The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-13
Paradise
Soul of Charlie Boston
Aided on Way by Weird
Chinese Rites.
BY HARRY FERGUSON
United Press stan Correspondent

NJ
IN Fang-Shui magicians in Mott
street consulted the sign Of the
azure dragon today to learn when
the magnetic currents of the earth
would be favorable for the return
of Charlie BOston'9 body to his
home where Shanghai rises by the
sea.
Charlie Boston was buried Sun
day with such funeral as China
town had not seen in thirteen
years, and today his body rests in
a temporary grave in Cypress Hills
cemetery, awaiting the favorable
flow of time and the dies for it's
trip to China
Now Charlie Boston was a great
man in his fashion-aS great, per-
haps as any man can be who
dwells most of his 81 years in an
alien hemisphere. His life was
one long refutation of Kipling's
edict that least is east and west is
west, and never the twain shall
meet"
For east and west met and
mingled in Charlie Boston and
that is why both Oriental and
Occie tai rites were held for him
on gray, wet day when the On
Leole tong delegates finally ar
rived from San Francisco, ST.
Louis, Newark and every other city
where Chinese Iddle their homes
together.
MO one knows much about
IN Charlie Boston except that
ne arrived from China an unde-
termined number of years, ago,
lived in Boston long enough to &C
quire the only last name he ever
had, and then came to New York
to become a potent power in Chi
nese politics.
Here he helped form the On
Leong tong and until his death
stood high in the secret councils
that the tongmen hold behind the
door of the Snarling Tiger.
More than two weeks ago Char
lie Boston began his journey to-
ward death. A week ago Saturday
he struggled upright in his bed and
ordered servants to dress him in
his best black suit. They laced
his shoes, adjusted his collar,
smoothed his black coat and Char
lie lay back and died.
Funeral preparations began i'm
mediately; the tongmen we're sum-
moned. Banners were rugged up
and Charlie Boston's body was
taken to the II Wish You a Long
Life Chinese Funeral Parlors," the
only place in the United States
where a Chinese can be buried by
his countrymen.
Chinatown paraded Sunday
through pathway of flowers to
the bronze coffin where Charlie lay.
With the Chinese came Joe Hum
phrles of the silver voice. Eddie
Cass and Kid Hogan, who thrilled
Charlie Boston years ago with left
crosses that were the best in the
Bowery prize rings.
NOR the occidental part of Char
Il lie Boston, the Rev. K. c.
Yeung of the Chinese Presbyterian
church said a Christian prayer in
Chinese and John Guarantees Ital-
ian band played Nearer, My God,
to Thee"
A few Christian Chinese, such
as Lai Kim Jack, Charles son,
wept at the edge of the coffin,
but those who we're deeply rooted
in the faith of Confucius stood
dry-eyed and smiling. For was not
Charlie BoSton's soul on the way to
join his honorable ancestors and
would not his friends among the
living protect him from the thou
sand minor devils that pursue the
spirits of the departed?
So the On Leon tongmen car
ried Charlie Boston's body thrice
around Chinatown to elude the
devils. They scattered bits of pa
per behind the coffin, for every
one knows that evil spirits will in
terrupt their pursuit of the dead
to gather bright scraps of paper.
TINE followers of ConfuciuS were
l. leaving nothing undone to save
the soul Of so illustrious a man as
Charlie Boston, so behind the cof-
find two Chinese bands, their
woodwinds Shrilling, warned off
the evil spirits.
Charles picture, three feet
square and wreathed with flowers,
was in the procession, too. so that
al the devils might shrink before
his fearless face.
For the thousands of persons
who lined the curbStones in Mott.
Pell. Doyers and Bayard streets
there was q white silken banner.
Soggy with rain. proclaiming in
Chinese: Xxi Yen Chung How
which means The man of honesty
and usefulness"
Today the door of the Snarlinc
Tiger is tight shut against the
world, but behind it On Leon
tongmen are performing rites that
no occidental ever has seen in an
attempt 70 help the soul of Charlie
Boston I'D the twisting Dath that