The morning call., 1893-07-11
HELD IN CHECK.
Highbinders Are Kept in
Subsection.
PUSHED HARD TO THE WALL.
While the Police Are Confident of
Serenity the Bold Cutthroats Are
Waiting to Act.
PUSHED HARD TO THE WALL.

There is going to be trouble and that
very SOON"
That is the general opinion as to the
hundreds of highbinders who still hover
within the noisome precincts of China
town. But the indications are that there
viii be more trouble for the festive cut
throats themselves than for any one else.
1t is true that the lawless Mongols are
in a state of desperation bordering On
despair. No longer do their faces shine
out sleek and fat above their concealed
coats of mail. No longer do they meet in
defiance to the police and conc0ct schemes
of blackmal and murder. In truth they
have been pushed to the wall and driven
from pillar to post until many OF their
most daring hatchet-men have deserted
their ranks and fed to safer refugees in the
interior.
Still there are nearly a thousand high
binders left, and they are trying to keep
ND eight societies. Less than Two years
ago there were twenty-four of these socie-
ties in San Francisco, but the crusade of
the police thinned their ranks until only
the most daring remained. Their head
quarters have been raided from time to
time, their possessions demolished and
their weapons confscaled until they found
it most difficult matter to meet at all
Recently came the most severe blow Of
all. Under advice from their C0nsul-Gen-
eral the Chinese Six Companies decided to
assist the police in ng-extermlnatlng.
if possible-the remaining highbinders. In
short they levied boycott and have raised
q special fund to carry it out. Previously
when high binder was arrested merchants
would be induced by intimidation and
other means to furnish bonds for the re-
lease of the imprisoned MongOl. Under
the present arrangement, however, mer-
chants are prevented from doing this I'M
der heavy penalty.
The eight Chinese selected by the Six
Companies are expected to still further
demoralize the highbinders by reporting
their every act to the police. Some of the
eight were formerly high binders or be-
longed to their societies, and are so we'll
Informed that they are eXpected to prove
valuable allies to the regular guardians Of
the peace.
Prlce or the Chinatown squad yesterday,
that the highbinderS have not turned a
trick for three months. They have
neither robbed, blackmailed nor attempted
TO Kill any one during that time, and it's
the longest period they have been pre-
vented from committing any deviltry in the
history of Chinatown. Now there are
many WHO IcdIlZ6 lUdt tuelE
cause is lost. and they are openly an
nounclng their withdrawal from the socie-
ties. They want to be on the winning
side; that's what is the matter with them.
The highbinders have been Inundated
and publicly degraded SO often lately that
their backbone is broken. Not daring to
meet anywhere to renew their old coun-
ellis of war, they decided upon a new
scheme. That was to hold little suppers
or banquets in the public restaurants. But
We pursued them there. searched them for
weapons and seized all the highlander
paraphernaia. This was the most humil-
Iating blow of all.
when we seized lamps the other night
bearing the Labels of the Suey Ong Society
the Mongols were frantic. They begged
US not 10 carry the lamps through the
street without first covering them.
Every night many highbinders are
stood up IN the alleys and searched for
weapons, but they are getting very eau
tious now and it Is seldom that our search
is rewarded. They are going to attempt
to hold another pow-w0w Saturday night
in the guieless form of a banquet, but the
squad viii be on hand as usual, and If
there are any weapons in the crowd We
will find them and gather in the owners"
Others outside the Police Department
are not so sanguine about the hignoinders
being subdued. Il is said that the unruly
Celestials are doing considerable pistol
practice in private and only awaiting a
favorable chance TO break forth in their
accustomed murderous fury.