The National tribune., 1889-10-17
CHINESE HIGHBINDERs.
Reign OF Terror Established in the MalaysIar
Colonies,

News from Singapore, India, shows that a
vertable reign of terror prevails in that section
| OF the globe-espeeially among European resi-
| dents-on account of the renewed activity of the
Chinese secret societies. and there really seems to
| be danger of a renewal of the troublous times OF
several years ago. Throughout the whole Ma
| laysan country and colonies these societies
have greatly increased in the past few years
in power and numbers, while in China they
| almost threaten the Imperial Government
| itself. The laws against them have not relax
| ed their severity, for in China it is capital
oliense to belong to of these societies, while
| IN adjacent countries, whether under native or
European rule, it is serious penal offense.
| But, Notwithstanding these strict laws and Sc
| we're penalties, Cinnamon join these societies as
naturally as he eats rice with chop-sticks, and
no law which has yet been enacted can prevent
| him, as the membership in China alone is num-
bered by millions, while in the colonies it is
| proportionately to the entire population, much
! larger still.
| These men are all outlawed or would
be II their connection with the societies
were known. As a counterblast to their
own outlawry, the societies have decreed
| that all Cinnamon who do not join them are
their enemies, and have consequently out
lawed all persons not members, SO that between
the two evils most Cinnamon prefer to incur
| the wrath of the Government TO that of the
anu uHlHeStlouHDlV inc CHOICE 10
n wise one.
| In China il is not an uncommon thing for
| some OF these societies to create considerable
instruction. They will sack whole city, or
throw an entire province into anarchy, and
| such outbreaks have lately increased in fire.
! quency. They are, of course suppressed with
unsparing severity all the partcipators that
are caught being put to death, the ringeaders
with torture added but even this does seem to
deter other reyolts, as scarcely week passes
| without some outbreak, aud in some provinces
| society and business have been in panicky
condition for the past two or three years.
| Only the presence of large bodies of British
| troops and several ships Of war has saved
Singapore from being sacked by one of the
largest of these societies, the Ghee Hin, and the
city of Bangk ok, the Capital of SIAM only a
| few weeks ago WIS the scene of two days
| battle between one Of the societies and the au-
| thorities, in which 700 of the outlaws were
slain together with about 200 Government
troops.
| The news of these doings will he regarded
with interest in America. because probably one
! half OF all the Cinnamon who have settled
here belong to some of these societies. The
notorious Chez Hin is the most numerously
represented. Nearly all of the San Francisco
| Highbnders belong TO the Chez Hin, a body
| that numbers hundreds of thousands of MEM
bers in China and the Malay countries, and
| whose history rccks with crime and outrage.
Ostensibly these organizations have religious
or political character or are formed for purposes
of mutual benefit. Actually they are formed
| for nothing else than the sake of lawlessness,
and their members are Extensively and defen-
| sively allied for criminal pursuits. They are
/ all oath.bound 10 secrecy. often in the most
fantastic or repulsive manner. In American
/ and European courts. in taking the oaths OF
| Cinnamon such practices ms cutting off fowls
! head or burning bit of paper, have some
| times been allowed in lieu of kissing the Bible.
! Some have supposed that these were the regu-
/ lar forms Of judicial oaths employed in the
| Chinese courts of law. Such however is not
! the case. They are merely gone of the mider
and less loathsome forms Of swearing employed
| by the secret societies. In the White Lilly So
| cety tooth is drawn from the members jaw
at the moment of taking the oath of initiation.
and others prescribe still more abominable
/ physical mutilatiors. The fate of a member
| who botrays his fellows is terrible in the ex-
/ treme. In the Ghee Hin he is starved TO death,
his agonios being intens fed by his being forced
| to drink blood drawn from his own veins, and
| cat flesh cut from his own limbs