Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-02
CHINESE WILL
FENCE CEMETERY
INTRUDERS AND VANDALS DIS
TURB BURIALS
ceIestiaIs Meantime Are Asking Pro-
teetlon From Pollce-Graves, Il
Is Charged, Have Been Ruth
lessIy Desecrated

Incensed by the dissertations Of the
graves of their dead and hoping to
secure in future better protection for
the Chinese graveyard, Los Angeles
ceIestials are planning a number OF
improvements for the Chinese burial
grounds on East First street and are
circulating a petition to be presented
to the police department. asking pro-
lection.
Ever since the Chinese mapped out
the little plot of ground on East First
street. just inside the county line, to
act as Temporary burying ground for
their dead. they have had trouble.
The Chinese rites of burial are con-
sidered chiefly responsible for the In
suits to the graves, but when the new
plans IRE completed high fence VIII
keep out intruders from the quaint lit
tie cemetery and there will be CHI
nese on guard at the grounds during
the day and night.
The act which has so incensed the
local celestials occurred last Sunday,
when relatives of late patron of the
cemetery went to visit. the grave only
to find that the little offerings of food
placed on the grave had been scattered
about and the grave had been consid-
erably paved over.
Carry Chickens Away
The Chinese began an investigation.
In the first place they noticed that
the roast chickens placed on the grave
had been carried from the Enclosure.
Near the roadside they came upon
two mongrels fighting over the food
intended TO accompany the deceased
to his first heaven of the Chinese par
adise, and at the thought that their
relative might be wandering about
among the shades of the unknown, at
tackled by devils and without nour-
ishment to sustain him in his fight,
they set up unearthly walls.
They next learned that many of the
other trinkets had been taken away.
A Chinese funeral is a sort of super
stitious performance in which every
device known to the yellow man is
used to keep the devils away from the
dead body.
A Chinese rests all his belief on three
superstitions-the gods who protect
him, the devils who are constantly on
the watch for him and the highbinders
or messengers of fate who are at hand
to rid him of his enemies.
Money PIacates Gods
His money placates the gods through
the earthly representatives at the tem-
pies and money fixes his messengers
death is to outwit the devils.
One Chinese superstition is that a
devil is compelled to pass through
ing through all the holes before he
can attack the spirit of the dead, sc
when a son Of the yellow dragon IL
lowered to the ground or placed in g
tomb there is generally long strip OF
SILK placed on the grave.
This silk is perforated with scores
- hot
| is supposed to have a hard time jump
ing through all the holes before he
/ has a chance at the body. In the
meantime the spirit is supposed to es-
cape and enter the first stage OF
his journey through the Chinese
heavens.
But last Sunday, when the celestial:
investigated, they found that the
string of buttonholes had been taker
away.
Some of the paper prayers scattered
about to scare away the devils they
found decorating the little shack play
houses of negro children of the neigh
borhood, while to their horror they dis
covered the string of silk with its but
tonholes gracing the begrimed neck
of a wooly-headed, barefooted picka.
ninny who set up a howl of terror
when the Chinese would have spoken
TO MIN regarding MS IlBHI VI posseS
sion.
Circulating Petition
So a petition is being circulated fol
better protection of the cemetery an6
the Chinese will do their part to keeE
the outsiders away from the graves
so that the souls of their departed rel
atives may fight their fight with the
devils with none but the great goo
Buddha to watch his children and with
the unholy eyes of certain pickanin'
nies cut off from view.
Then at the end or the fifth year
according to the command of the
priests, the bones of All Charlie and
All John and all the rest of the De
pigtailed faithful are taken up ant
Sc ealed in sacred caskets and sent bacl
acl oss the waters for final internen
in the land made holy by the dragon:
bic 3D. where every celestial must .st
before he can enter the last of the
hea1 ems of his paradise.
Anu in the meantime the protector!
OF the poor will spend their days chas
Ing pickanlnnies over the high hits ~
l}o3 le Heighths, in order that tner:
may be peace in the souls of the de
| ma Y.ted and no harm may couio Il