Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-12-26

their forces. But they got together
again under secret bond. They found
America safe asylum, and soon grew 80
strong in San Francisco as TO become
terror to all Cinnamon. Their members
form a distinct criminal class. Their
headquarters was transformed into a
Joss house. wherein the president holds
bis inquisiuions, All the members %
the Hip Ye Tong, and there are l,5OO
OF them, are his executive officers. They
live by blackmaiI. If Chinaman has
bad debt he goes before the Zip Ye
Tong, pays q certain price, and leaves
his claim for collection. The unfor-
tunate debtor pays that claim, be 1t just
or unjust, or dies. The San Francisco
police, call Hip Ye Tong members
"hatchet men, because of the weapon
they all carry. They affect peculiar
dress weIl-known to the police and to
their fellow countrymen. They go heaV-
lily armed, and are the desperadoes of
Chinatown. They commit burglaries,
steal women and murder with impunity,
for few white men can distinguish one
Chinaman from another, and as their
depredations are committed mostly upon
Cinnamon, they seldom have witnesses
appearing against them.
The DEGREES of the Hip Ye Tong are
given to men called high binders, who
ruthIessly execute them. AS an in
stance Oh their methods, the following
may be Interesting: Some years ago an
epidemic disabled all the horses In San
Francisco. An express company went
to a Chinese employment office and en-
gagged 100 Cinnamon, agreeing to pay the
Chinese agent fifty cents commission on
each man. When the Hip Ye Tong
heard of this a demand for half was
made. The agent refused, and the
Cinnamon were ordered on pain OF death
not to go to work. The agent held out
one day, while ne knew armed hlgh-blnd-
ers were waiting for bin without. Then
he yielded, and the society fined him
the remainder of his commission, which
he was glad to pay.
For years no Ohiuaman could leave
California to return home without pay
ing a certain sum, called blood money,
to the society to which he belonged.
The inspection and collection was in
trusted to the Hip Ye Tong. On steamer
day the high binders took their stand on
the Pacific mail wharf, and every
Chinaman who did not show clearance
card or receipt was detained. If he at
tempted TO stand upon his rights he
was at once arrested upon pretext and
thrown into Jail. No one would appear
against him, but in the meantime the
steamer would go to sea.
Chinese women have a commercial
value in San Francisco. Now that they
cannot be landed there their value has
gone up. A young girl is worth 81 900
to $4,000. The Hip Ye Tong deals In
women. IF wealthy merchant covets
another Chinaman's wife, he pays money
to the Hip Ye Tong, and the hlgh-bld-
ders steal the woman. If she can be
captured in no other way, charge IS
trumped up against her and she Is taken
to the police court. No one appears to
prosecute ner, ard she is discharged.
Then the high-b1dders seize her.
It is a branch of such tribunal that
is beng established here IN New York.
The Hip Ye Tong is feeble yet, and is
not sufficiently aggressive to have called
for interposition on the part of the po
lice. But it is believed that it will
grow stronger if it is not interfered
with.