Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-02-18
A PARADISE FOR THIEVES.
They Hold High Carnival in the Empire
 of the Czar-"Thieves' Markets"


 of the Czar-"Thieves' Markets"
 There is so much thievery in Russia that all the principal cities have what is known as ''thieves markets. They are conducted openly, and little if any effort is made to trace an article which goes in that direction. Travellers, in their exas- peration, often declare that the authori- ties, the thieves and the vendors of stolen articles are banded together, and that the profits are divided on a fixed scale. Be that as it may, there is more stealing in this than ill any other country, unless probably Egypt is excepted.
 Here the thieves market is two blocks deep, four long. and gives commercial transactions to thousands of persons. The goods are carried in by the pillagers, burglars and footpads sold to the shop keepers openly, and no secret is made of the fact that the goods were stolen. The buildings are mostly of brick, located in q quarter remote from the most respecta- ble portion of the city, and the shop keepers live in the second stories. The rooms are all filthy, covered with vermin, filled with nauseous odors, and the goods are dusty. The lazy men and women sit in front of the entrances in the mar row streets, play chess or cards, smoke and drink tea, and show a shocking de- gree of depravity. They are mostly Greeks, although many are Tartars Jews and Egyptians. The Jews are said to be the most cleanly, honorable and intelli- gent.
 The thieves market f1ourishes most on Sunday morning, although Sunday is not generally observed here, and street improvements, building of every charac- ter and trade go forward. But many people take a holiday on Sunday and spend it here. To this point 1 wended my way one Sunday morning, and saw , throng such as Five Points, New York, would have been shocked at i'll her | palmiest days. In window 1 saw some fine old chinaware, bearing the private mark of Alexander l, the crown and seal of the empire. Immediately the shopkeeper, g woman, informed me that the goods were stolen from the winter palace; she knew it, because she got them directly from the thief, and she had handled his property before.
 In the center of each block is a hollow square, about 150 feet ir diameter. These were filled with men, women and chil- iren, behind improvised counters, selling or making almost everything. Second hand boots are the most popular goods, and scores of men and boys can be seen repairing them in the open air, while others go about selling them. The ground is powdered and covered with sand and deas. Pigeons and crows, both sacredly protected, hop about everywhere. The crows are dark gray, with little black coats. Great big Siberian hounds, mug lled, stalk about with the multitude anC give zest to the scene.
 Train loads of old iron, copper ant leather, hoops, cast off and new clothing ewelry, watches, clocks and silverware furs. everything that furnishes houses man, woman child and beast, ill confu sion and profusion, just like heap O stuff burglar drops when hotly pur sued It is said the thieves finger her, after disposing of their plunder, ant often succeed in regaining the propert, when it is purchased, and that goods ar stolen and restolen a number of times il a single day or night. The scenes abou the thieves market h9re are duplicated in four or five places in the empire They are as old as the cities, and tn markets having become fixed institu tions, no attempt is made to fFustrat them.
 So helpless are the honest native when robbed that they often seek witche to trace the direction of the stolen prop erty. The witch proceeds by peculia means. She summons all the neighbor whom she suspects, gets paH of water makes little roll of dough to represen each one present, and begins in the pres ence of the party to drop the balls int the water, the theory being that whel she names the thief they will all sink Nine times out of ten the witch forces confession. It is waste of time to az peal to the authorities. The superstition , of the people are thus turned to advant age. They believe it is far worse to b , detected ill crime than to make a ire confession. In nearly every bedroor I have occupied in the Russian hostelrie 1 have found a tiny shrine. Some al over the doors, others high up in the col ners next to the ceiling, while a few al slowed away on top of wardrobes. I'll presence of the shrine is not only sati faction and a solace to the occupant ( the room, should he be a Russian, but
 protection to the landlord, fer it has nc been frequent that thefts are perpetrate in the presence of shrines. The thievt l fear shrines more than lawful retribt } tion.-P. s. Heath ill New York Ma and Express.