The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-02
Chinese Highbinders.

Chinese Highbinders.
81 read in the issue of the paper this
| morning an account OF the manner OF life
| I'm the highbinder organizations of San
| Francisco" said a traveller yesterday
| ''and what read was all true. The per-
I son who was quoted must have had a
great deal more information on the sub
Ject than the ordinary resident OF that
city. One statement he made was about
the diet of wildcat affected by the gum
men OF the warning societies at the out
break OF hostilities This is a fact. and
many a time have seen as many as six
nice fat wildcats hanging I'm the COM
mission houses on Sampson and Mont
gomery streets. The BINDERS as they
are commonly called by the police, buy
up the cats. which are later served
stewed, raw. boiled and roasted. The
Chinese believe in the transmigration OF
souls and they also believe that the ma
ture OF an animal is determined by the
nature OF the soul of the late lamented
Mongollan that occupies IT even tenn
porarily.
Thus they reason that as wildcats are
fierce they must be occupied during their
feeting existence by the souls OF fierce
Mongols. and that consequently II the
highbinders eat the flesh OF the animals,
the eaters will become possessed OF the
qualities of the late inhabltant. The
methods used by the binders in the
actual slaughter OF the victims is about
as cowardly and heartless as can be con-
oeived The gunman. who generally is a
quiet and humble appearing Celestial,
Qf "A nd In Iar rlr a
sight OF the passing policemen and waits
Tor victim. All members OF the other
society look alike TO him, and the more
peaceful his victim may be the better
he will like IL, because there is much less
Likelihood of his getting hurt II his victim
Is unarmed. Across the street stands a
stool-pigeon. whose duty II is to point out
To the slayer the man who IL to be shot
When the stool-pigeon sees "a promising
looking victim he quickly glances up and
down the street To see III there happens To
be bluecoat In sight and, II the coast Is
clear, he signals 10 the wolf i'm the door
way, and the latter slips from his place
and ghdes noiselessly along the street
toward his prospective victim. The
butcher walks, quickly. but no glance OF
his To the right or left betrays the fact
that he intends 10 do foul murder The
poor object of this man may be carry
ing home load of wood or groceries for
his family, or, possibly, delivering n load
OF laundry. but that makes no difference
with the murderer. He steals up TO his
victims side, and, when he is one step
In advance OF the man, the highbinder
shuts his eyes and pulls the trigger of
the great gun he has concealed I'm his
sleeve. He takes no chances, does the
He has the muzzle OF the
gun within n few inches OF his victims
body when he shoots. And he fires the
cealed until the fame leaps forth and the
sharp cough OF the Colt announces that
at least $50 OF the society's money has
been earned. Then follows a scene that
can only be seen In Chinatown. Out OF
every doorway issues crowd OF gesticu- |
lating mongols. They form a group around |
the body and keep constantly in motion. |
In this way. even IL the police are near. |
the identity OF the murderer is nearly al |
ways lost In the weaving OF the crowd
The police rush in, and possibly an ar |
rest is made The body is taken to the |
morgue, and 10 all intents and purposes |
that is the end OF Sing Lee. or whatever |
his name might be. Sing Lee In dead. but |
ne left some very active friends. and /
even IL the members OF the police are
stalled I'm an fort To convict |
the murderer the men Of his tong wreak |
"A terrible vengeance on some still more |
inofensive members of the opposite tong |
Inc Sueys count one. Then the Hops /
notch two. Sueys three, Hope four So IL |
goes, and when the whole place Is I'm an
unroar. and the perspiring chief OF police
has stationed all the men he can possibly |
spare In Chinatown, and still the killings /
and there is a probability that
A vigilance committee is about 20 take
action, then the heads OF the organiza-
tons put on the brakes, and usually, II
the Sueys areiahead one or two mon or
hn hat Aao 1
men TO it's credit is declared the winner,
but the blow IL softened 10 the loser by
a money indemnity from the lucky win
ner. The gunmen do not fight with one
another; I'm fact, they keep on different
streets
They pick out only those who can not
)r VIII not make resistance. The needs
of Chinese, even one living I'm luxuri- |
>us idleness, are not very great, and ~ |
here Is one good war I'm two years a good
INDUSTRIOUS hatchetman can earn |
enough money TO keep him In fan
an money during the thin years That
s. OF course. II he is sober industrious.
md attends strictly to business. Even II
ie does not there are always the gambling
houses IN Chinatown 10 fall back upon,
And " must be said for the highbinder
hat he can make the average San Fran
'isco policeman look sick when II comes
o making gamblers come across There
we're 10 murders in one season, extending
rom about Christmas time 10 the lst OF
February. The 18th OF February is the
,hinese New Year. and Wong Hon and
IFS friends observe the gala season by
wearing on butchery and declaring
PROCLAMATION Of general amnesty. Before
he restrictions are released most OF tho |
'uey Sing tong is we'll on the way toward
he canneries I'm Alaska, and the Hons. |
heir old-time rivals. scatter among the
Vineyards OF the state."-New Orleans
rimesD Democrat.