The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-10-21
DIES OF MANDATE
OF SECRET SOCIETY
REFUSES REMEDIES AND NOUR-
IsHMENT AND PASSES AWAY
AMID ORIENTAL DEATH CHANT.

CHICAGO October Superstition
the mandate of Chinese secret socie-
ty, and Oriental stubbornness and in
difference to the terrors of death, COM
bined to end the life of Wong Now
proprietor of a laundry at 81 Thirty
First street, yesterday. The celestial,
who had attempted to end his life by
eating potash ana who, finding this un-
awaiting, slowly starved himself to
death, passed away at the Provident
hospital, solemnly arrayed in a black
robe and cap, and surrounded by forty
Cinnamon who intoned the death
chant of martyr around his couch.
Wong Now is declared to have been
a prosperous business man, and was a
nephew of Shun Pick, the wealthy
proprietor of a Chinese restaurant at
1904 Dearborn street. For two months
he has been in the hospital, where,
when he found himself recovering from
the effects of the dose of potash which
was. self-administered, he slowly starry
/ ed himself to death.
Two months ago a member of the
secret society of which Wong Now was
a member, a leading officer called on
| him and informed him that the order
had determined that it was time for
him to die. He was directed, it is
said, to bring about his own decease by
drinking potash, OVERWHELMINGLY,
stolidly, and in mute obedience to the
decree which he recognized as binding
on him, Now at once Obeyed. But the
! poison would not kill him. After a
few days he was compulsorily remov-
ed to the hospital. DR.. Hall, assisted
by several of the staff physicians, re-
sorted to every known method to force
nourishment on the man. That it was
time for him to die was his only
thought, and he stubbOrnly resisted ev-
cry effort made to save him. Then DR..
II. Q. Jones' who can speak the Chi
nese language was called in, but he,
too, failed to move the stubborn deter
minatiOn of the man to meet his end.
Learning that the man was near
death over forty Cinnamon gathered
in the ward where Now was lying. No
attendant was allowed to be present,
but sounds of Chinese instruments and
the monotOnous chant of Oriental
death songs could be heard. Gradual
ly he grew weaker, and finally his life
fliCkered out. The Celestials who had
gathered at his bedside then slowly
filed out to the strains of more fune-
raj music and solemnly separated.
1t was said that Now was married
and leaves a widow and two children
in China. His place on Thirty-First
street had apparently been prosper
GUS and financial affairs could not have
had anything to do with his act.
Now refused to disclose particulars
of the secret society, only stating that
his time had come and he was content
to die. The hospital knows nothing of
the society and nothing could be learn
ed from the Cinnamon who gathered
at his bedside
Shun Pick later told the hospital
management that he would attend to
the burial of the man after the corO-
ner's office had completed it's investi-
cation.
1t is said that the majority of those
at the hospital were members of the
band which commanded Now to die.
The coroner's office was notified by
the management of the hospital, and
before all the Celestials had left the
bedside of their fellow member Coro-
ner's Physician Springer arrived. He
pronounced the death of the man to be
due to starvation.