Morning journal and courier., 1893-12-18
Ways of Paris Policemen.

Paris Letter in the Philadelphia Times.l
 To an American policeman without 8 club is puzzle, but the short, wicked looking sabera at the side of the French police more than make up for the defcien- oy, while their military service, which gives them their strained, soldierly look, makes them as nearly fearless as any class of men in the world. One is first struck by the fact that the Paris police seem fond of each others company. The impression is of their always standing or walking to- gether in groups of two, or more general ly three. In arrests they depend much more on numbers than the American or English police They work together and seldom attempt an arrest alone. If the arrest of more than one man is necessary the sergeant Is content to hold his men se- ourely until his confreres arrive.
 The Parisian municipal police which cost the city twenty-two millioI francs every year, number about ten thousand, besides six thousand Gardes Republicaines, horse and foot. These are divided into twenty brigades, one for each district of the city. There is great difference be. tween the officers of the down town, swell districts and those further out, and in less wealthy sections. In the American quar- ter, and along the Boulevard des Italians and the Rue de Rivoli, so much frequented by foreigners, most of the police under stand English, and the befogged and hszy individual who has been "doing" the sights of Paris in the evening, and who cannot speak French, will not find 90 much difficulty, after all. in making his devious way back to the hotel in the dawn. Very generally, too, the Parisisn police are uni formly unobtrusive, and unless needed, at tend strictly to their own business They are kind and polite, always ready and will ling to set one right, or to escort e woman across street, and they all carry in their pockets street and business directories for the strangers use.
 The Parisisn police have much to do be- sides keeping order. They must keep rec ords of residents, take the numbers of the public fseres to see that none take up their stand in sections uualiotted to them, and see that the streets are properly cleaned. Then, too, there are many small rules of the street which they must see are enforced.
 The real work of the police is in con- trolling crowd. Paris, with its numsr- ous fstes, Its gala days, and above all, with it's people so fond of show and spl D. SkoAS AS SoAssaAS 60CSOoSAOh oI CEOWOH. Whether 1t be student riots, Russian fstes or the parades of All Saints day, some thing is continually occurring to bring to- gether unmsnsgeable masses of people, among whom the police must preserve or. der. It must not be forgotten that Pari- sian crowd Is, above all crowds, hard to handle. It is not naturally orderly, as is the Anglo-Ssxon crowd, and is given to sudden and uuexplsinsbie ebullitions of passion.
 Riot seems always incipient in the French enthusiasm. It must be in 6 sort of tscit acknowledgment of this that the short sword bayonet hangs at the eide of the policeman's bslt-a perpetual menace to disorder.
 The police are instructed to use the flat of the blade in striking, and not to thrust except in desperate cases, but in the ex- citement of a riot it Is too much to expect I that they draw this fine distinction. In- deed, the number of people stabbed dur ing the late riots in the Latin quarter | show that in charging mob the blade is l as apt as not to strike when blow with l the flat side is intended. Experience showed then that the sword is preferable, even to firearms, in cases of riot. Men will stand until they are shot down, but | they cannot stand the sight of the slash | Ing steel. It may not be 70 deadly, but 1t | inspires more respect.