The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-20

When all is quiet again, they gather
around this bowl, all blindfolded but
the president and secretary. The dish.
is filled with white buttons. If a man
is to be killed, one black button is
placed in the bowl and the members
begin to draw Doomed, but resolute,
is the man who gets the black He
must do the job, and money is ready
for his defense if he is caught.
One of the toughest battles ever
had with these men was in the old
Globe hotel on Dupont street, I think
in the winter of 1890. The 'hatchet-
men, were getting bold and blood
thirsty that year, and had their head
quarters behind bolted doors in the top
story. One night L went UP to their
room with my squad and knocked at
the door. Of course, everything was
changed inside long before got there.
Some were reading, others smoking or
playing cards.
CAPTURE Of HIGHBINDER TONG.
we talked a. while and left-they thought
so, anyway, but two of us-Stoddard,
big buriy Canadian, and I-Stepped into
q closet near the door, as the rest of the
policemen We're going out. There We
waited unable to move for fear of max
ing noise Pretty soon we heard the
bolt of the door rattle, and all the high
binders had a big laugh. That was about
waited in the closet an hour. We could
hear enough and understand enough
Chinese TO know what was going on.
gave StOddard the signal to draw his
gun and then we jumped out upon them
like devils, sure enough. Their eyes
'bulgeH out so that you could have
knocked them off with a club. Their by
laws were spread out on the table, and
ii there is anything q highlander viii
fight for it is his code OF laws. They
must ,be kept forever secret, no matter
h1T me N
sat d2zed for moment; then began one
OF the widest scrambleS ever saw Ill
this part OF town. More than once L
made up my mind TO shoot every one or
them dead. 1t seemed necessary to our
own safety, for they were desperate. We
grabbed the buttons and fragments of
their bylaws. Several OF them rushed at
US. while we beat them off with the
butts OF our reyOlyerS and clubs They
were all around Us, and 1t was getting in
terestIng for the two lone men in the
center. Just then the squad beat the
door down and came to our assistance,
which they we're to do the moment they
heard the uproar- That was only the
beginning. With axes and Sledge-ham-
meTS we broke into every highlander
house we could locate, demolished the
furniture and made kindling. wood of ev-
erything in sight. guess L got the title
of white devil that night.
Now if fifty Cinnamon saw one of their
men shot down by a highlander, not one
of them could be made 10 testify against
him. They know better. That is how
powerful the highbinderS are. The Six
companies used 10 settle disputes; now
the haLchetmen are the bosses. Why. L
have had Cinnamon come to me and say:
Help me to get away from my society.
I am afraid of them; they want my
blood" 1hey have asked me to break
up their own society, and have given me
clues. under promise that L would never
tell who told" II L did it would be all
day" with them
CARRY THE MARK OF CAIN.
You can tell a highbinder by his walk
and actions. He can't look you in the
eyes to save him. And there is only one
way to get him to tell the truth: take
him to the grave OF one OF his relatives,
cut off a chickens head, and let the
blood fall upon him and upon the mound.
You've got him then, and can rely upon
him But not one Chinaman in a. mil
lion would do that. What does a, Chris
tan oath mean to MIN? He might as
well hold up his right foot and be sworn
as his right hand. If you walk behind Il.
Highlander and ne is suspicious OF you
he will always keep looking back.
I've racked my brain these years try
ing to outWit these men. Chief Crowley
simply said to me once: Price, clean out
those devils down there at all costs,
and the better class of Chinese have
helped me toward this end. The worst
trouble is in convicting the scoundreIs
when YOU do get them. Witnesses are
tfnid, ard for good reasons. The longs
death to the man who testifies against
them. Highbinders' societies have now
ORGANIZED merchants clubs so-caIled
and as such are Incorporated under the
law. The police are poWerless to break
them up.