Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-19
DEATH TO TRAITORS.
SOCIETIES WHO CONDEMN TO DEATH FOR
BREACHES OF TRUST.
The Famous six Chinese societies-Embez'
xismsnt Means Certain Dsath-Ths
Heather Highbinder

spector Newcomo the other day.
"People die who are not sentenced TO
death under United State laws, but have
offended against something which our
Government does not recognize.
IL ia well worth while to lind out why
they die, and what means are employed
to encompass their death. 10 this II Is
necessary to inquire into the home ira
ditions Of class OF people who come
here. not to become citizens OF the
United States, but 10 earn and learn
what they can and go back. The China
man expects to return when he omDarks
for the United States He maybe
generally does-change his mind after
he gets here, but he comes with an idea
that he will be Chinaman while ne re-
mains here, and that he will be glori-
fed Chinaman when he roturns.
What does no do when he gets here
There is one rule only 10 China. No coun-
try under the Buddhist rulo is more en-
shaved to custom than the Chinese. No
rule is more potent than that of trades and
classes. Every class and every trade
embodies itself in an ASSOCIATION when
will protect itself because 1t has the
power under Chinese law to do it. And
because the Chinese law legslizes the
fact. our Chinese population live up to
tho idea that trade, class, or society
has absolute power over Its members.
What ore these societiesf
There are two largo societies in New
York and several small ones, their mem
bership running from 500 far up into the
thousands, and as general rule 1t Will
be found that wherever any considerable
number of Chinaman have settled as
residents one or more such societies will
be established. They nro sll similar IN
character, and, so far as they may be do
scribed in q general way, they are some
thing between our trades union and oar
Masonic Relief Association, with some
resemblance to European town III the
Middle Ages.
The two largo societies here are the
Lon.Gee-ToDg, which has its headquar-
tiers at No. 10 Pell street, and the -,
whose rooms are at 2l0 chatham square,
Ab uRo disco ODuPcs.
The Lop-Gee Tong Society is organ
lied much as secret societies are banded
together among Americans. 1t has some
secrets to be held inviolable by It's mem
bors under the sanctity of numerous
oaths and as many deaths heads and
cross-bones as in any association of Mel
lean man. 1t has board OF officers who
are elected from time to time. and have
like functions as our officers, with the
addition that they act on occasions both
as executive and as financial commit
tees. There is no treasurer IN the sense
that we understand it, for, either
from fear of robbery, or, as the Chi
nese claim, for the purpose OF avoiding
temptation, the funds Of the society are
kept in a safe to which there are as many
locks ms there are officers. To each lock
there is one key only, which is the pro
perty of an officer during his term in
Office. Tho wisdom OF this precautlon
is shown by the fact that in the forty
wears that have elapsed since the Chinese
came TO America only one defalcation Of
such funds has occurred, and that was
for trifing amount The safe OF the
Lon Gee-Tong IS a curious sight, having
no less than five special combination
padlocks attached, besides the regular
combination lock Of the safe itself.
The society, like oil which are IN good
working order, employs its own physi-
clan by the year, whose duty 1t IL, be-
sides giving medical attendance to ell
sick members, to supply necessary medi-
cines. and, in some cases, TO superintend
the cooking, or even himself to cook the
delicacies and special articles of diet do
manded in each case. Every member OF
the society when sick receives without
cost the physicians attendance, his medl-
cines, and his food. This Is not all.
After he is we'll enough to get out OF bed,
until he has fully recovered, he receives,
also without cost, the constant attend
ance OF some fellow-member as a nurse
and assistant. The society providing
this attendant calls first for volunteers.
IL there is no volunteer q lottery IS held,
in which each member hss single num-
Der. and then, according to the numeri-
cal strength of the society, two, three,
or four men are drawn for each day, and
they serve. relieving one another like
soldiers on watch or policemen on beat.
When through sickness or for any
other reason a member desires to borrow
money he falls on the society for syn
dictate loan, and notice is forthwith
placed on the bulletin. 1t will read
something like this: "Wun Lung wants
800 for six months. Object: ITO start
laundry" Or, "Oblect: Sickness
from broken arm"
The moro wealthy members will proba-
bly, subscribe enough to mako MP the
desired sum, and the money Will be paid
over at once to the applicant. If. after
the lapse OF two or three months, ne has
put by say $50 toward the payment OF
his debt, he calls meeting OF his
creditors and tells them how much he
can pay. Then an auction is held. Some
one may have subscribed $50 and now
NAV need money. de viii bid SO, an
other will bid Sl8, and 50 on until some
one who il neediest OF all may bid $40,
and this the debtor pays over. In thus
way syndicate loan is often repaid far
below par.
Offences against the society are severe
ly punished. The worst OF these Is EN-
bezzlement of funds held IN trust Tor the
sick or dead. The punishment for this
is death whenever it can DO inflicted.
Hero the services OF the Highlander
come in. He is the society's execu-
TONER, having something of the func-
tons OF the sheriff OF an American
county. The authority OF his position
may be appreciated when it is remem-
bered that in China there is
neither code OF law as in Latin
countries, nor a written common
law az in England and America. Chi
nese law is custom, with the authority OF
| fifty Chinese communities. and has the
same legitimate right to infict death out
side of China as inside its limits, but in
New York and San Francisco the society
is the synonym for the community. This
is ut least partially shown by the fact
that the Chinese ambassadors or Consuls
in all foreign lands where there are large
Chinese settlements recognize the con.
stitutions OF the societies by exchanging
official courtesies and dinners with the
societies officials.
These societies, then, are not. as has
been so often reported, money-makinp