a major daily newspaper in Florida, serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and the Treasure Coast area. It is the 72nd largest daily newspaper in the United States and the sixth largest in Florida.-History:...
(August 23, 1928) - Maniac who murdered ten persons caught by police, The Evening IndependentThe Evening IndependentThe Evening Independent was St. Petersburg, Florida's first daily newspaper. The sister evening newspaper of the St. Petersburg Times, it was launched as a weekly newspaper in March 1906 under the ownership of Willis B. Powell. In November 1907, it became a daily paper as the St...
(August 24, 1928)