Graham guardian., 1900-12-21
CHINESE POLICEMEN.
Queer ofheials Of the Celestial
Cities and Their Duties.
Between $4,000 and 10000 of Thsn
Required TO Preserve order wtth.
In the walls OF the Imperial
City OF PekinR.
Administrator

In costume Chinese policeman il
something between circus clown and
a football player. His breeches are
always haggy and very well wadded-
so clumsy you wonder how he gets
around in them-particularly when, as
Is often the case, he wears coat, also
thick and clumsy, coming well below
the knees. Dark blue is the prevailing
color, set off 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 In
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 a sol
dier." As men in the pay of the Chi
nese government. whether natives OF
not, they have taken an active part
in the present troubles in China,
The police rank officially as gen
darmerie. In Peking the head of them
is always Msnchu. Policemen must
be plentier than blackberries in the
Chinese capital. The sacred or i'm
perial walled city keeps between 49,
600 and 10000 OF them. This walled
city is two miles square, with two great
gates in each wall face, half mile
from the corners and mile from each
other. Broad streets stretch straight
from one TO another, thus cutting the
space inside into a 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 a rush
for them when they hear the signal
gun. This is fred by an Officer whose
special, charge IL is, either upon orders
or IL in his own Judgment il is neces-
sary. The penalty for firing it at the
wrong time is severe--it may be deg
rndafinn han trh A..
strangulation.
Upon parades and reviews the police
men are always armed, especially II
foreign devils are to witness the re-
view or the parade, The weapons are
curious looking, but wicked in the ex-
treme-the three-hooked spears they
all carry in particular make Jagged
and CHASTITY wounds. Besides the 2O,.
600 within the wall Peking maintains
force of $4,000 with which to regulate
affairs in the outer city. They are
under comldand Of the same general
officer and governed by the same regu-
lations, though there are variations
arising from the differences Of situa-
tion. Men and officers alike furnish
their own uniforms, but are armed by
the state, and receive a monthly rice
allowance in addition to their pay.
The chief gets fair salary. but the
men and subordinate officers are mes-
gerly paid. Notwithstanding, they
make aud save money enough 70 retirs
after moderate terms Of service. "In-
huence" In the shape of cold cash
stands the prisoners friend in China
even more than anywhere else In the