GUNMEN’S RATES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 March 1925, Page 2

GUNMEN’S RATES.

MURDER £200; WOUNDING £SO. NEW YORK, February 13.' The methods adopted in the recent Chinese tong (secret society) war, in which nearly a score of murders were committed throughout the country, have been revealed by the arrest at Chicago of John Clark, who says he is the leader of the Hipsing tong. Clark says, that he directed the dispatch of 44 "gunmen from Pittsburg. Each was given a schedule of operations for different localities. The tongs paid 1000 dollars (approximately £200) for murders, 250 dollars (£SO) for woundings, and 50 dollars (£10), for ‘‘sliooting up” marked mail’s place of business. The police believe Clark’s confession will eventually clear up every tong murder. According to Clark, the tong men marked the doors of the houses, the occupants of which had been marked for attack. The gunmen, making their rounds later, read these signs directing them whether to kill or wound. Clark’s confession has involved a Government agent employed in the anti-drug traffic branch. He is alleged to be a. member of the .Hipsing exexutive committee at a. salary of 1000 dollars (£200) a month. 11l October last hostilities broke out in various parts of the United States between members of the Onleang tong and the Hipsing tong, which had been at peace fpr 11 years previously. Many murders and woundings resulted, and the New York police were obliged to declare martial law in Chinatown. The recrudescence of fighting was the result of the Onleang tong’s recent ousting of a number of members because of the theft of 40,000 dollars (approximately £8030) from the treasury. The expelled members were alleged to have revealed secrets to the Hipsing tong.