The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-05-11
CHINESE SECRET SOCIETIES.
Millions Banded Together for Purposes
 of Murder or Politics.

Millions Banded Together for Purposes
 of Murder or Politics.
 Events have recently been happening in China of which much would have been heard in this country but for the concentration of the national mind upon the war in South Africa. There is an other big insurrection on foot, and ca ble message told us day or two ago that it is assuming alarming propor- tions. The secret societies, as usual, are behind the movement, and this time it is the "Boxers" who have been most ac- five. They came into collision with the imperial troops at Yen-chiu and gave good account of themselves. The action is said to have been ndecisive-whch probably means that the imperial troops were defeated Prior to this they had been making themselves a terror throughout the province of Chill, and' to say nothing of murderous outrages on a lot of native Christians, had assas- sinated an English missionary named Brooks.
 The Boxers" known also as the Big Sword Society,"" form only one or many institutions with which the Chi nese empire Is honeycombed. They are all actuated by the motives underlying their motto of China for the Chinese The Boxers made great parade of thelr loyalty to the throne and pretended that it was only the Fan Kwei-the foreign devils-whom they wished to drive out. But the empress dowager knows better, and when she found that the governor of Shantung (where they first broke ou) was encouraging them, that mas terful woman promptly superseded him. Last years experience with the Black Flags" was doubtless not forgotten. This society is made up principally of the pirates and other wilder spirits who infest the coast from Annoy down to Hainan. They are the men who organ ized the three great rebellions which broke out simultaneously at Macao, Annoy and Shanghai, Just before the Taeping affair, and they. aided by the "Koloa Hui" and the fanaticlsm of the religious imposter who called himself the "Heavenly King" were mainly re- sponsible for that outbreak. They have fomented trouble on several occasions since then. and they are by long way the most inveterate enemies whom the re1gnng Manchu family has to fear. The Black Flags, 1t may be remarked, are the hardest as we'll as the bravest of all the people who make up the na- tion
 Another great Chinese society--more important from it's widespread distrfbu- ton than the Black Flags, and actuated by the same motiye-is that known as the Koloa Hui. The authorities made an attempt last year to squelch this or ganization but, of course, they did not succeed, though they contrives to cap ture one of the leaders, whom they exc cuted with much circumstance Of bru- tality. The membership roll runs well into the millions, and it has it's secret meetings in every city of China. It's members must commit murder at the command of the order. They are initi- ated by the drinking of hot wine mixed with the smoking blood of cock, killed at the time. The society counts among its members large number of army of flcials, and the great Viceroy of Nan king, who died not long ago, was for a time an active member The recent troubles in the Shantung province were backed up by the Koloa Hui.
 The oldest society in China is the Tri- ad society, known also as the Sam Hop Hui" It has it's lodges, and there are flags, banne1s and umbrellas connected with it. It holds regular meetings, and it forces influential individuals to join
 its organization if they are not amend ble to persuasion. It has the power of life and death over its members, who have their own signs and passwords You can tell, it is said, whether a man belongs to the order by the way he en- ters house. Their motto is, Drive out the Tartars." and one branch of the so- ciety dates back to 1864 A, D., or twenty years after the conquest They have been working to overthrow the govern ment ever since, and one day they may succeed.-London Leader.