The Murder of Yellow Doll
Although barely into his adolescence, Chen Lau consented to enter into an arranged marriage with a young girl named Shu Han, the daughter of his family's neighbor. Chen Lau was not exactly overjoyed at the prospect of spending his life with his prospective bride, whom he had known since early childhood. It was not that there was anything repellent about Shu Han. Although plain in appearance, she was sweet and eager to please, and she absolutely adored him; but Chen Lau's feelings for Shu Han were those of a brother toward a younger sister. No desire burned in his heart or his loins for the girl who had tagged along after him since she first learned how to walk.
The year before the two teenagers were to be married, there was a terrible drought in their part of China. With the rice crop ruined, many men were forced to sail to the western coast of America to seek employment. Chen Lau was no exception. After saying goodbye to his family and to Shu Han—who was devastated to see him go—he boarded a ship to San Francisco.
Chen Lau had been living in Northern California for only a few months when, in the year 1875, gold was discovered in the Black Hills of South Dakota. After John Pearson and six fellow miners found gold in a narrow canyon known as Deadwood Gulch, a shanty town rose up nearby. With the aid of the United States military, the Plains Indians were then driven from their land, and thousands of prospectors flocked there to stake a claim, hoping to strike it rich.
Many Chinese immigrants also made the journey to Deadwood, some to prospect for gold but most to provide the goods and services that the growing mining community needed. Chen Lau was able to find work in a dry goods store, and since the kindly shopkeeper provided him with food and other goods, he sent most of his earnings to his family back in China. It was understood that once the economy of the village returned to normal he would return home, but Chen Lau soon had second thoughts.
Life in Deadwood was far from perfect. The white population looked down on the Badlands—the name given to the Chinese section of town—and its residents were often abused and sometimes even murdered. But Chen Lau, who had never known anything but the boredom of farming, was fascinated by his new surroundings. Besides, with roughly four hundred Chinese-owned laundries, restaurants and stores in the Badlands, there was little need for him to enter the more dangerous white sections of town.
Inevitably, Deadwood, like all places that offered the promise of quick riches, attracted people who were morally questionable. Brothels, saloons and opium dens flourished in the Badlands. Many Mui Jai, Chinese women sold by their families into indentured servitude, were employed as prostitutes. Chen Lau never frequented the brothels, nor did he gamble or drink in any of the saloons. A level-headed young man, he worked far too hard for his money to throw it away on pointless vices.
Then in 1876 Kuan-yin, a fellow immigrant who had accompanied Chen Lau from their village in China to San Francisco and finally to South Dakota, was found beaten to death outside a Deadwood Joss House. Chen Lau was deeply distraught by the violent act. Kuan-yin had been the closest thing to a friend he had in America.
"As hard as it may be, you have to put your friend's death behind you," the storeowner who employed Chen Lau advised.
"How can I, when I can't stop thinking about him?"
"Maybe you ought to go back to San Francisco. Or, better yet, go home to China."
The image of Shu Han's pleasant but plain features flashed in Chen Lau's mind. The last thing he wanted was to return to his village, to a loveless marriage and the monotony of toiling in the rice paddies.
In the days that followed, Chen Lau was haunted by memories of Kuan-yin. Finally, he could stand it no longer. One night after work, determined to forget the brutal slaying, if only temporarily, he walked to one of the Badland's opium dens. He had never frequented such an establishment before and had no idea what to expect. The sight of a room full of people reclining on cushions, smoking from long pipes held over oil lamps frightened him. Many patrons, lying on their sides with their eyes closed, looked like they were either sleeping or dead.
This is all wrong, he told himself. Isn't opium addiction destroying China?
Even though Chen Lau despised the weak fools who wasted their time and money smoking the dangerous narcotic, he found a stained, threadbare cushion next to a cadaverous looking old man and made himself comfortable. He cautiously put the opium pipe to his mouth and inhaled the vapors. He closed his eyes, willing himself to banish thoughts of Kuan-yin's killing from his mind.
As his breathing slowed, a relaxed feeling came over him, a lessening of his pain and anxiety. The logical part of Chen Lau's brain tried to warn him: this is no way to deal with your problems; nothing good will come of it. However, the emotional part of his mind refused to listen. It did not care about the danger of addiction or even death brought about by an overdose; it wanted only forgetfulness.
Then, in a drug-induced stupor, Chen Lau heard shuffling footsteps nearby and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the tiny satin slippers with the wooden heels. The feet, which had been bound since early childhood, were small and delicate, a symbol of feminine beauty in China. Chen Lau's eyes travelled upward. The petite body was clad in fine clothing and expensive jewelry.
What was such an obviously wealthy woman doing in an opium den in Deadwood? the logical part of his brain asked. The emotional part had no answer. And the eyes continued their upward journey. The face! Both parts of Chen Lau's brain agreed that there had never been a more stunningly beautiful, more perfect countenance.
"Who are you?" he heard himself ask.
"Meilin," the girl replied in a voice that rivaled the canary in its melodic beauty.
Chen Lau wanted to question her further, but she daintily hobbled past him on her tiny slippers and exited the den by the rear door.
Meilin. The name echoed through his mind, not once but many times. Meilin. Meilin. Meilin.
Thus, it was not the opium that finally drove away thoughts of his friend's recent murder; rather, it was the intoxicating image of a beautiful girl with a painted face, fine clothes, expensive jewelry and small, delicate feet.
* * *
The following morning when Chen Lau awakened in his rented room above the assay office, he vowed never to return to the opium den. Still, something good had come out of the dreadful experience: instead of being troubled by images of Kuan-yin, he had pleasing thoughts of Meilin.
"Meilin," he said aloud, enjoying the sound of her name.
"What's that you said?" his employer asked.
"Nothing," Chen Lau replied. "I was just repeating the name of a girl I met last night. Meilin."
"Ah, Yellow Doll," the older man said with a smile.
"Yellow Doll?"
"It is what many of the white men call her."
Chen Lau's pulse raced.
"You know her?"
"Almost everyone in the Badlands knows of Yellow Doll. She is considered by many to be the most beautiful girl in Deadwood."
"But who is she?"
"She works in Qingsheng's saloon."
"You mean she is a common dance hall girl?" Chen Lau asked in surprise, having assumed she was either the wife or daughter of a well-to-do Chinese businessman.
"There is nothing common about Yellow Doll. Aside from her unequalled beauty, there is an air of mystery behind her painted face. No one knows where she came from or even if Meilin is her actual name. There is talk that she is the disgraced daughter of a wealthy Chinese merchant or landlord. There are even rumors that she is related to the Empress Dowager Cixi."
"What would a relative of the Empress of China be doing in a mining camp in Deadwood?"
"You know how rumors are. No doubt many stories told about Yellow Doll are made up by other girls who are envious of her. I'm sure there is no truth to them. Meilin is probably nothing more than a poor Mui Jai sold by her parents in China."
"When I saw her," Chen Lau argued, "she was dressed in fine clothes, and she was wearing jewelry."
"I would assume they were gifts from an admirer, most likely a miner who had a lucky claim. But what is your interest in Meilin?"
"I want to make her my wife," replied Chen Lau, who always spoke truthfully.
"And what of the girl you are promised to back in China?"
"Shu Han cannot compare to Meilin. Where Meilin is like the stars that shine on a clear night, Shu Han is like the brown mud of a rice paddy."
"Many men aim for the stars without any hope of attaining them," the old man said wisely.
"Well, I would rather reach for the stars and walk away empty-handed then spend my life wallowing in the mud."
* * *
Although Meilin remained aloof with most people, Chen Lau's persistence in pursuing a friendship with her eventually paid off. He was patient and asked nothing of her except to be in her company. If she felt like talking, he would listen. If she didn't, he was content to enjoy a comfortable silence.
Still, they were friends for several months before Meilin finally opened up to Chen Lau.
"My parents had eleven children," she confessed. "The three older girls, of which I was one, were sent to San Francisco as servants. Unlike my sisters, I worked in a brothel on the Barbary Coast. One of my best customers was a miner who struck it rich. He bought me from the man who owned the brothel."
"You had no say in this matter?" Chen Lau asked.
"No more than I did when my parents sold me into servitude. But I didn't mind since the miner was a very wealthy man. For the first time in my life, I had plenty to eat. I treated him well, and he was generous in return. He bought me clothes and jewelry, and he took me to the finest places in San Francisco."
"What happened to him?"
A look of sadness appeared on Meilin's painted face.
"He was a jealous man, and because of my past he always believed the worst of me. If another man looked at me, he became angry."
Given Meilin's beauty, it was hard for Chen Lau to imagine any man not wanting to gaze at her face.
"Life with him became unbearable. He would be kind to me one minute, and the next he would beat me. Finally, I could stand it no longer. I took my clothes, my jewelry and a wallet filled with money and left in the middle of the night while he was passed out drunk. I saw a crowd of Chinese workers at a railroad station and tried to blend in with them when they boarded a train. That's how I wound up in Deadwood."
"I'm sorry that you were mistreated, but I'm glad you're here. Meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me."
Meilin heard the sincerity in the young man's voice and saw the earnestness on his face, and she was deeply touched. It was the first time she felt genuine affection for a man.
In the weeks that followed Meilin's confession, she and Chen Lau fell in love. Both of them were happy despite their crude surroundings. Although Chen Lau was not as jealous and possessive as Meilin's husband had been, he did not want the woman he loved working in such a dangerous place as the Badlands saloon. He was forced to make a difficult choice: to send money home to his family or to save it in hopes of giving Meilin and himself a new and better life.
After searching his heart, he chose Meilin.
* * *
In six months' time, Chen Lau managed to save enough money to purchase two train tickets to New York. He was sure that he would be able to find work in the East, but he wanted to put aside some extra funds before he and Meilin left Deadwood. He did not want to arrive penniless in an unknown city. Had he not been so cautious about his financial situation, the lives of the two lovers might have turned out much differently. Unfortunately, by delaying his departure and remaining in Deadwood, he had unknowingly sealed their fate.
While Chen Lau was sweeping the floor of the dry goods store one afternoon, he heard a woman's voice call his name. It was a voice he recognized, but it was not Meilin's. Filled with apprehension and hoping he had only imagined he heard the sound, he turned toward the door.
"Chen Lau!" Shu Han cried with joy and ran to embrace him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in horror, an emotion the young woman mistook for surprise.
"Your letters stopped coming, and no one knew what had become of you."
Curse me! Chen Lau thought angrily. I should have written to my family and given them a reason why I could no longer send money home.
"We were all so worried. We imagined the worst, especially after we learned of Kuan-yin's death."
Chen Lau cursed himself a second time. Why had he written to his parents about his friend's murder? He should have known they would worry about his safety.
"I had to come to America to see if you were all right."
Despite his anger and his love for Meilin, he was touched by Shu Han's concern. The girl had traveled halfway around the world to make sure he was safe.
"Now that you know I am unharmed you can return to China."
Shu Han laughed.
"Don't be silly! I plan on staying here with you. We can be married and ...."
"You can't stay here!" Chen Lau shouted.
His tone softened when he saw the wounded expression on Shu Han's face.
"It's far too dangerous here. Look what happened to Kuan-yin."
"Then why do you stay?"
"I can look after myself, but I can't promise I can keep us both safe."
"I don't care about danger as long as we can be together."
Chen Lau was exasperated. How could he abandon Shu Han to go to New York with Meilin?
Meilin! he suddenly thought. How do I explain Shu Han to Meilin? And how do I explain Meilin to Shu Han?
He had to hide Shu Han until he could talk to Meilin in private and explain about the marriage arrangement that he had no intention of honoring.
After a word with his employer, Chen Lau left the dry goods store and headed the short distance to his rented room. When he opened the door, he was stunned to see Meilin inside waiting for him.
"It is terrible!" she cried hysterically, unaware of Shu Han standing behind Chen Lau. "We must leave for New York immediately! We can't risk staying another minute."
"What is wrong?" Chen Lau asked his distraught lover, momentarily forgetting about the young girl from China.
"It is my husband. He is here in Deadwood! He was at Qingsheng's, asking about me. I don't know what he'll do to me if he finds me."
Chen Lau took Meilin in his arms and comforted her.
"You needn't fear, my love. I'll protect you. I'll kill him if I have to."
"Who is this woman?" Shu Han asked, her eyes gleaming with jealousy.
Meilin noticed the girl for the first time, and the same question came to her mind.
"This is Shu Han," he explained. "Our parents decided when we were children that we were to marry, according to the old customs of China. This is Meilin," he said, turning to the other woman. "She is the woman I love."
Shu Han bravely fought back her tears.
"Whether you love her or not, you will honor your promise and marry me."
"I can't marry you. I don't love you. I'm going to New York with Meilin."
"No, you won't," the normally sweet, docile girl cried defiantly. "She's already married to someone else. I'll go find her husband and see what he has to say about this arrangement of yours."
When Shu Han turned to leave, Chen Lau grabbed her by the arm. The girl screamed, and the more he tried to restrain her, the louder her cries became. Panicked, Meilin grabbed the cushion from Chen Lau's bed and put it over Shu Han's mouth. Despite her small stature, the girl from China put up quite a fight. It took the combined strength of Chen Lau and Meilin to silence her. In doing so, they inadvertently smothered Shu Han with the pillow.
"What are we to do?" Meilin sobbed. "If someone finds her body in your room, the authorities might hunt us down."
"Then we must hide the body."
"Where?"
Chen Lau thought a moment, and then a solution to all their problems came to him.
"We will wait until dark and then take her back to your place."
"Are you mad? They'll think that I killed her."
"No, they won't," he replied with a mysterious grin.
In the early morning hours, Chen Lau carried the small body of Shu Han through the dark alleyways to Meilin's quarters above Qingsheng's saloon. He insisted that, for her own safety, Meilin remain in his room. As he laid the dead girl on Meilin's bed, Chen Lau forced images of Shu Han as a laughing, innocent child from his mind.
Steeling himself for the grim task at hand, he retrieved the sack he'd placed in the room earlier that evening. He removed Shu Han's simple peasant dress from the body and replaced it with one of Meilin's colorful, elaborately embroidered outfits. Then he put one of Meilin's necklaces around Shu Han's neck and a ring on her finger. Lastly, he applied Meilin's paint to the dead girl's face.
"Forgive me, Shu Han," he said as he reached into the sack and took out an ax. "If only you had stayed in China, none of this would be necessary."
With one strong, swift stroke, Chen Lau managed to part both Shu Han's feet, so different from Meilin's tiny bound feet, from the corpse. Then he turned the ax around and with the blunt edge struck the painted face several times. The mutilation of Shu Han's body, though disrespectful to the dead girl, was necessary. There must be no doubt in people's minds that the remains were those of Yellow Doll.
* * *
Heads turned when the beautiful Asian girl arrived in New York. Despite the simple peasant dress she wore and her complete lack of face paint, Meilin was still an exquisite woman. Adopting the name Shu Han, she would eventually marry a Chinese merchant and become one of the wealthiest women in Chinatown.
Meanwhile, back in the Dakota Territory, after an elaborate funeral and a regal procession through town, the real Shu Han, who was believed to be the beautiful, mysterious Yellow Doll, was buried in Deadwood's Mt. Moriah Cemetery, minus her feet and far from her home in China. Rumors surrounding her murder ran rampant through the Badlands. Some people claimed the killer was the stranger who questioned employees and patrons of Qingsheng's saloon concerning Meilin's whereabouts. Others declared it had to be Chen Lau, given the fact that he disappeared around the same time the body was discovered. But the motives and identity of the killer were pure conjecture. No one ever solved the murder of Yellow Doll, and the crime eventually became one of the legends of the Old West town.
And what of Chen Lau? Fearful that the presence of a suspected murderer might endanger the woman he hoped to protect, he gave all the money he had saved to Meilin so she could start a new life in the East. Destitute, alone and bearing the guilt for the terrible fate that had befallen Shu Han, not to mention his heartbreak over the loss of Meilin, he left the Badlands and headed west.
After a brief sojourn in San Francisco, he returned to China. He told everyone in the village that Shu Han had succumbed to a fever shortly after arriving in Deadwood, but that she had died a happy woman. He spent the rest of his long life in the small village of his birth, toiling in the rice paddies, never marrying and never complaining about the hardships he encountered in life.
In his later years, younger men would look to him for inspiration.
"How can you remain so stoic in the face of adversity?" they would inquire.
Chen Lau would smile at the memory of a painted face from his past and reply, "Although I have wallowed in the mud for most of my life, there was a time when I dared reach for the stars and managed to touch one."
This story was inspired by the actual unsolved murder of a young Chinese girl nicknamed Yellow Doll (or China Doll) in Deadwood in 1876.
Salem enjoys visiting China. There, they consider him an object of good luck rather than bad!
