The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-19
THE koLAo HUI.
a Secret Society That Makes Much Trouble

- SoS.OS s'USAoty Ahut makes
In China.
The Kolao Hui, tho secret society to
which the recent anti-foreign outrages
In the Yangste valley are attributed, is
at present tho most powerful of those
troublesome organizations in China. 1t
was founded in the turbulent and clan
nish province of Human, whence con-
siderable numbers of men are drawn
for the Chinese army. Unlike many
Chinese secret societies, it is non-rcli-
gious, and is largely military. 1t has
existed for about fifty years, and at
men on the imperial side in the TAPPING
rebellion.
AT first the object seems TO have been
mutual protection against the plumber
and eXtortion practiced by the civil Of
ficials in dealing with the pay and
maintenance of the troops. and this OBJ
ject is still preserved. Officers, as we'll
as private members. and the authori
ties who are supposed to have mis-
treated the troops, are punished by as
sassination, the destruction of their
houses and property, and of sudden
and destructive riots in their districts
1t is believed that the ceremony of mi
tiation consists in killing a cock and
drinking the blood, either alone or
mixed with wine. This has always
been Il common practice with all Chi
nese secret societies.
The Kolao Hui is also believed to i'm
port the mysterious and supernatural
into their proceedings by the use of the
planchetta, n pencil being suspended
over board sprinkled with sand in
such way that when moved the point
leaves marks in the sand. The move
ment is attributed to occult influence,
and the leader of the society present in
terprets the signs, which then take the
form in the mind of the members of
divine commands. The planchettc is,
therefore, kind of oracle, and has
played an important part in many
Chinese associations. The Kolao Hui
in course of time admitted to its MEM
bership persons who had no connection
with the army and it also enlarged its
objects. Whether the leaders thought
they saw danger to their country in the
presence of Europeans, or in the propa-
cation of Christianity in China, or
whether it vas merely part of their
policy for humbling and Furnishing
local officials, it is certain that the So
ciety has long been known rs anti
foreign, and especially anti-missionary.
The prosecutions of the French priests
and their congregations in Truman and
Szechnan for years past have been at
tributed to the Vaccinations of the
Kolao Hui. The members revenge
each others wrongs, and many join it
with that purpose only. The
%,o1- 90
a small oblong piece of linen
or calico stamped with few charac-
ters, two of them being the name
China The possession of these, if dis
covered, especially in troubled times,
is immediate execution at the hands of
the authorities frequently mem bersp
are enlisted by fraud. They are in
duced on one pretense or another to
sign their names in the innocent look
ing book, which turns out to be roll
of the members, and then they are
afraid to draw back lest the society
should take revenge. The subscrip-
tions vary and are not generally heavy;
when funds are needed more memb crs
are enlisted, sometimes in the manner
just described. The subscriptions
usually go to the leaders, who provide
arms and the men for desperate enter
prises.
The White Lily society. which was
the most formidable of all Chinese Sc
crct societies, and which had its origin
as a religious and vegetarian associa-
ton, is rarely heard of now; it was
broken up at the commencement of the
century. The Triad is mainly Can
tonese society, and has its mem ers
wherever Chinese emigratc in large
numbers. Every province has it's own
secret societies, which are the terror
and despair of the local officials. The
Kolao Hui has been attacked by power
full viccroys again and again, but it has
grown and tiourishrd, owing to the
timidity and corruption of the magis-
trates and local officials. London