The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-13
TALKS ABOUT COPS
BARRY HILL TFLLS WHAT He
KNOWS ABOUT POLICEMEN.

He Has Just Returned From the City of
Mexico aud Gives History of the Po-
lice System in Vogue in the City of Mex
ico-Former Mexican Bandits Have Full
Duties. Responsibilities, Salary and
EmcRcy-He says the Mexican Govern
ment is only a Republic in Name.
you ought to see the police system
IN vogue in the City of Mexico" saic
Harry Hill to an Eagle representative
yesterday When asked TO explain him.
self he said:
81 have made several trips to the City
IF Mexico, and am positive they have
The best police system in the world, and
put for the perfection which they have
IN vogue rest alone the security Of their
government. You must understand that
while the Mexican government is called
4 republic ii is in fact manarchal gov
eminent instead, and il is only main
tanned by the strictest enforcement OF
The rules Of the government.
ITO give you an idea Of the great
dread felt by the rulers of the country
1t is necessary that you understand
that President Diaz keeps the castle or
Chepupepic guarded night and day by
LOCO soldiers. These men sleep contin-
ually on their arms, and are ready at
moments notice to turn the cannon
loose upon any disturbers.
"a new,sboy dare not make an out
CRY. concerning the contents of paper,
provided the paper contains an article
with reference 70 a dual, Cuban insur-
rection, buH fight, murder, burglary, or
in fact any news Of startling nature.
The government is on continuous net
les and fear an outbreak Of some
kind. In case a boy forgets himself in
his anxiety TO sell his paper and makes
an oytcry he is at once arrested and
confined for ninety days in the huza-
row.
Now, as to the police system. On
each block there are two policemen, and
in case an arrest is made the prisoners
are bound with nippers and conveyed
by one OF the policemen to the end If
his block where he is turned over TO a
policeman adjoining his block, and thus
transferred from one policeman to an
ether until the prisoner is landed safe
at the huZaraw. The policemen never
leave their beat and are always found
attending to duty. They are also held
strictly accountable for any crime
which may occur in their locality.
When there is a disturbance the police
are the first to be found there. and not
like American police always away from
where they are needed.
AT night one OF the policemen on the
beat stands in the middle of the street
with a lantern and has a full line of
signals which passes along the line SIM
liar to those used by the railroads. II
there is a disturbance of any nature on
his beat or on the beat Of any officer on
duty the officer in the middle of the
street telegraphs it along the line until
It reaches the castle of Chepupepic
where the head official is on duty, who
at once transmits his orders to the men
on duty.
I'm case of a riot, duel or any disturb
ance out Of the usual order every gate
in the city is closed and the mounted
police are called out. These mounted
police are called rallies, and are the
highest as we'll as best paid officers in
the government. They have a standing
dead or alive and they have never been
known to take one alive. So you see it
is to the interest Of an offender to sur
render as quickly as possible to the po-
hce. When a squad of rallies returns
they enter upon the record that the man
resisted arrest, and ceased to live. This
settles the question and no further in
vesttgahon is made
THE pay of a rally is s1.25 per day
while that of a policeman is 271a cents
per day. This is in Mexican money
which is only worth SO cents on the dol
lar. So YOU see their policemen, who
are held as party of the crime, in case
a crime is committed on their beat with
out their detecting and arresting the
criminal. receive only 1871 cents per day
in United States money instead of $50
per month, and they do their work TO
nicely.
There is no such thing as a fire de-
partmert in the City Of Mexico, and
they have not had a single fire for
thirty-siX years, and that was during a
general riot.
The mounted rallies perform the
same duty as sheriffs in this country
and are permitted to go any and every
where. If they arrest a man l 900 miles
from the place he is wanted or rather
subpoenae him as a witness the man is
compelled TO walk the entire distance
in case he has no money. If he is a
criminal the rally kills him outright,
and IL any one should be so foolish as
to enter a complaint he is classed as a
revolutionist and shot full of holes.
"On every passenger train there are
from two TO three Of these rallies whose
duty ii Is to examine all suspicious
bundles to see If anything has escaped
the custom house without paying duty
A passenger is required to show these
lords their custom house certificate and
then allow them to go through every
pocket, bundle. trunk. valise and even
look in his mouth 10 see if he has any
thing about him upon which he has not
paid duty.
IF he has he is cast into prison. and
II he is an American or a citizen of the
United States he finds life anything but
a bed of roses. They have much more
respect for any foreigner than they do
Tor a citizen of the United States.
"A person will find the smoothest
smugglers in Mexico Of any place in the
world. There are hundreds OF people !
who do nothing else but make Il a bust |
ness OF smuggling goods across the Rio |
Grande river. They call these people |
contr2band daroes, and they make a
good living. but when detected their /
name is Dennis with a big cap. Il
would surpries the people of the United
States TO learn OF some of their modes |
Of smuggling Cinnamon into the Unit
ed States. There are large companies !
who carry on regular business in this |
line
Prior 10 1889 there were no such Of |
fcers in Mexico as rallies, but previous |
to that time these men were known as |
-<---z<-----zs /
Awarded