The San Francisco call., 1897-01-27

metallic casket placed in an "L" OF the
low ceiled gloomy room in front OF the
windows. Banked about the head were a
profusion of flowers in costly designs, from
the friends of the deceased, in white and
yellow.
At the foot of the casket were numbers
of colored candles and burning sticks oil
punk that weighted the already heavy
atmosphere with their smoke and in
cense. AT the dark, rear end OF the big
room suspended near the rafters was an
altar with the images of heathen gods and
more candles and more punk.
In the corner of the room opp osite to
| where the casket stood were scattered the
widow and children and their supporters,
the professional mourners, the latter
wearing blue wrappers and flowing white
headdresses.
The widow wore over all a.hood and
wrapper of sackcloth. which enveloped
and concealed her. The children were
dressed in like manner, except that their
faces were not hidden. The party were
grouped upon their knees upon a mat,
and kept up a constant and subdued
Iamentation, which served as an accom-
paniment to the incantations of the priest.
Men dressed in blue and white gowns
stood as sentineIs by the casket, and the
brother of the dead man stepped about
giving directions.
A long procession OF men, friend of the
deceased, at given signal came into the
room, and two by two knet before the
foot of the casket, taking their last fare
well.
All this time the door from the street
was open, and those whites as we'll as
Chinese who had the proper influence
| with the policeman on guard had admit
tance. Their tobacco smoke mingled
with that of the burning punk. They
shuf1ed about together, few of them think
| ing to uncover their heads, but all lost
! in watching the curious spectacle that
was passing. On the boxes and perched
upon the heaps of leather and findings in
the remote corners of the black and
grimy factory were pigtaiis of low degree.
quite as much interested as the whites, to
whom it was all less familiar. Through
the crowd on the floor there struggled now
and then one of those white women of
Chinatown to whom 1t is said Little
Pete in his lifetime had been very
generous. One of them brought to his
caskel little bunch of flowers.
In this setting, his figure half revealed
through the glass cover, the dead mans
pow wder-stained face looked up to the
smoky rafters, the round hole in his fore
head telling its own story.
Outside the street was blocked for
squares away. squad of entv-five
10 70 ha
thoroughfare open. Every window on
the street and every door and lamppost
was occupied, and housetops all up and
down the street were fringed with people.
Business in a large part of Chinatown was
practically suspended.
And just around the corner, at the
headquarters OF the See Yup Tong, that
plotted and executed the murder OF Little
| Pete, was in progress at that very moment
a cele ebration of the event.
While his friends mourned the member
of the highbinder society made little con-
cealment even in public of their Joy at
the succe IS of their undertaking. So ap-
parent was this that it was feared there
might be some interference with the
funeral ceremony, and this, besides the
anticipation of the crowds that might be
collected, decided the directors upon hold
ing ali the services within doors.
The police were kept busy in their en-
deavor to keep people moving so that a
way might be left for the hearse and the
carriages of the mourners. Only these
attempted to come into Washington
street, they being stationed and receiving
their occupants IN the remote side streets.
Shortly after 1 o'clock the procession
started. 1t was led by platoon OF police,
who forced the way open. A brass band
followed. Carriages containing the floral
gifts preceded the hearse. This latter was
drawn by six black horses caparisoned in
black trappings. Following came the
mourners, noisy in their lamentations,
and then the gongs and sym bols and all
the rest of it. AS they moved away from
the house it was cleared of the evil spirits
that came with death by an explosion of
firecrackers.
The procession moved up to Stockton
street and north to Montgomery avenue,
thence to Dupont street, to Post and
thence west to the cemetery. The mourn