The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-07-07
M~ANcAURlEN sRIGANDs.
Russians Deal with Them Severed,
When CAUGHT.

When Caught.
Sphere: The Hun-hu-Tze9. or
Chunchuses-the word is a corruption
of the Chinese Hung Hutzu Cred
Beards)-have preyed or M~anchurian
merchants for many years, deriving
their living from gold washing n &C.
casional raids, together with a system
known as brigand insurance. The sup
preston of these %brigandS has been
one of the great policies Of Russian
administration, but, strang to say,
great di divergence of opinion exists as
to its real value.
Fulford Bush, who knows the oun
try we'll, says that "in all the principal
towns offices existed where the carriers
or bean boat shippers could purchase
immunity, the outward and visible
sign of which consisted Of a small tri-
angular flag. which insured the car
rier, cart or boat against molestation
or pillage. Though theoretically rep
r~ehensible. in practice this system
worked admirably, as the premium
paid was not at all prohibitive. Tho
Russians. by their expeditions against
the b%rigands, who CALLED them rather
severely. split up these united bands
into several lesser sections. and with
gu diminishing their numbers de.
stroyed in a great measure their or
ganization, with the result that the
carriers and bean boat shippers. unable
to purchase immunity--the flag Of n
section being u~nrecognized by the oth-
ers-cou!d no longer ply their trade
VITA the same degree of safety, or. in
fact. any safety at all. Accordingly,
both produce and light stuff were pre-
vented from coming forward in the
usual quantities. the entire trade OF
the province being disturbed. 1t will
b readily seen that this in its turn
helped to swell the ranks of the disor-
ganized robbers. as, cut off from the
legitimate exercise of their calling, the
impoverished agriculturalists and car
rierS had to become the prayers or the
prey. the majority throwing In their lot
with he former as yielding better re-
turns.
1T is dangerous to NEEDLE with old
established customs in China, and
many Of the Chinese modes of proce-
dure. theoretically incorrect though
they be. are peculiarly adapted to the
conditions prevailing. In the time of
the China-Japan wal these Hung Hut
zu bands offered the Japanese the most
obstinate resistance they met with in
the province. 1t will be a matter for
surprise If in the present val they
do not materially contribute to the
many difficulties with which the Rus
sian forces will find themselves CON-
fronted in operating in an intensely
fninical country"
H. J. Whigham In his new book on
Manchuria describes a Russian policing
expedition against the Chunchuses. Mr..
Whigham Is quite pro-Russian, and
bic US take statements from British
sources in Newchwang with just the
smallest pinch Of salt" The expedition
which Mr.. Whigham accompanied was
under Colonel Genke, who Is a nephew
of Tschaikowsky, the composer, and
who speaks English better than most
Englishmen. Colonel Genke was as
010tn1 hu Nfr Nc ,, to- - +h1 C.,t
fish Presbyterian mission, who acted
as an interpreter. The object of the
mission was not at all to fight the
robbers, but rather to organize the ma
tive militia along the banks of the
Lao, and incidentally to escort any
bean junks which cared to avail them
selves of the opportunity down to New
chwang. The robbers nowhere go about
IN large bodies. and even such COM
bined forces as they have split up and
disappear at the approach of the enc
my. They hide in the giant millet on
the banks of the river and fire on the
boats 1t is not very satisfactory firing
volleys into the standing crops. only
once" says Mr.. Whigham. did we
have a chance of pretty artillery prac-
tice, when a band Of mounted robbers
had. to cross a bare slope in their flight
about a mile back from the river
By the time N~ewchwang was reached
no fewer than 5000 junks attached
themselves to Colonel Gerke's protect
ing force.
The trial Of a robber is a very rough
and ready affair. Caught by the Rus
slams, he is handed over to the Chinese
authorities, Colonel Genke reserving
only the right TO veto a death penalty
Mr.. Whigham admits that it is always
well to withdraw from a Chinese trial
and that innocent men may occasion.
ally be killed.