The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-21
LO Tai-Shui and
the Corpse Express

10 Tai-Shui was q rebel: he had Ned
from his country under sentence Of death
as traitor: but, in the estimation Of for
eigners, he was not traitor, but re-
former, patriot, and, above all, gentle
man. 1t may not be generally known that
gentlemen exist in China; but such Is the
case. Los heart was in the cause OF his
country, but 1t was large heart, and 1t
found room for human feeling as well. He
dearly loved his scamp OF q younger broth
err. Lo Chi-lu. He paid the usual penalty
Of allowing human love to find a place in
the breast of a conspirator, for Chi-lu be-
trayed him for reward, and Tai-shui
| barely escaped with his neck. A foreigner
assisted him to Hongkong. and thence he
, was compelled to flee to America, because
Hongkong is honeycombed with secret So
cieties, as many in the pay Of the Govern
ment as against it. 10 was a northerner.
and he was quite ignorant of the ramifica-
tons and organizations which exist among
| the bastard Chinese of the colonies, and
| consequently, while he was astonished and
| frightened to find himself watched by ma
tive detectives in British territory. he did
! not for moment suspect that their eSpi-
oaage would follow him TO another world.
? 10 Tai-shui was a literate of gool fam
/ lily. and had held an official position at Pc
/ kin. and. although his property had been
| confscated, he had retained sufficient cash
| to enable him to travel. His foreign
| friends who were interested in his conspi-
| racy from more motives than one, gave
| him intr0ductiOns and instructions. and
also wrote to their principals or agents at
nome, who may or may rot have been CAPT.
tal1sts with an eye to future concessions.
AT all events he was passed on through
Canada to England. and then he found
himself remarkably well received by ev-
eryone except his own countrymen OF the
embassy. The latter made only one at
tempt to extend to him the courtesy OF ma |
tons, by kidnapping him and endeavoring |
to ship him back to prison. This danger |
he fortunately escaped, and 1t did him good |
service. for 1t convinced his friends that |
he was bona fide rebel They immedi-
ateiy entered seriously into his projects
and formed syndicate to supply him with
money and arms. Things seemed ripe for
the overthrow OF the dynasty, and persons
even very highly placed In the manage
ment OF our foreign relations may have
seen certain advantages to be obtained by
departure from the traditional policy Of
bolstering up the Manchus Consequently
after year spent In Europe and New York
Lo was ready to return to his country with
money, contracts, and pledges sufficient to
form powerful party In favor Of ere
FORM"
Arrived at San Francisco, Lo booked his
oerth under an assumed name for Shang-
nal. where he had every guarantee of re-
siding safely in the British Concession:
then he sat down In his comfortable pri-
Fate room to indulge in the day dreams. al
ways tinged with certain invincibIe fore
Dodln9, OF the patriotic conspirator. After
MS year in the spacious mansions and open
society OF Europe. the glimpse he had TAX
en- OF the crowded slums Of Chinatown had
III niied MIN with some vague, uncomforta- I
Die dismay. II his countrymen could thrive
SO populously and independently in the
spread-eagle and Monaghan hating land Of
the Westerner and the free, was it not
possible that the impressions he had i'm +
oiDeo OF the immense superiority in the 6
point OF practical power and expansion. of I
the civilized Anglo-SaIon, had somehow a
left out OF reckoning the perseverance, c
md tenacity OF his own ubiquitous nation?
W natever was the actual current Of his c
thoughts. the sight Of this benighted but +
lourisning Chinatown, SO solidly and de- e
'antly established in the most eo-aheac o
'lty OF America, reminded him in some p
way OF that equally benighted and equally
nVlncIoie Government he was plotting to
'verturn, and by proving the superiority v
u olo institutions and national character /
Sues TO the iconoolastic Entertainments of n
nooernity, cast depression over his san c.
Iuine expectations. When the colored S
10Y suddenly threw open the door and Il
lshered In q greasy and fat feIlow-coun- y
lyman. Lo was startled into actual fear, g
ching. Lo lao-yeh." said the visitor. 81
With an Ironically obsequious bow. II III
ope no intrude"
Let us say at once that these gentlemen IN
40 not converse In their native tongue. 10
lost OF the Cinnamon abroad come from IN
n ~, southVCanton. Foochow. or at least :. .e
'ingpo-and Lo was Chih-li man. and ps
new no dialect but the Mandarin. which az
double Dutch In any province south of a. a.
ne fanGtze common medium between l.,
hinese from different provinces on the ~
past Is therefore pidgin English. Lo had ~ ~
licked up some English. W!
your honorable name?" said Lo coldly. ~
tumble NAME Limiting. Sar," re- -. ~.
iied the visitor. with still more insolent 60
'ony. think you savvy Lim-fung-no? o.,
o-kay Of the Corpse Express" \, ~
To-kay Is used In the Straits for tai-pan ~
hfch means boss W
Lo turned pale, and cold SILVER of ~
epression passed over him. He had heard NJ,
Lin -fung-heard OF him In Honykone. pa
le redoubtable head Of the great Chinese 81,
Inkerton agency, and a Jonathan Wild of sb
Tree continents. ~
What do you want with me. Linn bsien- nj.
We'll. Sar. you see, belong this fashion re,
gu go to ENGLAND, get foreign devil nav All
expense; Chinee Minister he cable Pc die
ng, Niceroy he cable me. / watch Won mo-
10 time when you leave Hongkong: now :
u go back makee Robbery. yiceroy he ne,
40 TO see you back: but he liky more bet Ap
send you. because Just now have got Lo
many foreign devil maky trouble that this
lie. FLAPS he not catch you quite easy. He far
Ter one thousand dollar to send you safe wi,
; only can send one way" che
And that way. Lim-fung?" asked Lo sur
ready trembling and suppliant. for he hal
IS delicate and sensitive scholar. ind
on, that way. you savvy. master Be- wo
1g allo time Coffin with Corpse" dis
Eo shuddered. and film passed over his ties
es. The proximity of that seetbing les
inese Quarter oppressed him: he seem. sui
at once to be back In the tortuous dark- cal
S. OF Asia. and 10 longer felt the pro- gro
'tion OF his Anglo-Saxon friends. atr
-m-fung proceeded to explain with still
asgart, obsequious junction. the charac- per
OF his "pidgin." 1t is well known that Am
inese like to be buried in their own II
'ntry; hence the utility of the Corpse pra
press. funeral agency of very large slit
tensions. which emhalms and packs MIN
unct Celestiais for the voyage across nat
} Pacific. Lim-fung is very rich and gro
portant merchant. with agencies in the
STRATA and the Straits and he exer sue
IS an enormous influence even on the eau
'ghtened municipality of San Francis .
and scarcely ship leaves that port lHe
y.s "cofins with cornsa >, IN, Vi LII thei
nroved n meet rosnan.ai, MS tra.ic excl
exercise of certain detao.i,,a Neaiuiii Ior rola
icial functions conferred IN tho IT, L., suic