Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-12-30
CHINESE
TOhGS end
THEIR WAR
AaNHE TO OBEY THE LAWS OF
EHE LAND, AND TURN THEIR
CRIMINALS OVER TO THE Law
WILL PAY INDEhfNITiEs.
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New York. Dec. S0.-Peace,
pledged in cups of rice vine. has been
declared between the Chinese tongs
or the United States. The compact
was sealed in the presence of the Of
ficials of the Chinese legation at
Washington by the sages Of the Four
Brothers and the On lie ongs, at a
conference here last night. The peace
agreement is being circulated today.
Under the terms of the pact. the
peace extends throughout the United
States, and local police are to be
called In by the tongs themselves
when murders are committed,
&. whenever member of one tong
kills a member of another, under the
terms of the treaty. the wronged tong
is sot allowed to seek blood retribu-
tisn. Instead. the "jingling OF the
gufaeaY isrto "cure, the hurt that
honor feels" and indemnity in hard
American dollars WIN pay the price
of the sacrificed life.
Each tong is to turn its murderers
over to the Chinese Merchants As
sociation in the city in which the
killing occurs. II the murderer kills
a man in his own tong the only pen
atty will be that fixed by law, tire
murderer being turned over to the
police. The Merchants Association
will aid the police in bringing about
a speedy trial. Whenever the kill
ing is between tongs, the same pro-
cedure will be followed, but the Mer-
chants Association will then assume
the additional burden of fixing the
price that one tong must pay the 9th
er for the killing.
In order to insure peace, each
tong agrees to assume and settle the
debts that its members may owe to
members OF. opposing tongs. Gamb'
ling debts are to have special atten'
tior. and the tongs are to see thai
they are pronotiy paid.
The peace agreement ends the old
est feud between warning Chinese
societies in America. The Fou'
Brothers and the On lie Ongs have er
gagged in fights in the Chinese quar-
ter here and in other cities evei
since the communities have been es
tablished. In. New York many muir
ders have occurred, which, the police
have charged, are a result OF these
wars. In most cases the police have
been powerless to punish the offend
ers, the members Of the tongs band
ing together to prevent outside inter
ference, keeping the guilty from ar
rest, and when arrests have beer
made, they have kept witnesses from
beng taken to court. The tongi
have preferred to settle their own dis
putes by killing some member OF the
tong that committed the frst muir
der.
Leaders In. the chinese colonies
largely Influenced, It is reported, b,
tho members of the Chinese legation
have bem seeking to end these wars
YAls ksad men of the tongs have ar
guet tnst the, practirs tended TO. pu
~ cstkaese colonies In disrepute II
No slties in which they arc located
and we're bad for business" Peac'
pre- s@s<as, which II is reported teda,
had ttoa made before. however, al
waks ended In misu understanding ant
the wars continued.
E&s nights conference was thu
culnitnation of these efforts, and thu
Iass Of . number OF meetings, 1t Il
reported. held In secret, at which
peace negotiations hsze been undel
way.
The anal agreement between thu
Four Brothers and the On lie Ongl
was reached with much ceremony
The sages Of the tongs gathered and
there were long speeches, in which
the terms OF the understanding wer'
outlined. The final agreement wa
formally adopted. and the sages o
the two societies pledged its sacred
ness in cups Of rice wine, The two
legation officials made compifmen
tary speeches.
The peace pact now reached al
fects only the Four Brothers and tn
On lie ongs. The Hip Sings have bee'
engaged in three-cornered war will
them. 1t is believed, however, tha
the agreement is the iirst step towar'
a settlement that will include al
the tongs In America.
Famous Case Is Ended