, 1925-01-24
BY EDNA MARSHALL.
Copyright. 1925, Consolidated Press
Association

NEW YORK, Jan. 24.--The post
man makes few stops in Doyers.
Pell and Mott streets. these crooked
| New York's Chinatown. In the old
days his infrequent comings were
hailed with bland satisfaction. for
they meant, usually. a latter in
scrawly hieroglyhics from some low
ed one in far away China. Today.
as he worked along his route. he
a watched apprehensively by Il
hundred pairs of almond eyes. The
watchers feared he might leave a
receipt for all their unpaid bills
and there is nothing that China
| town. torn with tong warfare,
breads as it breads an unexpected
receipt. For the words Paid in
| FUR have come to be a symbol OF
death in Chinatown.
This little innovation. introduced
a day or two ago into the blood
feud OF the Celestials, e simply
that II a Chinaman is notified his
debts have been paid. the rival tong
is itching for his scalp. And SO to-
day, at least. two Chinese sit shiv-
| ering in their homes and shops.
| dreading what each minute may
bring forth-for the mail already
has brought them receipts for all
their bills.
The benevolence OF some I'M
knownsfriend, fnmily pride or the
threat of dea' may have been be-
hind these t unexpected notices.
information which has spread
through the hinese colony. The
| first is unlikely. The second is pos
| sible. for the Chinese have a horror
| of debt and would pay a relatives
bill rather than have the family
name dlshonored.
But the last is the likely idea
| considering the council meetings
held a few days back by the Hip
| Sing and on Leong tongs, at which
1t was decided, so they say, that the
| bills of any Chinaman to DO muir
dered must be taken care Of first
and receipts sent to him. And be-
sides. that is the logical deduction
| from the fact that 1t is said the
mos. recent OF the tong war vic
tins received receipts for their bills
before they died.
The explanation of the scheme is
simple. Privation, hunger and cold,
and general misfortune hahitual'y
| visit the family of the ever.so'little
suspected killer or a Chinese whose
life has been taken while he still
owed money. Further disasters OF
the kind must be prevented by debts
being cared for.
Great secrecy guards The names
Of the Chinese whose debts have
been secretly paid.
1T know of two men who, perhaps,
are marked for DEATH" one big mer'
chant admitted. There may be
more, who knows?
IT do not know their Names he
insisted. II do not know that these
are marked for death. I only know
the Hip Sing and On Leorg tongs
decided a day or two ago not to XII
anyone who would leave debts he.
hind him. It would bring vengeance
on the tong. And 1t is mysterious
when a mans debts arr paid by
some one who does not send a card
calling for thanks. at any rate
Comparative peace had been
thought to have desc 'ded upon
New York's Chinatown, Thars the
feuds ragged hot in the 10 fall with
many deaths each day. there have
been few killings in the past few
weeks.
The tong war has reached such a
state OF calm that an avowed Or
Leong dared venture into Hip Sing
territory, which has not be%en'dons
for years. An aspiring traveller had
only to send word by a child to the
Hip Sings that he wanted to visit ir
their neishborhood and they sale
whether he could go in safety. II