Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-17
CHINESE oATHs.
Swearing by the Light, Breaking q
Saucer and by q Chickens Head.

From the Seattle Post -Intclrenccr
An event OF unusual interest took place
in the municipal court yesterday afternoon
during the trial OF Chin Chew on the
charge Of assarlting and robbing .1hin Gee
Long in the Wa Chong block June Is The
truth was obtained through the assistance
OF J. E. Gardner. the missionary. who
speaks Chinese as fuently as he does En-
glish. and who Is well known on the Pa.
cific coast having been Chief OF Police
Crowley's right bower in breaking UP the
San Francisco organized hiehbinders. Mr..
Gardner introduced the chickens head
OATH" under which no Chinaman dares tell
an untruth under penalty OF becoming Q
walking ghost, the greatest of Chinese hor-
rors. The binding effect Of the oath may
be judged by the action Of the defendants
principal witness, who arose and declared
that he would not swear by the chickens
head" for $4,000. and Immediately left The
court.
Clerk Crawford learned that Mr.. Gardner.
who is now living at Victoria was In the
city, and persuaded him 70 appear in the
municipal court as Interpreter in the case.
The defendants. Chin Chew and Chin
Dong, demanded separate hearings, and it
was decided TO proceed with the case Of the
former. Mr.. Gardner was first sworn as
Interpreter and then as a witness TO testi-
fy to the oath necessary to bind a China
man 10 tell the truth. Mr.. Gardner told
the court how the truth was extracted in
China from witnesses. He said there were
three methods In vogue one called Swear
ing by the light" which consists In burn
ing a paper, at the same time repeating
the oath; the second was breaking a sau-
Ger. but the best and most binding con-
sisted in having the witness cut on O
rooster chickens head, at the same time
taking an oath calling on all the gods they
know to curse them their children. and
shafr oh C Oh S-av, low fnlS
Judge Glasgow inquired why IL was that
the oath was specially binding, and Mr..
Gardner replied that Cinnamon think a
great deal OF being honored after death.
According 10 the oath not only they die
IL they falsify. but their children and their
children's children. This leaves no ore to
worship them and they become wandering
ghosts. the most horrible Thing n China
man can think Of. Once in a great while a
Chinaman viii falsify. but as a rule not one
out Of ten. He then spoke Of a case in
British Columbia. where n Chinaman took
the oath. falsfled and In less than a month
died from worriment.
Chin Gee Long. the prosecuting witness
was anxious to have the oath administered.
but Chin Chew. the defendant refused alb
sciutely to take 81. IL was discovered that
All Kim. the states important witness. was
missing, and Detective Corbeu was sent
after him with a bench warrant. In the
meantime a tall. smallpox-scarred China
man. who had been called by the defense,
arose ana INFORMED MI GArdner that ne
would not take the oath proposed for slo.-
ooo. and then. stating that he knew nothing
OF the case, left the room.
After the detective returned with All Kim
Mr.. Gardner said Il was necessary to adj
minister the oath in the open air. SO the
prosecuting witness An Kim, and An Gar
another states witness. were taken into
The alley at the back of the Cit, Hall and
the ceremony performed. All kin didn't
want 10 swear. but finally concluded he
would. Chickens were brought forth Josh
sticks lighted. oaths written in Chinese
characters on long strips OF paper. and
knives with keen edges. The oaths were
taken separately. but without variance of
manner. The Chinaman took the chickenl
In his hands. and as he cut its neck Ae-
peated the oath. Then he burned the paperv
and ate some Of the Chinese food. After
everything was over and the chickens all
killed, the defendant suddenly came to the
conclusion that he was not afraid to takol
the oath