Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-09
NEsE<H1aHB1NDERs.
The oaths They Take and the Methods
They Employ.

Lucy CApAOy.
From the San Francisco News Letter.
Few people. even in San Francisco, have
a correct idea of the Chinese highlander
and the cause Of the frequent wars in the
Chinese quarter The word highlander is,
perhaps, a loca1ism, and It has no special
meaning. 1t was applied by the police to
the societies of Chinese assassins because
they did not know the names of the socie-
ties. According to the statements of
christianized Chinese to one of the mission
teachers there are in this city several such
societies, with membership of from fifty
to. perhaps, 200 each. They have names
indicating that they are bands Of brother
hood" but the members are professional
assassins. and will kill any one for pay.
They are bound by oaths. like the Carbon
naira Of Italy, and a traitor meets with
death at the hands of one Of the members.
who is selected by lot. The organizations
differ in detail, but the main object Of all
is the same-to rob and murder. The Or
ganization of one of the largest highlander
societies in the Chinese quarter is partly
described by this christianized Chinaman.
who was certainly member, but who said
that his cousin" told him. They are
chief, second chief, a secretary, an ''in-
troducer," and eight swordsmen. The can
didate for admission unplaits his queue, in
dicating his abject submission to his super
Tor officers
He is then led into the room by the off,
cial 1ntroducer, a red robe Is thrown over
him, and he is required to kneel under
an arch of eight swords. One Of these
swordsmen places the blade of a sword
upon the back Of the candidates neck as
an indication of his fate IL he betrays his
associates The chief, dressed in red, sits
on small platform, which Is draped in
the same color, and to his right is the
book containing the oaths, passwords and
signs Of the order. In raid a few years
ago the police captured one of these books
and had 1t translated. The society then
adopted a new manual. There are a num-
Der of oaths, the principal one binding the
members to obey the orders Of the society
without question, and the rules prescribe
penalties for refusal.
When the candidate Is taking the oath his
finger is pierced with a needle and the
blood drops into a glass of wine held by
the member who stands sponsor for him.
They both drink from this glass, signifying
that they are of the same society and of
the same blood relationship The grips
and passwords then communicated to
him and he Is now full fedged highlander
an assassin for pay.
When the society receives a commission
to kill man a good Ratchet man is Sc
lected to do the bloody work. Or. If it is
war, the society details a number of its
best shots. The blood money goes into the
common fund and is used for the defense
of criminals. care of the wounded and pen
SlOnS IL sent TO the states prison The
surplus is divided according to the rank
and services rendered. If a highlander Is
killed while in the discharge of his bloody
work the society gives him a large funeral,
sends his bonessto China and pays his fam
lily a small pension A society will not
abandon any of its members in trouble
and will fee a lawyer as long as 1t has
dollar or can get funds by forced loans or
threats of assassination.
These societies levy tribute upon mer-
chants, and, If not paid, robbery or per-
haps assassination follows They terrorize
the depraved women and collect from them
sums weekly; also. from the owners of
these women. If the owners refuse to be
blackmailed they steal or forcibly take one
of his women and hold her for a reward or
sell her to some other bagnio keeper. Some
times the bagnio keeper hires rival So
ciety to protect his dens Then there is a
war between two highlander societies
When one society invades the district of
another a war Is the result. The rival
bands of outlaws have the Chinese quarter
divided, and 1t Is a violation Of treaty to
plumber or murder in each others territory.
The gaming houses are also steady source
OF revenue, paying agreed sum weekly
to be let alone The highlander societies
are a terror to the merchants, who would
gladly see them driven out of the city
Then peace would reign in the Chinese
quarter.