New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-30
BURIAL OF LEE YU DOC.
LAST HoNoRs TO THE BLACK FLAGS CHIEF.
WITH BANDS PLAYING AND BANNERS FLYING
THE PROCESSION GOES THROUGH THE
STREETs-A NOR AT THE GRAVE

Never in America, say the Cinnamon Of Mott
ST., has one of their countrymen been buried
with such elaborate ritual and graveyard cere-
mony as attended the burial yesterday Of the
dead General Of the Black Flags Lee Yu Doc.
Seventy carriages filled with Cinnamon followed
the body from Mott-st to the Chinese plot in
Eversreens Cemetery. Four Cinnamon had
watched the black cloth-covered coffin in Naugh-
toms undertaking shop at No. 81 hottest, for
the ten days since the cheit1in died. their meals
being brought in TO them.
At IL o'clock yesterday morning the services
began in the little shop. On tables in the place
were placed frosted confectionery, three roast
Chickens young pig, cooked brown, and bowls
OF rice, two wicller-covered bottles of wine, and
numberless plates of preserves. Large bouquets
OF white flowers and a costly pillow OF i'm
mortees added their aroma to the incense Of
burning ioss-stcks The coffin lid open,
and scattered on the breast of the dead General
were cardboard praying cards to keep away the
evil spirits.
THE DRESS OF CHINESE PRIESTS
First came five or six solcmn-faced Mongolians
| arrayed in gorgeous blue tunics with blue trou-
sers wrapped tightly around their legs below the
knees These were priests and they ministered
oil and rice to the communicates. who drifted
into the shop in pairs, clad in purple and yellow,
until the place filed with them. After
| the priests had finished with the rice and wine, a
| Masonic ceremonial was held, oficiated over by
a Masonic chief from this city and one from
| Chicago, for the dead man was Mason Of high
degree, and the square and compass between the
two columns capped by globes were engraved
on the silver lid of his coffin along with his name
and the date of his birth and death Banners
and lanterns, and two Chinese bands of four
| MIC IN no he
ROOM The cymbals crashed and two withered
Cinnamon pounded brass gong and drum
continuously, and one musician performed on
| flute and one on Chinese fiddle during the last
ceremony. Twelve pall-bcarers in yellow blouses
chanted drge in memory of the dead, In which
all his good deeds were mentioned
| At 2 o'clock hearse drawn by four black
| horses drove up to the front door and the pail
| bearers lifted up the coffin and carried it to the
hcarse, while Lowelrs band (whitel played dirge.
Then a Chinaman dressed in black with black
and red turban about his head and prayer cards
| in his hands climbed up beside the driver of the
hearse and the procession formed and at o'clock
| started for the cemetery struggling crowd of
ten thousand people cholsed Mott-st to see it
start and crowds viewed the strange spectacle all
| along the route. Six broad-shouldered policemen
cleared the way and after them came mounted on
gray horses three Chinese marshals. One rode in
| advance of the other two and carried an American
sword wore National Guard sash and belt and
bore aloft gorgeous heart-shaped paper banner
with the words Lung Gee Tong" on it and the
letters &C T. NJ. s." This was the banner of the
society to which the dead man belonged The
banner pictured the sacred front of the Ticn San
Mountain. Next followed LOwcll's band playing
a dirge then came Cinnamon with black turbans
with the ends hanging down each side of them
like iags. great red triangular banner with
scaoped white border OvertOpped everything else
A gray horse with black funeral trappings and
empty cavalry saddle was led along just ahead of
the hearse. The two Chinese bands in stages came
after the hearse, and they pounded and thumped
vigorously all the way to the cemetery. About
twenty different embiems were borne in the pro-
cesslOn, including an American lag. The royal
umbrella, borne only at funerals of those of royal
blood was in the lot, as was tall board, bearing
in Chinese characters on it history of the dead
mans deeds from the cradle to the grave.
ON THEIR WAY TO THE CEMETERY
As this unique procession with the strange
banners and mystic characters the dscordant
music of the two Chinese bands and the brilliant
garments Of the Chinese wound along Henry-st.
to the Grand-st ferry, the sidewalks were impass-
pblc from the people who thronged to see it. The
procession was full half mile long, and it took
four fcrryboats to take the party across the East
River All along the way the Cinnamon on the
bcarse scattered prayercards to delay the evil
spirits Rarely has there been such sensation
in Williamsburg as the procession created passing
along Broadway.
At the cemetery throng of several thousands
of men, women and children fought, pushed,
struggled and at each other in an effort
to witness the heather rites OF burial Heathen
as they were, it was dlsgraceful spectacle.
The mob struggled over the grave, so that IL was
with difficulty that the burial was effected. But
the coffin was lowered at last, and the earth
piled in upon it, The heart-shaped banner formed
the ad-piece, the pole being planted beside the
coffin Then venerable Monaghan Lit a fire,
and in ten minutes enormous bonfire was burn
ing All the emblems carried in the procession
were cast on the fire and burned, every dag eX
cept the American ensign was consumed. Then
each Chinaman began stripping himself of his
funeral regalia white gloves, sashes turbans
and TUNES thrown into the blaze and con-
sumed.
a big wad of imitation money was tossed in
meant 10 fool the evil spirits. A trunk, with
the effects Of the dead man., shared the same
fate; Then flowers were planted above the
newly made grave and three roast chickens and
bowls of rice and little finger cups were laid
aonsdc, while two bottles of wine were poured
on the damp earth and all was over. Each
Chinaman made an obeisance. Scarcely had the
last of the Cinnamon turned their backs before
the mob had stripped the grave of the food left
there to be eaten by the dead General of the
Black Flags, to be used to propitiate the evil
spirits. There was rumor that Lee iu Doc
had $500 in his left hand when buried and there
is general belief that his grave will be tempered
with before many more suns rise.
The Chinese belief is that the ghosts Of the
burned banners will follow the ghost OF the dead
warrior to the other world. They think that the
imitation money will become good money in the
other world, though it fools the spirits in the
meantime.
WHEN HAWTHORNE WROTE "THE SCARLET
LETTER.
From The St. Louis Globe Democrat
Good out Of evil found pretty illustration In the