The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-15
NIGHT RAMBLES IN PARIS.


On leaving the Bal du VieuX Chene we drove
along the Rue Mouhetard, through the Rues
Descartes and de la Montague de Ssnte-Gene-
We've where what are called the "good poor OIL
Paris herd together, into the Place mauoers
passing on our way men in waiting WIN ehao etoao
horses for drawing the omnibuses up these steep
activities, lying fast asleep on the shii, spinas,
backs. We sound our guides as to the taIgEes IOI1
private haunts-the low caoarets e.,,ipalS or msst
to plan their most desperate VeutI9qIes. t hue
Vieux Chens was obviously too puolc 10 De 3
regular Psso Pbe poee agents replied
that no such places as we Imagined
were known to them tha - All ot,ra1 tne i PS5ls
are under such close surve illanca that the cha
racter of the guests is always known to the
officer on the beat. A cabaret or cafe harboring
bad characters would be instantly closed which
is the reason why particular gangs of thieves
cannot hold together in Paris for any length of
time. A few years ago there was gang known
as the Band Of the Cafe OF the Nineteenth Cen.
tury, from the name of cafe on the Boulevard
de SebastopOl which they were in the habit OF
trequenting. The members OF this gang, nine
teen in number, were anything but desperadoes.
Their mode of business was to sneak into
apartments by means of false keys during the
absence Of the lawful tenants, and walk away
with any portable articles of value that came to
hand. They we're all young men OF from
twenty 10 fve.and.twenty years OF age, and at
the time of their conviction no less than ninety
robberes were proved against them. The police
captured the whole gang at one swoop.
"a remarkable gang of thieves, whose names
were always on the books Of the Pre-
agent, "was composed of a family of
Jews, and went by the name of Nathan's band.
Nathan had bee imprisoned for theft when
child, before the time OF Nap Ileon /; aud it
was in the reign of the present Emperor that he
underwent his last punishment, when he was
seventy years old. He and his wife, with six
daughters and their husbands (for they were all
married), had suffered 200 years Of lmprson-
ment amcng them at the time old Nathan was
last sentenced. They were all thieves, and
Nathan carried on the trade of receiver as
we'll" This story reminded the narrator's com.
panion OF another very criminal old gentlemen,
whose career, however, was q far luckier one.
When he was caught the gendarme SAID to
him, "You unfortunate old man, what could
have induced you at your time of flte"-he was
eeventy.one-"to risk ending your days in pri-
?" mo, so unfortunate, my Brigadter, as
you seem to think" replied the hoary rascal;
''lve been thief, man and boy, Tor slXty.one
years, and this is the first time 'marchand de
lacets'-sang Tor gendarme-has ever had me
in his clutches.n Next, l heard of note
riOus gang of thieves captured IN the nejghbor-
hood of the BarrIere de Fontaiuebleau, where
we had been that evening. They used to fire.
quent one OF the low cabarets near there, and
the police soon had their eyes upon them.
swell, one day." says my agent, ga number of
us disguised ourselves as masons, aud went to
the cabaret to drink; and, after jingllng our
money about in our pockets threw ourselves on
the benches and pretended to fall fast asleep.
The bait took; they robbed every man OF
us; whereupon we jumped up, and carried
them off-there were eight of them-to the
nearest "poste de police.n When the particu
lars became known at the prefecture, orders
were given that no similar "plautn was to be
made in future. The 'chel" said it was nothing
more nor less than enticng people to commit
crime. When we suspect that cafe or cabaret
is frequented by improper characters, or
more policemen in plain clothes, and not known
in the quarter, are set to watch it, and It's their
duty to follow the more suspicious characters
about until they go to bed, when they leave
them for the night. AS thieves are ordinarily
late risers, the agent is always waiting for his
man before he is stirring in the morning. In
this way, he follows him about early and late,
until he detects hun attempting TO commit
robbery No sooner has he secured him than
he sets TO work to ind out his most intimate
associates, and, mentioning their names, gives
his prisoner to understand that it was they who
put the police on bis track. As natural re
suit, the man, highly indignant at the supposed
treachery OF his accomphces, tells the agent all
he knows to their disadvantage, and in due
course they are lodged in prison likewise. For
capturing thief the police agent it seems, re-
celyes gratuity of twenty francs from the pre-
lecture; and for arresting a man who having been
already convicted, and while under surveillance,
as is always the case fora certain period after
the expiration of his sentence, has left the town
or village where he was ordered TO reside, the
agent gets gratuity of ten francs. The salary
of police agent ranges from 1900 to 1000
francs. year, with an allowance of 200 francs
or clothes, and 200 francs addluonal Tor mousse
cut. The ordinary sergent- de-ville receives
he smaller salary, and has no allowance made
him for rent.
chifonniers, learned that there was class
even below that, known as the 'trllleurs,"
whose avocation was TO sort out the contents
of the baskels sold by chitonnieres In a lot TO
the wholesale dealers. The Chitfonnirs, it
seems, have their regular exchanges in the diff.
feTent quarters of Paris, at which the price OF
rags, waste paper, bones, broken glass, etc., Is
from time to time regulated. They have also
their annual dinner at some convenient and
appropriate restaurant at which they make a
collection for the "poor" OF their class, and IN
variably drink the toast of "rhe press, which
uses and wastes so much paper, and thereby
keeps up the price of rags Our guide re-
marked that when the cholera was at It's worst
in Paris, the chifonniers suffered less than any
other class; which may have been because
they were so thoroughly seasoned to filth and
foul odors.
By this time we have reached.the Place Mau-
bert which abouuds with low Wne-shops.
Our guides call our attention to sone abject-
looking wTetches called 'Tavageurs," an almost
extinct class of Paris "night-birds,n who
are raking the open kennels In the narrow
side streets with sticks, Tor bits OF
old metal or a stray SOU. "This is the
hour" say the agents, "When the night birds Of
Paris are all on the wing. That maR," pointing
TO poorly clad individual at the bar OF au ad-
jacent wine-shop, lis what we call guardian
angel He Is waiting until the hour for closing
arrives, namely one O'clock; when the landlord,
who gives him his food, so as always to have
him at his beck and call, Will confde to his
charge his best and most drunken customer.
This person the guardian angel will conduct
sa ely home by a judlcious exercise of fattery,
hrmness, aud hnesse, spite OF all his remon'
strances, his endeaVOIs to get into
masculine or feminine, his desire to fight
Or bia efforts To cOmDose himself to sleep on