The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-10

eighteenth century by five priests and
seven laymen. 1t was named the League
of the White Lilies (Pe-Lin-Kiao), and
was founded to overthrow the Using
dynasty and reinstate in it's place the
Ming dynasty, which is purely Chinese,
whereas the present Using line Is Tar
tar.
The leaders of this society were Wang
Lung and a Bonze named Fan-ui They
believed a prophecy winch was that one
of them should become emperor, and
Wang-Lung took the city Of Schi-Tsch-
ang-Hten, but was driven out soon, i'm
prisoned and executed with many adher-
ents. In 17T the White Lilies appeared
again. but, though they started great
rebellion, the hordes were defeated, and
all the leaders, among them two women,
were beheaded. Following a tasteful
Chinese custom, the heads were placed
in cages and exhibited much to the de-
lectation Of the multitude.
In 1880 two societies organized re-
volt against the Tartar dynasty They
were the Wonderful Association" and
the Tsing-Lin-KiaO. The latter really
was a continuation of the White Lily.
The TevOlts were unsuccessful and We're
followed, as usual by a truly generous
distribution of decapitations. But the
cutoff heads evidently did not startle
the Chinese clubmen sufficiently for BY
1920 the south of China, Corea Siam and
Cochin-China were hOney-combed with
plots emanating from a society called the
Family of the Queen of Heaven. Whole
sale executions, torturings and imprison-
ments had only the result of causing the
Family of the Queen of Heaven to de-
velop into the Great Hung league.
Hung Is river and the name signifed
that this league would flood the world.
The Hung soon became a more formid-
able league than any that had appeared
in China. Its dimensions became so vast
that any number of branches were form
ed under various names, but all under the
central organization. Among them were
many of the societies that have figured in
history since. such as the Band of the
Trinity, the Hall Of the Blue Lotos. sGe
Circle of the Golden Orchids and the
Black Flags.
HOW HE BECAME ENRAGED.
In 1896 the Great Hung league had a
most delightful person for a ruler His
name was Kwang San, and he had real
talent for working himself into a state
of diabolical rage. Once in the Lukut
mountains. when he was presiding at
one Of the weird secret meetings of a
branch Of the league he felt that it was
particularly desirable that he should
rage. But unhappily all his attempts to
WOTh HlfnSeI into a Dec0m1ugty wild
state were in vain. Thereupon he sprangg
at one of the members. stabbed him to
death, tore him open and drank his gall.
Then he achieved his ambition, and his
condition became so satisfactory that
the band went out fired with zeal ard
wiped out an entire village.
At that time the league was spread
widely through the Orient. Besides
Kwang San, who was titled Koh, mean
ing "the Oldest there were two other
leaders known as younger brothers."
"Hiong Thi,' one of whom ruled the
organization in Malacca. New members
were sworn in by none except these
three. They had to take the oath before
an idCl, and one of the charming pas
sages in this declaration provided that
the applicant would know neither ia
ther, mother, child, wife nor other rela-
tive, but would kill them freely if neces-
sary.
1t was this league which was behind
the famous leader, Tae-Ping- Wang, in
1850. when he attempted to overthrow the
ruling dynasty After his defeat and
death little was heard of the great or
ganiZatOn, and the Chinese authorities,
with the fatuousness for which they are
justly famous. decided that the Great
Hung league was dead. But in 1868 the
police. when searching the house of a
Chinamau in Sumatra, who was suspect
ed of theft. found a great package of
papers which contained full particulars
of the ceremonies, oaths, flags and other
symbols and so on of the OFganiza tion
But it was impossible to learn much
about the membership of the body, and
in 1870 so many troubles We're femented