Huntsville gazette., 1886-07-10
PARTISAN POLICEMEN.
The Police Agents, Mouchards and Mou-
tons of the French Capital.

AnO IOuCo A&cnbS, mOuCnSrO6 8uQ 1AOsss
tons of the French Capital.
The ordinary Paris agents de police,
Or policemen, are neatly uniformed in
blue, with military cap and heavy
overcoat in winter. Most of them
have been soldiers, and they are
selected for their height, erectness and
military bearing. They have certain
air Of dignity which seems to render
them unapproachable, but if addressed
politely they are usually amiaole and
impart all the information in their
power. Lift your hand to one of them
when you wish a favor and you will
find him devoted to your service. They
pace the streets in an erect and method
ical way, not allowing their attention
to be distracted by any disorder that
does not amount to genuine disturb
ance. An English or American
policeman rushes in everywhere
where the peace threatens to be broken,
and is the first on hand to assist in case
of accident. The Paris policeman
seems to have no instructions of this
kind. He waits till the peace is actu-
ally broken, and if there is runaway
he permits private citizens to pick up
the wounded and gather together the
shattered remnants of the vehicle. His
military stiffness prevents his pursuing
q thief with indecorous speed. He
nevertheless quickens his pace, at the
same time raising the cry, ''Stop theft
when perhaps some law-abiding person
interposes or some nimble pedestrian
joins in the chase and effects the cap
ture. Very little of the espionage or
dirty work falls to his share. This is
done by the secret agents called agents
de nagurs, or by other names, by the
department. but naoucbards by other
citizens, who detest them thoroughly.
They are always in citizens dress,
but have badge of authority
which they show when necessary.
To better perform their work they as
sumo the blouse of the laborer, the
dress of priests, the white aprons of
cooks and garcons, the silkhat, portfo-
lio and thoughtful air of the lawyer or
lawyers clerk, or the garb of mendic-
ity. Their business is to watch the
criminal classes and to keep the morals
of the city. They have the entry of
houses at all hours without other legal
authorization than their official posi-
ton. The 17aouchard is considered by
the honest classes of Paris as no better
than blackmailer, who will let any
one whom he has arrested escape for q
gratuity, that is if the arrest has not
been effected under such conditions of
publicity as render it impossible. He
and his calling are therefore looked
upon as simply infamous.
But though the mouchards are num-
bered by thousands, and though they
are omnipresent, they have the assist
ance of another class still lower and
baser. These are the moutons. The
mouton is usually a discharged GRIM
inal, who is allowed to cooperate with
the mouchard, giving him such infor-
nation as he can about other criminals
or aiding him in the espionage Of peo-
pie in respectable positions who it is
thought need watching. 1t is hardly
to say that no naouton will
ever betray any one to the police, no
matter what the offense may be, if he
can make any money out of the offend
er. Not only do they as class con-
stantly try to extort money, but the
guasi-official protection which they re-
ceive allows them to continue career
of fraud and robbery which the police
either ignore or condone. A portion
of the nloucAards, all the naout0ns, the
professional blackmailers and the class
that depends on the wages of criminals
are therefore closely connected to-
gether. They aid, protect and conceal
one another, and this result comes
from police system in which
secret espionage that confounds great
crimes with small plays SO important a
part. The police system of Paris, far
the most costly in the world, must be
judged by its fruits, and those fruits
are the constant increase of all kinds
Of crime, especially those Of violence
and murder. If some thousands of
those who are engaged in watching the
morals of the community not SO much
with reference to purity as their own
gain were put openly on the trail OF
score of unknown murderers OF the
past winter it is possible that a capture
might be effected. Paris Cor. San
Francisco Chronicle.