Lum You
| Lum You | |
|---|---|
![[photograph of Lum You]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lum_You_(Morning_Oregonian).png)
Lum You
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| Born | ca. 1861 China |
| Died | January 31, 1902 South Bend, Washington |
| Cause of death | hanging |
| Resting place | Pacific County, Washington |
| Residence | Bay Center, Washington |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Occupation | cannery worker |
| Criminal charge | assault, murder |
| Criminal penalty | fine, imprisonment, execution |
| Criminal status | dead |
| Conviction(s) | assault, murder |
Lum You (ca. 1861 – January 31, 1902)—sometimes spelled Lum Yu—was an immigrant Chinese laborer and convicted murderer in the Pacific Northwest. He is famous for being the only person to have been legally executed in Pacific County, Washington, and for his death row prison break supposedly arranged by the very jailers charged with his captivity.
Lum You was among the many Chinese laborers who came to Washington near the turn of the century. A proud, sociable dandy, You was well-liked in the white community. He spoke a little English, and acted as an agent between the Chinese workers and their employers.
In 1894 You approached the South Bend police chief, Marion Egbert, complaining that a fellow Chinese resident by the name of Ging had threatened him. Egbert brushed You off and suggested he deal with the situation himself. You took this advice, attacking Ging with an axe. For this act he was convicted of assault; he was fined $500 and was sentenced to a prison term of six months.
In the summer of 1901, You was employed as a cannery worker and living in Bay Center. While playing cards on August 6 of that year, he was assaulted, threatened, and robbed by Oscar Bloom, a white man with a reputation as a bully. This time You did not approach the police, but instead immediately took matters into his own hands: he went to his room to retrieve his gun, sought out and shot Bloom in the abdomen, and then fled the scene. Bloom survived long enough to swear a deathbed affidavit identifying You as his killer.
Public sympathy for You was high, but white employers of the Chinese workers pressed officials for action to be taken against him. Accordingly, You was arrested on August 7 and in October 1901 was tried and convicted for the murder of Oscar Bloom. Contrary to the jurors' belief that You would receive a light sentence, the judge ordered that You be hanged. The execution was scheduled for January 31, 1902.
Even after his conviction You continued to enjoy public support. Petitions for clemency, one of which was signed by one of the jurors, were sent to the state governor. County officials sympathized with You, supposedly leaving his cell door unlocked at night and encouraging him to escape. You eventually did escape, early in the morning of January 14: one news report claimed the improvised lock to his cell door had been picked with the aid of a confederate. You hid in the environs of South Bend for several days, during which he was hunted by a squad led by sheriff Thomas A. Roney. On January 15 he was sighted by two men; the following day the county commissioners met and agreed to offer a reward of $200 for You's capture. On January 17 You was finally apprehended by a three-man posse. You offered no resistance, and when asked how he escaped, said only that the door was open and he walked out.
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Wikipedia