Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-24
CONTIGUOUS, REST IN PEACE.
Omaha Chinamen Celebrate His
Death and Frighten Policemen.
THOUGHT 1T WAS AN OPIUM DEN
How ormsby and Savage Visited a
Chinese Funeral Anniversary
and Were Frightened
Into Spasms.
they kaided a Chinese Lodge Room.

They kntNcd n Chinese Lodge HOOm.
Officers Ormsby and Savage have had an
experience, and any one reading this tale
will readily understand why grey hairs are
50 frequent in their erstwhile glossy growths
of raven black and chestnut brown. The
event happened yesterday morning about
holfpast 3 o'clock aud was both novel and
exciting in fact extremely so.
AT the hour mentioned the two officers left
the police station for the purpose of making
general round up of the city. While
passing Central hall, on Fourteenth street,
between Douglas and Dodge, they noticed
pair of Cinnamon standing near the entrance
When the latter noticed theofficers ono of them
fed down Fourteenth, while his companion
vanished up the stairway.
"Catch the fellow in the hall, Savage
shouted OrmsbJ as he gave chase to the fly
ing celestial. At Fifteenth and Farnam
Ormsby caught his man by the pig-tail and
turned him over to the policeman on the
beat with instructions to hold him until he
(Ormsby) returned. Then he retraced his
steps to the hall. On the pavement he met
Savage.
"My God Tom" calculated the latter
whose face was ashy pale, "Thcre IS one of
the most awful sights up there ever saw"
Visions of opium joints flashed through
Ormsbys mind At last they had
succeeded IN getting on the track
of the fiends who were wreck
ing body and soul IN inhaling the fumes of
the hellish drug. Soon he would have the
patrol wagon loaded with the forms of the
unconscious victims of the baleful habit ana
would land them safely behind the bars.
But he would take one look at the smoking
room before sending for the wagon.
IJp the stairs he bounded followed bV his
brother officer and into the room or hall into
the third story The sight he saw froze ms
blood, but the subsequent actions on the part
of the inmates of the room did more than
that, they paralyzed him.
There were about seventy-five Mongolians
in the hall, arrayeu in various costumes
Some were dressed in the habiliments of
woe, others were armed to the teeth with the
crooked creeses of the east and others were
attired in the mostfantastic costumes imagln-
able.
In the center of the room was a huge idol,
four faced and terrible to behold, while
around it were what appeared to be priests
burning joss sticks and chanting something
mysterious in their musical alarm clock lam
guage. In each corner OF the room were
groups sitting in circles burning incense,
while near the entrance stood an armed
guard.
The officers made lunge as they entered
the door and broke through the guard So
sudden was their appearance that for time
the assemblage was so surprised that no one
seemed able TO act. Then the sound OF
tom-tom awakened the echoes and up sprung
every man in the room giving vent as he did
so to strage unearthly cry.
"Boo ya!n "boo ya'' they shrieked and q
dozen Chinese swords were raised to strike
them down.
"Fly for your lifer' shouted Ormsby,
Twelve struck lodge of Free Masons put
ting fellow through the thirty-third de-
gree"
But the Cinnamon would not let them fly
and kept up their yens of boo va until as a
last resort Ormbsy flashed his star.
''Chin wan tally min. Mclean manda-
rin," said someone ana everybody quieted
down. Then Chinaman who knew Ormsby
came to the front.
"Allee lightee Mistle Pleeceman," said he
"Chiuaman alice samee celeblate, Confucius
he die long time ago to-day, Cinnamon alice
samee celeblate. Washee alice day, cele-
blate at nightee."
Then Ormsby and Savage went out. 1t
appears now that yesterday was the ami
versary of Confucius' death and that accord
ing to custom the Chinese were holding the
ceremony which takes place each year.