Hunghutz: Chinese mafia has seized the far East of the Russian Empire

Translated from the Chinese "hunghutz" means "red beard". It is believed that the so-called one of the criminal clans of China, whose members for the robbery, dressed in the aliens and used the false beard. The group has become influential, and her name became a household word and meant any robbers from the North-East of China. By the early twentieth century hunghutz acted not only in China but also in the far East of the Russian Empire.

Hunghutz not subordinate to a single center, and was divided into clan-mafia. The most famous and influential bands was considered: "Wolves", "Angry dogs" and "Snake head". Small groups in search of profit roamed the border area, and many groups tried to take control a piece of territory and to collect tribute from the local peasants. One of the gangs created on the Sino-Korean border of their own state Association – "henhussy Republic Szapiro".

Groups of bandits reached 500 fighters, but there is information about larger groups who were armed by the Japanese. All hunghutz called each other brothers, but obey a rigid hierarchy. The actions of the gang was headed by a leader, whose power was absolute, and for a major raiding factions could unite.

Hunghutz paid special attention to his arms, and part of the stolen money was used to purchase new rifles, revolvers, ammunition, and explosives. In 1880 a large quantity of guns they put who lived in Vladivostok, a German merchant by the name of Kaiser. Especially dangerous robbers began after the Russo-Japanese war. The far East has been awash with weapons, most of which settled at hunghutz.

Earned the bandits stealing of cattle, robbery, robbery, smuggling, illegal gold mining, kidnapping and racketeering. Victims hunghutz in the Russian territory, as the Chinese migrants and Russian entrepreneurs.

Since the mid-NINETEENTH century henhussy groups began a gradual takeover of the Ussuri region of Russia. They received support from the Manchu Qing dynasty, which was afraid of strengthening of Russian influence in the region. Supported by the robbers, and the local Chinese peasants, constantly clashing with the Russian settlers and the administration.

At the end of December 1867 hunghutz went on the offensive. Russian settlements and Cossack village in the valley of the river Suchan was attacked. The action was attended by several criminal groups, the number of which has increased due to the poor Chinese peasants, who wanted to profit at the expense of the rich northerners. Hunghutz acted on a prearranged plan, and walked along the river Mongoy, where the killing of Russian and Korean immigrants.

The carnage lasted four months, and stopped the beating of defenseless people Colonel Yakov Dyachenko. His Siberian battalion of the Amur Cossack army was able to seize the initiative, and scattered numerous groups hunghutz.

A famous example is the action hunghutz in the Russian territory began their attack in 1889 on the farm enjoyed Empire of the German immigrants of Fridolf Huck. The house of the farmer stood on the opposite shore of Vladivostok in Amur Bay. Chinese robbers came at night, killed all the employees and seven year old son Ridolfo, and then raped and hanged his Russian wife.

In the spring of 1882 hunghutz burned in the Gulf of Plastun farm German colonist Cooper. They killed two sons of a farmer, killed all the employees and stole property at 23 thousand rubles. To stop the invasion of Chinese bandits was only after the influx to the region's Cossack population. Since 1863, the province was constructed in 29 villages, which was inhabited by the don, the Volga and Kuban Cossacks United in the new Siberian army.

Far Eastern Cossacks

But robbing of the neighbors was a more expensive: the villagers themselves took the offensive and began to destroy the Chinese bandits. So sotnia of Cossacks Matthew Nogina, chasing squad hunghutz, crossed the Russian border by mistake and broke a squad of Chinese border guards. Although the Imperial administration and did not encourage the actions of the Cossacks, those with their own forces in the region put things in relative order.

In the early twentieth century Chinese robbers again appeared in the far East of the Russian Empire. It was caused by the Russo-Japanese war, during which hunghutz supported Tokyo and organized sabotage in the Russian rear. The first major clash occurred in the city of Bodoni, which flew a group of 200 armed bandits. When the raiders carried away by the looting of homes, the city has come a sotnia of Cossacks and soldiers from the guards of the Chinese Eastern railway.

During the battle half hunghutz shot, and two dozen arrested. It turned out that among the prisoners there were 7 Caucasians and some Russian. It was the deserters and ex-convicts, after the escape joined the local bandits. In may 1906, the gang hunghutz of 50 and 20 of the Circassians attacked the railway station Border crossing.

Russian troops in China

That summer, a major Chinese-Caucasian gang kidnapped in Harbin Chinese merchant. In the fall of 1906 the Russians and the local robbers robbed the Chinese banking house. During the First world war hunghutz actively arming Germany, but with the outbreak of the Russian revolution, they went to the Eastern province of China.