Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-11-19
G. P. LATHR0P'S LETTER.

Kept a little restaurant IN u basement at
Spring and Wooster streets was found "
/ ing beside one Of his tables dead and hor-
/ ribly mutilltcd. lie had been murdered
( in broad daylight in the very heart Of the
| city, and the assassin had disappeared
without leaving any trace of his identity.
The papers referred to the affair as "A
mystery which, like the Nathan murder,
viii probably never be fathomed But !
there are men in New York who know \
who killed Mr.. Nathan--it is said to be an q
open secret In criminal circles--and there I
are those who profess to know who {
killed the Chinaman. 5
There are in this country Il number of J
Chinese thugs whose business II is to /
Kill people for hire. They are called |
"high-bnders, and there are, perhaps, {
dozen OF them who travel from san
Francisco to New York, going wherever '
they are sent and doing their hideous
work quickly and mystcriously. Strange S
as II may appear, these high-binders are I
employed largely by Chinese merchants
to put delinquent debtors out of the way, s
and as the victims of these thugs are al u
ways frlghtiully mutlatcd their fate u
seems rs q warming to those who are be-
hind in their accounts t
How docs this strike you us develop q
mcnt Of "business methodist" We civil +
lied Americans have our own way of deal. j
Ing with debtors. We gently condemn L
them TO Imprisonment in Ludlow street q
lall or some other place OF sccluson, T.
where they anguish uuheard, 'tunhonored d
ana unsung, and, ! may add, untried o
The Chinese, more merciful, Kill the "
debtor and put him out of pain. | do not
see that the creditor, in either case. GETS /
any particular satisfaction Il
On New pnr'S dgy pyprv unnhnt Of "a
the Celestial colony is expected to settle Il
up with those to whom he owes money. n
II appears that the man who was killed c.
the other day neglected to do this, al h
though he was known to be well supplied w
with money \ short time ago San 81
Francisco Chinaman made his appearance "
in Mott street. Although he had no ylsi- 81
BILE means of support, he was well dressed 81
lived in good Celestial style and had a.
plenty OF money with which to indulge in Il
and opium smoking Old Mon +
golans wagged their heads mysteriouslv 81
and limited that the new conner was a III
"high binder" He remained in New OF
ork till day after the murder, and then ca
disappeared as suddenly as he had come. pr
That he had anything to do with the muir OF
der cannot be said, but il seems more
IMAM probable that the restaurant keeper z;
was the victim OF some assassin who was az
hired to put him out of the way ia
Last Saturday evening as was coming pI
out OF the thcatcr / met friend, who te
hooked his elbow into mnc and said ca
Come with me and Will Introduce YOU ID
to the schlarallla. They have their reg en-
ular weekly meeting tonight, and it's ct
great fun" ~
"And what may the schlarana bo?r b
inquired, MS
''lps sort of secret German society al
which was established in Prague n num- &C
per OF years ago, and now has branches pc
IN every leading city in Austria and Ger ST
many. 1t Is social organization. with
forms ana ceremonies which trayesty the NJ
solemn rites OF Free Masonry 1t is a w,
sixteenth century society, and adhcres nn
closely to the customs of that period. wi
us Official communications of to-day are CHI
dated 1880 instead of 1885, and the Ger on
man used at its meetings is that of 800 lif
years ago. The largest branch of the adj
society Is in Berlin, and the emperor of mt
Gcrmany Is member of it, He attends ha
Tue meetings once a year, and is said to
ENJOY himself hugely on those occasions ~
accepted my friend's'nyitation and In,
We went over to Third avenue and on
up flight OF stairs to a long lie
room above beer saloon. A man in Sa
fantastic garb, with a long staff in his zoo
manu. met us IN an anti-chambcr, and cit
placed upon our heads straw hats, looped an,
up WIN oyster shells We were carried con
WIN great pomp and ceremony down the COZ
room and arraigned before the Grand for
NlosulS VINO were seated at 4 table on rig
'..tiy plauorm. They wore brilliant ou
scarlet caps and sashcs. The president inc
leld wand OF Office in his hand. ON the rio
.aple IN front Of him was a plate of tiy
! rahKlurtcr sausage and potato salad. is
nc was recognized by my friends, who ags
5rlhhed AZ MIN IN an amablc manner she
)ut NJ did not relax his features. The STA
oppression on his face was similar 10 hel
mat OF a police justice when he saws cal
'len dollars or ten days" eig
nc welcomed us seriously in Sixteenth pri
'chtury Herman, and we drank beer from cor
'aIi bohcmlan glass, saying "I.u-luu as sci
ne Voucheu II TO our lips. This ceremo- ito
~ over, we were conducted 10 scots ot vcr
table which extended through the mid. cor
TIE OF the room and were duly ,installcd 80,
'ilErlins oil the first degree. l glanced ty.
pout thc room, and was amused and tiee
TO recognize, beneath fantastic But
the familiar faces of Ger mis-
Mans Whom | knew well about town If "
.hlohg them We're several actor and ar
myers from the Thala theatcr. A Lender the
,,n,ar ,'t", Mcl-khoWn theatrical CO.'S cur
romo nu y. Imo journalists and ia he
ntb. ,,i,h ,hn Ihcse crowded about us GER
oth win the utmost cordiality. AT the 10 ,
residents right hand was an enormous con
WI on his left small prison made Of ing
Hnnas' with wooden bars, and perhaps the
.Ebot il i. .t, her
Nv, Nv nat Is the prison fory" asked. had
Ell, the president can conGne any Gov
ne thcre whenever he wants, and The had
mil bo anu'e remain behind the bars thel
noI nc says something clever or signs $50,
boy,rn ~, tneIi nc Is released. See Il CO
,cf,ns, =, 7S ~ put that man in for neg the
tnd s,,re I'm, ar.i lIs Deer, autl
lcnt ona =, " .,, anld general merri- larc
bcn', one OF the singers was escorted TO