The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-08
The Secret Hip We Tong.

For some months it has been believed
in certain quarters that the Chinese
have in this city a secret tribunal. or
court, which has both original and final
jurisdiction, and whose DEGREES are alb
solutr Several civil cases that have
been begun in the various regular courts
have Eeen mysteriously withdrawn,
without settlement, and a number of
other cases have been settled in curl
Gus fashion by the litigants, to the great
justification of their attorneys 1t has
come to be understood among police
nen stationed near Mott street that
here is a Chinese court somewhere, and
Sun reporter set out to find this court
vt No. IS Mott street is thrce-story
Prick building, with a high wooden
toop in front. Over the third-story
yindows hangs a red and g.d sign,
right with bits of scarlet bunting. Its
abalistic characters convey no inteili-
ence to Americans. Ask the few white
esidents in the neighborhood what the
lace is, and they will say that it is q
hinese club room. The policeman on
ne beat will say he thinks it is a Chinese
iasonic lodge room. The fat and
told storekeeper down stairs will look
nnOcently through his round, horn
immed spectacles, gurgle mo sabe, "
md shut the door in the inquirer's face.
Having the idea that this was the
Jlace he was in search of, the
eporter ran up stairs to the top story
Is Mott street without encountering
any one. The first two stories are dirty
md ill-smelling, but at the third story
sudden transition takes place. The
lall floor is covered with soft mating,
nd the walls with bright paper splashed
with gold, while q huge Chinese Ian
ern lights up the passage. A broad
conway, flanked on either side by red
crolls with notices written upon them
n black, terminates the hall. The re-
porter opened the door and stepped in.
1t was a large, double room divided by
an arched partition. The floor was car
peted with Turkish carpet. the walls
we're hung with scrolls, swords, battle
axes and spears. The furniture was of
teak wood, richly carved, and consisted
of settees and chairs, set against the
walls in solemn array, with an ebony
table about two feet square between
each two chairs. Carved lanterns hung
from the ceiling. and wax candles and
pelfumed punk burned in front of an
ehborately carved altar, before which
sat hideonS image of joss.
at the end of the room upon raised
dais sat fat old Chinaman wearing
red-button cap and blue robes. Before
him, but on the floor level, sat two other
fat Cinnamon writing in big parchment
books with brushes, and sitting in two
bodies were score of Cinnamon of the
better class. The entrance of the in
truder threw the company into great
confusion, and Chinaman who looked
as big as Chang, the giant, grabbed the
reporter and demanded to know what
he wanted.
"Want to see man. said the re-
porter.
r mo sabe No can come in here
said the Chinaman.
"But l want to see man.
The court arose in body and started
for the reporter, who beat a retreat.
From All Foon, a Chinaman who
dresses like a Christian and was edu-
Gated at the New England college, the
reporter learned that about year ago
an agent of the San Francisco Hip Ye
Tong Society arrived in New York.
Several vexatious questions arising
among Cinnamon here had stirred up