The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-08-24
POOLING THE EVIL ONE.
HOW THE FRIENDS OF LEE HEM
YOU SAVED THE CORPSE.

How a Dead Chlnaman IN new AOfk is
Laid at Rest-The Body Lying in State.
Scattering Bits of Paper Through the
Streets of the Metropolis.
Lee HEM You was dead, and Lee
Hem You was to be buried. The body
Of the Chinese gambler lay where he had
died. in a small, stuffy, rather squalid
room at / Mott street, next door to the
temple Of Joss. Death had not brought
pallor to the face. The skin was of that
yellow tint it had in life, in common
with the rest Of his race.
Lee Hem had killed himself-not by
sudden and violent means. His lungs
Il had been eaten away by opium smoking.
The face, as that of a cOnsumptive, was
pnched and drawn, and the high cheek
i bones were made still more prominent
i by the deep hollows of the cheeks.
For a time the body was alone. Lee
4 Henn's couutrymen avoid the dead when
ever possible. They do not neglect the
dead, however, Lee Henn's death had
been anticipated. Before he died other
Cinnamon had gone to James Naughton,
an undertaken in Mott street, and en-
4 gagged his services. By and by the I'M
dertaker came to prepare the body for
q burial, \ Chinaman is never buried in
d any garment he has worn in life. There
fore, new dark blue blouse, black,
oaggy trousers, new sandals and white
stockings were bought and put upon Lee
Hem.
Then his cue was wrapped loosely
around his neck, from left to right. and
On his head was placed a tight fitting
black skull cap, having at its top knob
Of red plush. After the body was placed
IN the coffin the room where it lay was
prepared for the visits Of the dead mans
1renQs, a tin pan filled with earth was
placed at the foot Of the coffin, as was
also a square piece of board.
THE PROCESSION.
All was ready. A group Of Cinnamon
entered Each one walked to the foot
VI J4e CONN chanting, and in the pan of
tafJn each man stuck a candle about six
inches long and as thick as a finger, and
piece Of punklike substance of the
,0dLleCer OF lead pencil On the wooden
~ TOaTd tney heaped a little pile of papers.
l1en the priest Of the temple Of Joss lit
.Ie candles, the punk and the papers. A
.IIch' peculiarly smelling smoke from
:u9 incense filled the little room and
nH'ed through the building as the Chi
u@'len cnanted. In five minutes the
s"-,,ll7S' punk and papers had burned
og"5 ana the Cinnamon went out. An
U,Aer group came in, and the same cere-
n2ly was repeated until all Lee Henn's
'-'9 ,- had taken their farewell.
~ 4, < : clock the undertaken came. and
par,. .liLe Tor the trip to Cypress Hills
Tyy.I'.ely on Long Island was at hand.
,,, -,'''H Ihe coffin We're placed a fan and
r5 ,lIloQS oOlong slips of rice paper. on
,'su ~ characters were written. and then
sea, ann was taken to the hearse. which
csr,i, q. 'Le mead Of procession of five
rg, l..7eS' On the windows of the car
fe,7, No. were pasted long slips of red
t,' covered with black characters
b,ss. wagon IN the rear were lifted a
boiled s''i' pig and several Jars of
b. +b, I've a Chinaman took his seat
friin Wv, ,,,nl l'garSe with the driver and the
n5 ~ was begun, Immediately the China
t5ro,r III 'ne top Of the hearse began
i ecrer r,7's more oblong pieces Of paper
hon NV with characters into the street
MI; " Jag which he carried.
H. 7. was TO protect the dead man
fTra -'D One always follows a dead
kit5 '+ "a. but before he can catch nm
ham, .I9 9earse and claim the dead
b. n;s sool he must pick up and read all
hearse. paper thrown from the
Br A. Ly4DING THE EVIL ONE.
T T,- Time theprocession had reached
Dne mr r,-. y fourth street ferry the Evil
he ba .,-s. nave been blocks behind hnt
k1gb+ ',27 just missed the ferry and he
ato S4 rS '2 As soon as the hearse @ 5co We
lbs Will ,o', lhe Chinaman scattered tbe
4aIl bl h. " lavish hand. A number of
ons q StEs' however, usurped the in fnn =.
lex m u, Il EVIL One, and scrambled 70
hnamHsn,D 2 PAPERS, thus throwing the
The e', ,ol INTO despair. IS 'l0
FER. wa ,on perched on the bearse how
the hear rlo al to the emergency. just
curse drove off the boat 5o +hna,r