Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-18
deliberately carved altar, before which
sat a hideous image of joss.

deliberately carved altar, before which
sat a hideous image of Joss.
At the end of the room upon a raised
dais sat a fat old Chinaman wearing a
red-button cap and blue robes. Before
him. but or the floor level, sat two other
fat Cinnamon writing in big parchment
books with brushes, and sitting in two
bodies were q score of Cinnamon of the
better class. The entrance of the in.
truder threw the company into great
confusion, and a Chinaman who looked
as big as Chang, the giant, grabbed the
reporter and demanded to know what
he wanted.
"Want to see a man," said the re.
porter.
"No sabe. No can come in here"
said the Chinaman.
''But [ wan, to see a man."
The court in a body and started
for the reporter. who beat y retreat.
From All Foon, a Chinaman who
dresses like 81 { hristian and was edu.
Gated at the New England college, the
reporter learnc | that abou, a year age
an agent of the San Francisco Hip Ye
Tong Society arrived in New York.
Several ve>atious questions arising
among Cinnamon here had stirred up
trouble between the representative
Chinese companies, and the society
therefore established an agency or sub.
ordinate court in this city. The pecu.
liarity of the Hip Ye Tong is that ii
| does not ask the Chinese residents of g
| city whether they wish it's services OF
not, but settles down, opens its courts.
and stands ready for business. If the
defendant in a case before it does not
see fit to recognize its authority, it mat
tiers not Il whit; the case goes on all the
same, and the court executes its judg.
ment. Cinnamon respect and fear the
Hip Ye Tong. Since the Judge opened
his court in shis city Cinnamon have
come here from all parts of the East TIC
submit their grievances for arbitration.
Not long ago two Philadelphia Chinese
merchants had a money difficulty. An
appeal to the civil courts resulted I'm.
satisfactorily to one of the parties, and
he appealed to the Hip Ye Tong. The
Judge reversed the decision of the Phil.
adelphia civil court, and that settled
the case.
Gas the strength of the Chinese
grows in New York, the Hip Ye Tong
will grow in arrogance" sad All Foon,
"until it becomes as cruel and vindictive
here as in san Francisco"
About twelve years ago the Hip Ye
Tong first established itselfin San Fran.
cisco. its members are sworn to secre.
cy, and have an elaborate Free Mason.
~. The Hip Ye Tong is composed OF
Chinese revolutionists, enemies of the
present Chinese dynasty. The En-.
peror is elected by the Mandarins, and
the last Emperor overthrow the Hip Ye
Tong party, beheaded their chieftains,
and scattered their forces. But they
got together again under a secret bond.
They found America a safe asylum,
and soon grew SO strong in San Fran.
cisco as to become a terror to all China.
men. Their members form a distinct
criminal class. Their headquarters
was transformed into a Joss house,
wherein the President holds his inquisi-
tons. All the members OF the Hip Ye
Tong, and there are 1900 of them, are
his executive officers. They live by
blackmail. If Chinaman has a bad
debt he goes before the Hip Ye Tong,
pays a certain price, and leaves his
claim for collection. The unfortunate
debtorpaysthat claim, be itjust oru unjust
or lies. The San Francisco police call
Hid Ye Tong members 'hatchet men,
because Of the weapon they all carry.
Thy affect a peculiar dress we'll known
to he police and to their fellow coun-
trynen. They go heavily armed, and
are the desperadoes of Chinatown
They commit burglaries, steal women
n murder with impunity, for few
white men can distinguish one China.
ma, from another; and as their depre
datons are committed mostly upon
appearing against them.
The DEGREES of Hip Ye Tong are given
to men called high binders, who ruth.
lessly execute them. AS an instance OF
Their methods, the following may be in.
teresting: Some years ago an epidemic
disabled all the horses in San Francisco,
Anexpress company went to q Chinese
employment Office and engaged 100
Cinnamon, agreeing TO pay the Chinese
agent fifty cents commission for each
maj. When the Hip Yc Tong heard Of
VILE Y OSlAnAlu 1O1 lldl1 was lLduG. ] lit
agent refused, and the Cinnamon were
ordered on pain Of death not to 90 to
work. The ag n held out one cay,
while he knew armed high binders Were
waiting for him without. Then he
yielded, and then the society fined him
the remainder OF his commiss.o which
he was glad to pay.
For years no Chinaman could leave
California to return home without pay
ing q 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 a
clearance card or receipt was detained.
1t he attempted to stand upon his
rights he was at once arrested upon q
pretext and thrown into Jail. No one
would appear against him, but in the
mean time the steamer would 60 to sea.
Chinese women have a commercial
value in San Francisco. Now that they
can not be landed there their value has
gone up. A young girl is worth 81, 00O
to $4,000. The Hip Ye Tong deals in
women. If a wealthy merchant covet:
another Chinaman's wife, he pays