The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-13
CHINESE SECRET SOCIETIES.
Millions BANDED Together for Purs
poses of Murder or Politics.

From the London Leader
Events have recently been happening IN
China of which much would have been
heard in this country but for the concern
tration Of the national mind upon the waR
in South Africa. There is another big in
surrection on foot, and cable message
told us a day or two ago that it is ASSUME
ing alarming proportions. The secret So
cieties, as usual, are behind the movement,
and this time it is the Boxers who have
been most active. They came into collision
with the imperial troops at Yen-chiu and
gave a good account of themselves. The
action is said 10 have been indecistye-
which probably means that the imperial
troops were defeated Prior to this they
had been making themselves terror
througout the province of Chill, and to
say nothing of murderous outrages on
lot of native Christians, had assassinated
an English missionary named Brooks.
The Boxers" known also as the big
Sword Society,"" form only one of many
institutions with which the Chinese E'a-
pire is honeycombed. They are all actuat-
ed by the motives underlying their motto
of "China for the Chinese" The Boxers
made a great parade of their loyalty to the
throne and pretended that it was only tho
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 ShantlnS
(where they first broke ouD was encour-
aging them, that masterful woman
promptly superseded him. Last years
experience with the BLACK Flags" WaS
doubtless not forgotten. This society -
made UP principally of the pirates ana
other wilder spirits who infest the COAST
from Annoy down to Hainan. They are
the men who organized the three greae
rabPlliQnS which ihrpIxa simultaneously
at Macao, Annoy, and Shanghai, just be-
fore the Tapping affair." and they, aluea
by the "Koloa Hui" and the fanaticism Oh
the religious imposter, who called himseR
| the Heavenly King" were mainly res
sponsible for that outbreak. They have
fomented trouble on several occasions
since then, and they are by long way
the most inveterate enemies whom tio
reigning Manchu family has to fear. lIS
Black Flags. 1t may be remarked, are
the hardest as well as the bravest OF ah
the people who make up the nation.
Another great Chinese society-more lnr
portant from its widespread distributes
than the Black Flags, and actuated by tle
same motive-is that known as the koios
Hui. The authorities made an attem'
last year to squelch this organization, Du1
of course, they did not succeed, thousn
they contrived to capture one of the leau-
ers, whom they executed with much e.
| cumstance of brutality The membersnlp
roll runs well into the millions, and II mas
its secret meetings in every city OF Chlha
Its members must commit murder az lls
command of the order They are ininateu
by the drinking of hot wine mixed WIZ
the smoking blood OF a cock, killed at wv
time. The society counts among its menu
| bers a large number of army officials any
the great Viceroy of Marking, VINO one.
not long ago, was for time an acuN
member. The recent troubles IN lns s
Shantung province were backed up by 'p'
Koloa Hui
The Oldest society in China Is the IT Iis
Society, known also as the sam ny
Hui" 1t has its lodges and there Az
flags, banners and umbrellas connecpS
with 1t. 1t holds regular meetings, a l,s
it forces influential individuals TO JON ~ ~
organization If they are not amenape
persuasion. 1t has the power OF lie an
death over its members, who have tn " n
own signs and passwords. You can zen, hs
is said, whether a man belongs 10 ga
order by the way he enters noua
Their motto is ''Drve out the TartaISck
and one branch of the society dates IA
to 1864 A. D., or twenty years after a
conquest. They have been WORKING "a
overthrow the government ever since a."
one day they may succeed