The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-09-20
CHINESE POLICEMEN.
Queer OHiciais OF the Celestial cities and
Their Duties.

Their Duties.
In costume a Chinese policeman is
something between circus clown and
football player His breechcs are
always baggy and very well wadded
so clumsy you wonder how lie gets
around in them particularly when,
as Is often the case, he wears II coat,
also thick and clumsy. coming well
below the knees Dark blue is the
prevailing color. set off and accented
with bands and faclngs of lighter blue.
red, green, maroon and brown, but
never yellow That Is the sacred or
royal hue, permitted to nobody below
the rank of Il vceroy.
In the treaty ports-that Is to say,
those open to foreign influences and
commerce--the police force Is largely
dia. The reason, perhaps, is that the
Chinese themselves are so essentially
unwarlke, they have II prOverb to the
effect that no good man Is ever sol
der" AS men in the pay of the Chi
nese Government, whether natives or
not they have taken IN active part in
the present troubles in China.
The police rank officially as gendar.
meries. In pekin the head of them is
always n Manchu. Policemen must
be plenticr than blackbcrrcs i'm the
Chinese capital. The sacred or impe-
rial walled city keeps between $4,000
and 10000 of them. This walled city
is tyn Inilpq suttprn N.ith tu.n ,yrnut
gates in each wall face, half mile
from the corners and mile from
each other Broad streets stretch
| straight from one to another. thus cut.
ting the space inside into big nine.
block. Police stations are scattered
all along the nine squares. especially
around their outer edges. which face
upon the pnssway 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 Tartar city, belong to what
is known as the Eight Banner Corps
They do not carry arms, not even so
much as the baton Of Il civilized Off
Ger, 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 necessary. The pen
atty for firing it at the wrong time is
severe--it may be degradation and
punishment, or simple strangulation.
Upon parades and reviews the DO.
licemen are always armed, especially
If foreign devils are to witness the re-
view or the parade. The weapons
used are curious looking, but wicked
in the eXtreme-the three hooked
spears they all carry in particular
make jagged and CHASTITY wounds. Be.
sides the 10000 within the wall Peiin
maintains force of $4,000 with
which to regulate the affairs in the
outer city. They are under command
of the same general officer and gov
erned by the same regulations, though
there are variations arising from the
differences of situation. Men and
officers alike furnish their own uni
forms. but are armed by the State,
and receive monthly rice allowance
in addition to their pay. The chief
gets IL fair salary, but the men and
subordinate officers are meagerly paid.
Notwithstanding, they make and save
money enough to retire after moder-
ate terms of service. Influence in
the shape of cold cash stands the
prisoners friend in ChiAa 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 serv-
ice, even though humanity is cheaper
than dirt cheap all over the Celestial
empire.-St. Louis Globe Democrat