The Tucson citizen., 1902-01-03
San Francisco Cinnamon
Make laws of Their Own

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. Jan. 3.-It
is not generally known that the Chi
nese o San Francisco have a govern
ment, which ignores the laws of the
United States and is at the same time
obnoxious to the Imperial Chinese
Government This rebeliOus organi-
Zation is known as the Yee Hing
Hway. or righteous Broth herhood. -"
and has for its object the restoration
of the Tartar dynasty to power. 1t
was organized here by some OF the es-
capped leaders of the Ping rebel
lion. who were among the first Chi
nese to come To this city Their place
OF meeting is called tue Chamber of
High Justice" an, All of the mem
bers OF. the association are bound by
,es laws and the guilty are punished
by It's edicts Christian Chinese who
( have withdrawn from ,he society have
told, partly. its secret and dangerous
workings, ana the manner of initial
ing applicants for membership. The
member Is sworn to recognize the
/ Chamber of High Justice and none
other. ana Is not permitted to give
testimony in any other Court without
firSt having obtained permission from
the proper officers of this association.
/ 1t VIII at once be seen tnat this is an
un American institution, foreign to
our Government. and also arrayed
against foreign nation VITA whom
We are now at peace.
| The Chamber of High Justice" is
fitted in Oriental style. tinseled in
red. ana well supplied with figures of
dragons and angry gods. the cenrtal
hgure being brazen god of war.
about 10 feet in height. and frowning
as II angry at all the world. This is
the rebel war god of the Tae-Pings
and to him him they pray to lean
them TO victory and reestablish the
Tartar dynasty. Around the high rM-
er An Tai. are seated las Court The
chief sits upon red throne under a
red canopy and wears a red gown and
red turban around his head. The
other officials are similarly dressed
nut the texture of their garments is
not SO fine-lhe fineness of the regalla
denodng .a,e superior rank of the
wearer, The red turban is the badge
of the Tae-Ping rebel.
Inc applicant for membership ID
hlindfolded In an ante-room and con.
Quoted into tne Chamber of High
Justice by an Official wearing a red
robe and red turban. and who II
called In Chinese the ''introdueer." Hs
Is the sponsor for the applicant. Or
an alter draped in red, ana IN front o.
the chief. lies the ritual or the asso
eiation, and across II lis a sword--sig
niicant OF obedience to its command,
or death Eight officials In red robe,
ana red furbans lien advance. and
each drawing his sword. form an arct
OF swords over the head OF the appIi
cant The candidate ls then required
TO unplait his queue. which is a toker
of his renunciation of his ALLEGIANCE
to the present I~.nese ruler and Gov.
ernment He then puts on a red rob,
and red turban and kneels under the
arch of eight swords. The sworasmeu
place the points of their swords upon
his neck. in token OF his submission
to the authority of the association
and of his fate IL he proves false to
the oaths which are now administered
he candidate pulls of his sandals
as when praying. faces the chief and
again kneels. He then makes three
| bows. each time his forehead touching
the floor. In the meantime chicken
cock head is cut off in front of him.
and the bleeding fowl is placed In a
bowl under the arch OF swords. He
then repeats this formula: May nv
head be thus severed from my body IL
become a traitor to this Court OF
High Justice" He further swears to
obey the laws of the society and the
orders of its officers without question
ing; submit to the decisions of the
~ourt." and that he will not recog-
nize the authority of any other
Court or of any other Government.
He then soiemnly proclaims his re-
nunciation of his allegiance to the
Chinese Government and becomes a
Tae-Ping rehel-a plotter against his
own country and dangerous to Amer
lean institutions.