Evening star., 1898-10-22

WV Wll cieties. which aid in
WV carrying on this traf-
fic. and commit other crimes. Compare
lively few people in the United States know
that this slavery exists. II is confined to
the Pacific coast. largely to San Francisco,
and is not broken up because of the high
binders societies. which protect it in every
way, from the commission of murder to
wholesale perjury.
of course the primary object of the cru
sade to be made is the breaking up of the
Chinese highbinder organizations. not only
because they promote and protect this
slavery and vice, but because they hold in
terror practically every one of the 40CU0
Cinnamon who live on the Pacific coast.
This evil influence extends even to the
New York Cinnamon on Mott street and to
every large city in the United States. The
hiEhbinders' societies are organized for
purposes Of murder, blackmail, gambling
and the carrying on of houses of ill-fame
through the fraudulent importation of Chi
Eese girls.
The hired assassins keep in subjugaton
all respectable Chinese. with the pistol,
hatchet, two-edged knife and budgeon.
White people have occasionally been threat
6ned by these organizations, but that the
lives Of white people have not been sacri-
feed accounts fer the fact that there has
California cities. So long as the murders
and debauChery are confined to Chinatown
the white people remain passive. Half of
them do not believe the stories told by
police officials and others Occasionally the
state authorities or the city officials stir
this hot house of sin. but so few convictions
are obtained, owing TO perjured witnesses,
that the law again re.apseS into careless
ness Those who know the situation best
declare that no constitutional means exists
To put stop to the present affairs With
and cOwed Cinnamon the societies retain
the best attorneys in San Francisco and
fight every inch of the ground. They do
this successfully, with perjured testimony
and bribed officials.
Starting the investigation.
Not long ago delegation of prominent
Chinese from eastern cities, headed by
graduate of Harvard called upon Commits
sioner POwderly of the bureau of immigra-
ton and set before him the state of affairs
in san Francisco, asking if he could obtain
any facts which would be recognized and
appreciated as official, these to be used in
whatever course may be taken The idea
now is to submit the situation to Congress-
with a request for stringent laws. At pres
Cnt the exclusion and immigration laws are
every day violated. The officials in Wash
inEton, including Commissioner POwderly,
know this and fight hopelessly against 1t.
y Judge sits on the bench and listens 10
testimony which he believes to be perjured
and prepared, but he has way of proving
this. and the law is violated. Chinese girls
are brought in as the wives daughters
of Cinnamon who We're never married and
have never had children. Then they are
held in slavery, with value. if young of
fully 5000. They are forced to live lives
Of shame among the law-defying Cinnamon,
and continue that existence until rescued by
some mission or death overtakes them
Frequently they are murdered to prevent
falling into the hands of the mission Off
ciaIs Natural death Oyertakes them before
Af he
stated that 1,Epp have been rescued by
these mission homes Of San Francisco. This
gives an idea Of how extensive the traffic is.
sworn Statements.
Commissioner Powderly. who will prepare
a report TO Congress on the subject. wrote
TO H. IL North. the commissioner Of immi-
grafton at San Francisco instructtng him
to take statements as to the highbfnders
societies. and 10 forward report To Wash
ingtpn. Mr.. Eorta himself brought the re-
port and i now in the east on business
He procured sworn statements from j. E
Gardner official customs Interpreter at San
Francisco. from Lieutenant William Price
Of the San Francisco police force, Miss
D0nald!na Cameron. matrOn of the Pres
bytertan Chinese Rescue Home; Rev
J +. Masters, superintendent of the
Methodist Chinese Mission; Chun Ho.
rescued Chinese girl. several immigration
inspectors. and others who furnish stories
of a revolving state of affairs Accom-
the weapons used in the frequent murders
Of Chinatown, with pictures OF pretty Chi
nese girls who have been rescued. but
whose lives are constantly in danger from
the secret societies which abound One of
the knives now in the safe Of Commission
er P1wderly killed two Cinnamon and was
pulled out Of a third whose life was at
tempted Each side Of the blade is as keen
a razor.
Dr Gardner lived fifteen years In china
ana learned to speak the language fiuently.
Low I -,
toms of the people. For fifteen years he
has been Chinese Interpreter at the Gus
toms office and in the courts. His activity
against the Oath-bound Chinese has result
ei in his life being several times threaten
81 and once attempted. But for the fear
or an uprising Of the white people should
ne be killed ne would probably have been
found dead long ago, shot fun of holes or
cut 10 pieces with the murderous hatchet
Thieves and Ex-ConvIcts
In his sworn statement before Commits
s."Her North. DIR. Gardner says that a large
proportion Of the highbinders are thieves
anu ex~convicts from China. They organ
IL in this country under pretext of being
political societies opposed 20 the present
dynasty in China and of being mutual ben
eft associations. Often the better class Of
'Hnamen do organize for benevolent pur-
poses. but some dissension arises and the
next step is to settle the differences by uro-
curing some Of the professional murderers
l" XIII on the offending members. They
are says DR. Gardner. 'perjurers fntimi-
a@;"rs, lighters. protectors of gambling
ceus and other resorts Of vice and infamy
slave trattickers and murderers The ul-
gotten gains Of the various societies are
freely used 10 engage counsel buy wit
nesses. bribe officials and to make It almost
impossible 70 convict criminals in whom
they are Interested If a Chinese swore
differently in our courts from what the high
binder desires him his life would paw the
forfeit I have known them to attempt to
swear away the life OF white man They
have absolutely no regard for our courts
have known time and again of a number
Of h!ghb!nder witnesses appearing before a
pole" court judge grand jury and es-
tabiishtng the strongest kind Of cases
against unfOrtUnates who had been unable
10 pay the blackmail exacted of them
powerful Organization.
There are at least twenty organizations
Of hghbinders. They are rivals. The
riv2lry and competition in obtaining black
mail and fees for protecting dens of vice
lead to the many murders in Chinatown
The most powerful Of the organizations is