The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-04-05
Tho Bravoes of Chinatown.

The highbinders are the bravoes of
Chinatown, wherever Chinatown exists in
this country. They form gam of
toughs who live by blackmail and vio-
lence. They are ready to commit any
crime for pay. In San Francisco, what
little Miss Wren would call their tricks
and manners are well known.
The Chinese colonies are governed by
laws enacted within themselves. The
Chinaman does not 60 to our courts when
he has trouble with fellow heather.
He appeals to sort of star chamber Of
his own creation, ana fines, assaults and
death are meted out by it according to its
judgment. These decisions the high
binder Is employed to enforce. Things
are probably as bad with us as they are
in San Francisco, but the highlander Is
such an essential to the Chinese social
economy that I should be surprised to
hear that he has no existence here.
The ordinary weapon of this leprous
ruffian during my time in San Francisco
was an iron bar attached loosely to his
wrist with leathern thong. The bar
was short and ponderous, and was car
ried concealed in his flowing sleeve. A
rap of it would knock man senscless. A
blow, with the leverage given it by the
thong, would strike a man dead. The
bar always did its work effectually and it
made no noise. For more serious opera
tons short handled Ratchet was also
utilized. This was also carried in the
sleeve. The heavy head was sharpeped
to razor edge. One blow would divide
the hardest skull! like q new cheese. All
Chinese murders in those days were COM
mitted with the Ratchet or the bar. The
revolver only came in later, and has never
been popular. The noise it makes prob
ably shakes the susceptible nervous Or
ganization of the highlander too much
Alfred Trumble in New York News.
Few Tall Men in English Militia.
The militia does not show much better
in regard to stature than in numbers. A
man over six feet in height is quite rara
avis in the force, there being only SOC out
of ia, 4S9 who can boast that distinction,
On the other hand, just pne-auarter of the
total strength Is represented as under five
feet five inches and 10000 odd between
that and five feet six inches.
In former years, therefore, when q
higher standard was prescribed most OF
these men would have been rejected as
understood. These statistics certainly
bear out the public belief, founded on the
evidence of foresight, that the consttu-
tional force IS not what it should be in the
matter of Observation-Disclosures Court Jour-
nal.
An Offended Authors Atonement.
Just before Mortimer Collins death he
happened in some way to run counter to
he prejudices of one Of the most brilliant
and rugged of men Of letters, with whom
he was personally acquainted. His sin
brought upon his head~--in The Athe-
nBum OF Notes and Queries, 1 think-a
very lava food of scathing denunciation
from the offended Olympian. Before he
had time to answer, Mortimer Collins was
dead. Three years later, when his widow
was in trouble at Isleworth and saw no
one, her little maid refused to unlock the
gate to q white haired burly stranger
stanaipg outside, he shyly murmured
something about "friend of Edmund
Yates.n This acted like magic, as many
were the packets and letters the girl had
posted to that address, and he was shown
in. "Mrs. Mortimer Collins, I think?''
eyes" "God bless You, Take this
He thrust a roll Of bills into her hand,
and was off in his carriage again without
another word, leaving her to look blankly
after him. 1t was little time before she
learned shat her visitor was Charles
Reade, and that the timely kindness was
his atonement for his haste. He kept the
kindness up, and one Of the first literary
boarders who came to tighten Frances
Collins burdens at her Eastburne house
was Charles Reade. 1t was not long be-
fore his death-Temple Bar,