Patrizia Barrera - Yellow Peril

The first one concerns the First Aid. The responders would eventually show up, but only hours later and simply because they were submerged by calls.

The Department’s excuse was, “ We thought that the reported smoke belonged to another fire, one extinguished in the same area the day before. ”

Almost grotesque, for expert firefighters. Furthermore, there is no mention in the yearbooks of that other fire. Maybe, just maybe, because there was none.

The subsequent mistake is, if possible, even more ludicrous. Once acknowledge that there was a fire, the Department sent the trucks. Only, in the opposite direction. The word miscommunication was overused and unacceptable. Especially by professionals accustomed to exchange information quickly and accurately. Moreover, all morning the firefighters had intervened to control four small arson fires in the same area. How could they ignore the fact that another one might have spread there as well?

Anyway, these mistakes were fatal. Despite the efforts and cooperation from nearby towns, the fury of the flames destroyed everything. At that point, if that was really arson, who did it? Most importantly, why?

The vast majority of the buildings in the heart of old Chicago were crumbling and illegally occupied by the Dregs Of Society , poor unfortunate souls of different ethnicities who found refuge there. Mobs, vice, and prostitution prospered.

Figure 15 - Chicago Fire Department, 1871. Although Equipped With Very Modern And Advanced Machineries, Bizarre And Deadly Mistakes Were Made During That Infamous Event.

Someone said that even Frederick Law Olmsted despised Chicago, particularly its immigrants and ugly buildings. Furthermore, in comparison to the rest of the United States, the city was far behind in terms of industrialization.

Emperor Nero used fire as a weapon to cleanse everything undesirable and corrupt about Rome. The flames that burned Chicago to the ground had the same purpose. The economic support from the State rebuilt the city in a way that was unthinkable. The very first Architecture School saw the light during the same year. While the Home Insurance Building, first skyscraper of the country, opened its door in 1885.

Figure 16 - Home Insurance Building,1888. Designed By William LeBaron Jenney, In 1884, It Is Often Considered The First Skyscraper, Symbol Of American Power.

A series of ominous events created a favourable substratum for the tragedy of the 24 thof October in Calle De Los Negros. Especially since more than half of the city already discontent with Chinese and their success.

Beyond the statements of the witnesses who retracted their versions countless times, the truth is one and only one. Bilderrain, fully armed, sneaked into Negro Alley. Together with other Vigilantes, he headed towards Yuen's house and shop. Some mentioned even the presence of Hing himself. Bilderrain's plan was to steal the well-known gold hidden in the trunk, which everyone had only learned of in the morning. Obviously, the Tongs disagreed. It was no coincidence that the Vigilantes organised that attack at half past nine sharp. In the trial, however, half past nine turned into six o’clock and even four o’clock. Details. The Ghetto had its own rules, including a curfew. After eight o’clock, everything had to close. And Chinese followed these regulations by the book.

Bilderrain, badly wounded and on his knees, cried for help. The rest of the group backtracked. Even for highly trained men it was not wise to come face to face with any Tong warrior, especially in their own turf. -That was the official version brought to the trial, and the only one to which the Judges gave credit, although many witnesses -all respectable citizens- have repeatedly disavowed it.

However, he claimed that Thompson played the hero. Holding his gun, he marched bravely into the alley. All by himself. Then, he opened the door and almost immediately got shot in the chest. Two hours later, he was dead.

After, officers Celis and Kerren pulled Thompson's lifeless body out of the alley and tried to tend to him. The news of his death made the crowd even madder. The rest is well known.

Horace Bell, reporter and lawyer, almost instantly gave his testimony about it. And it was rejected. He did not surrender and wrote several articles, supporting his version. He focused especially on the relationship between Baker and the Triad, exposing the Law Enforcement rotten core. Only more than a century later, all the documentation finally confirmed his evidence.

The Official Reports conveniently excused the fishy work of the Police, and the murderous behaviour of the crowd, under the chilling discharge of Collective-Madness-And-Let’s-Be-Honest-Chinese-Had-It-Coming-With-All-Their-Smug.

More than a century to prove something that it was easy to verify instants after it occurred.

Figure 17 - Horace Bell, 1880. Such An Interesting Character, It Would Need A Book On Its Own.

First, the witnesses. Absolute protagonist and public hero was Bilderrain, who declared he saw Thompson bullet riddled. False. He was at the entrance of the alley when he called for help, while Yuen's house -where the fight happened- was right inside Negro Alley. More precisely, in an area not visible from the street. Not only because of the walls but also because of the lack of electricity. Officers - real ones - when and if intervened, they did it equipped with lights.

The most bizarre scenario, however, was the one involved Celis and Deck. They had been ordered to not leave Coronel Building. Sure, they excused a breach of orders with the heart-breaking motivation of saving a friend . The smallest violins all over Negro Alley were playing just for the two of them. It was, actually, common routine to abandon wounded officers on the ground. Moreover, Thompson was not one of them. He was a Vigilante and there has always been bad blood between Law Enforcement and wannabes. It is preposterous to think that two legit cops would risk their lives to save a scoundrel. The logic explanation is that they were the ones who killed him. Or that they pushed him into the tiger’s den and shot first, just to provoke the wanted reaction. Some witnesses also mentioned a third cop, one Richard Kerren, who was lurking in the alley in front of Yuen's shop. Later -when the trial was over- many others remembered seeing him jump out of there, after the first blast. “ They killed Thompson! ” he yelled. A few moments later, Celis and Deck appeared carrying a wounded man. The two were already in Negro Alley. They did not rush in after, as they stated. Besides, in the area there were also two other officers -Harris and Gard- who were in charge of the building. How is it possible that five of them were unable to defend Thompson, who was shot twice and at point-blank range?

Everything suggests that his murder was a pretentious event to validate a planned and organized massacre. It involved a crowd, who acted under the conscious eyes of Almighty Police. All for a grudge against foreigners who had it better than them.