The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-17


~ bio most recently, are only one
and a small branch OF an or
Ganisatlon that Is used for every con-
cesvable purpose. from blackmailing the
poorest coolie 10 opposing patriotically the
present dynasty In the hope OF reinstat-
ing tho ancient line of China on the
throna Indeed. II may be accepted as
q generally correct statement that China's
secret societies all spring from the pur-
pose OF driving out the Manchu dynasty
OF the Tsings.
But with this patriotic purpose for q
start tho Chinese secret societies indulge
. in everything from the massacre OF mis-
sionaries to the oroifing OF a Chinaman
: over slow FIRE They cheat, rob. murder
and burn with impartiality. and their
| membership appears ever to be increas-
ing. despite the fact that 1t is capital
crime merely 10 have in ones posses
sion cards OF membership In certain So
cieties.
The Oldest organization Of which rec
ords are known now was that of the yell
low Caps. which tried to overturn the
Hand dynasty about ls5 a. ID. The flower
OF the literary men OF China belonged to
this society, and while II directly has died
out, Its principles and many Of Its rules
dictate the course OF the societies of to-
day. Almost a revival of 1t was a soci-
ETY. founded In the beginning OF the eigh-
tcenth century by five priests and seven
layfnen. II was named tho League of the
White Lilies Pe-Lin-kiao), and was
founded to overthrow the Using dynasty
ana reinstate In Its place thu Ming dy-
nasty. which Is purely Chinese. whereas
the present Using limo is Tartar.
Tho leaders OF this society were Wang
Lung and a Bonxe named Fan-ui. They
believed prophecy which was
that one OF them should become emperor.
and Wang Lung took the city of Schu-
Tschang- Hen. but was driven out soon,
Imprisoned and executed with many ad-
herents. In i777 the white Lilies APP
peared again. but, though they started
great rebellion. tho hordes were defeated.
and all the leaders. among them two
women. were beheaded. Following
tasteful Chinese custom, the heads were
placed In cages and exhibited. much to
thu deiectation OF the multitude
In 1870 two societies organized a revolt
against the Tartar dynasty. They were
tho Wonderful Association and tho
Tsinx-rAn-Kiao. The latter really was n
conunsnliion of tho White Lily. The re-
volts were unsuccessful and we're followed
aS Usual. by truly generous distribution
Of deea pitations But the CUTOFF heads
evidently did not s,artio the Chinese club
men sufficiently. for by 1890 the south of
China, Corea. Siam and Cochin-China
were honeycomhcd with plots emanatinS
from society called IN. Family of tho
Queen OF Heaven. Wholesale executions
torturings and imprtsonments had only the
result OF causing the Family OF tho Queen
OF Heaven to develop into tho Great Hung
League. Hung IN river" and the name
Hignihed that this league would food tho
world, The Hung soon became a more
formidable league than any that had APP
puAroi In china Its dimensions became
10 vast that any number of branches were
formed under various names but all un-
der the central organization. Among them
were many % the societies that have fig
ured In history since. such as mo Band
, ofsthc Trinity the Hail Of the Riue Iotos.
tho Circle VI tho Golden Orchids and the
Black Flegs
In 1876 tho Great Hung League had
most delightful person fer its ruler Hts
name was Kwang san, and no hal a real
talent for working himselt into state
OF diaholcal rage. once In tho f4ukut
mountains whea he was presiding at one
OF tho weird secret meetings. ~ branch
or the league. he frit that ~ was par-
.stirulariv desirable that he should rage Put
urt,appiiv all hts attempts 10 work hlm-
set into hecomingly Wild state were IN
vain ThereupNn he sprnng st one u ine
members stabbed him To- death. tore him
cfs,n and drank his san Then he schicv-
Ell his ambition. and hts condition became
-, - -. - -
nv" WI" "" anu "''VH '"' q" e''''s
NulAsN
widely through the orient Besides Kwans
San. who w7aa tjtlesi Koh. moaning "iha
eldest, there We're TWO other leaders
Known az younger hratN"rv, "tttong
1'ht." one 81 Whom r1lri iA~ erERniroilon
en- Mniacca Ncw uambgrs we're sworn
in Nv none ~xce1t thor, three T7sey had
~ take the oA.A htt-rc -H i3ol and ono
~ the charming tAses&rs ip this heeiara-
,scn rr,vi8ca that th,- applicant vr,,,l3
know neither father mother cnH8. wife
49, c,hnr resatnr. bst w,..lA ku tNo,,
fs,,esy n necessary