Cochise review., 1900-11-10
CHINESE POLICEMEN.
Queer Officials of the Celestial
 Cities and Their Duties.
Between 5000 and 10000 of Them Required to Preserve Order With in the Walls of the Imperial
 City of Picking.

In costume a Chinese policeman is
 something between circus clown and
 football player. His brooches are
 always baggy and very well wadded-
 so clumsy you wonder how he gets
 around in them--particularl when, as
 is often the case, he wears a coat. also
 thick and clumsy, coming wei below
 the knees. Dark blue is the prevailing color, set of and accented with bands and facings of lighter blue. red, green,
 maroon and brown, but never yellow
 That is the sacred or royal hue, per
 mitted to nobody below the rank of a
 viceroy, says foreign paper.
 In the treaty ports-that is to say,
 those open to foreign influences and
 commerce-the police force is largely
 made up of Sikhs from northern h.
 dia. The reason, perhaps, is that the Chinese themselves are so essentially
 unwarlike; they have proverb to the effect that mo good man is ever sol dier." As men in the pay of the Chi nese government, whether natives or not, they have taken ap active part in the present.troubles in China.
 The police rank officially as gen darmerie. In Picking the head of them is always Manchu. Policemen must
 be plentier than blackberries in the Chinese capital The sacred or inn
 perial walled city keeps between l5,- 900 and 10000 of them This walled city is two miles square. with tvogreat gates in each wall face. half mile from the corners and mile ire Il each other. Bread streets stretch straight from one to another, thus cutting the space inside into big nine.block. Po- lice stations are scattered all along the nine squares, especially around their outer edges, which face upon the passway inside the wall. The head of the police has charge of all the city gates. They are nine in number--since the side next the palace has an extra gate in the exact middle of the two mile wall. Policemen in this, the Tar tar city, belong to what is known as the Eight Banner corps. They do not carry arms, not even so much as the baton of civilized officer, but keep swords. spears, guns and cutlasses in racks at the stations, and make rush for them when they hear the signal gun. This is fired by an officer whose special charge it is, either upon orders or if in his own judgment it is neces- sary The penalty for firing it atthe wrong time is severe--it may be deg radiation and banishment or simple strangulation. .": : Upon,psrsdes and reviews the police men are always armed. especially if foreign devils are to witness the re- view or the parade; The weapons are curious looking, but wicked ip the ex- trems-ths three-hookea spears they all carry sia, particular make jagged and shsstly wounds Besides the 20,, 900 within the wall Picking maintains c force of IA GOO with which to regulate affairs in the oater &city They are under eomlIand of the same general officer and agoyerned by the sa nesregu- iations, 4though there are variations arising. from the differences of situa- ton. saMen and officers alike furnish theirIown uniforms, but are armed by the6stata,, and receive monthly rice alinY anee in addition to their pay. The chief gets fair salary, but the menf fapdosubordipate officers are mea- gerly paid, Notwithstanding, they make and save money enough to retire after moderate terms of service In fuence'' in the shape of cold cash stands the prisoners friend in China even more than anywhere else in the world. In fact, but for the "presents'' the force is allowed to squeeze out of natives and foreigners alike, there might be difficulty in getting men for the service, even though humanity is cheaper than sdirt cheap all oyer the Celestial empire l.