Red Spear Society Possible Out:
growth of Boxer Movement Peking, Dec. 11.
Scerét societies, organized among the peasants of Northern China, to be growing steadily-according to reports of travellers which reach here.
Mr, Mark BIN, Lu; who recently has made a special study of those mysterious associations, cays that owing to prolonged civil warfare in this country and continuous raids by bandits, the people themselves Ihave become extremely warlike, of the secret societies being military in character, The most powerful organization, according to Mr. Lu, is the famous Red spear Society" which is now id to cumber 30 million followers in Honan province.
It is believed that the Red Spear Society is an outgrowth: of the Boxer movement of 1900, Defeated Boxers, after the siege of Peking, took refuge in Shantung previo where a secret. organization. w maintained. Traditions of—anti= foreignism were kept by the leader, who always declared that the last day of the foreigners in China would soon come and that he would kill them al To-day followers of the Red Spears worship a religion which is a mixture of 10 commandments, similar to the old Hetrew decalogue, plus Buddhist idolatry and Taoisy magic.
Some of the magic practised by the leaders includes keeping lighted wick or candle li the mouth for five minutes before expelling Sty and swallowing charms which are reputed to make them impervious to sword cuts and bullet wounds.
To prove the latter, adherents of the Red Spears frequently cut them-elves with swords and shoot them: selves with pistols, The wounds do rot bleed, itis related, and although white or purple sears appear at the moment they soon vanish.
Before going into battle a't of the members of the society swallow magic potions and if wounded they appear to be cured by hypnotism, The Red Spear Society has divided into different sects, ax it haa grown, and the different factions often war with one another. The leader of one powerful clique reputed to eat human livers.
Another important secret associa~ tion is the Black Spear Society, which was founded by Lu Yen-thu, who claimed to have ominous dreams and magic powers. At first the people of his district had no faith in him, but when ko emerged unscathed after several battles with bandits he succeeded in rallying a large number of superstitious followers Members of the Black Spear Society learn many secret incantations which are supposed to render them impervious to wounds.
Another similar society initiates anyone who contributes five pecks of rice to its treasury, from whick it takes its name "Religion of the ye Pecks of Rice." The secrets which it teaches also promise immunity from death in battle, Members of the Magic Fan Society go armed with swords which Dung death to the enemy and fans which insure life to themselves, The Beautiful Basket Society is an organization of women who carry baskets in one hard and swords in the other. The baskets are to catch tke bullets of their. foes, which are said to doftect (herein, The Great Fairy Society -is another big secret organization of considerable influence, rumpering 300,000 adherents. Chinese mills tarists have occasionally enlisted this association within their own ranks in time of war—United, fre coming on, remitts increasing.
The only nianner in which -thio smuggling business: can be stopped: is to open. up. trade between ths two countries and negotiations ara now being curried on for the pure pose of working across the Amur between Saghalien and Blacov> chens, Ag. a matter of fact several large deals have already" Deen transacted with permission of the authorities on both. sides of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.