The St. Johns herald., 1900-11-10
CHINESE POLICEMEN.
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 something between . circus clown snS @ football player Ills brooches are always baegy and very well waddsd-- co clunsy. you wonder how he gets around in them-psrticulsrly 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 banda and facings of lighter blue, red, greeas maroon and brown, but never yellow. That is the sacred or royal hue, per mitted to nobody below the rank of . viceroy, says foreign papeY.
 In the treaty ports-thst h to cay. those open to foreign influences and commerce-the police force in largely made up of Sikhs from northern In- dia. The reason, perhaps, Is that the Chinese themselves are 20 essentially unwsrlike; they have s proverb to the effect that me good man is ever . sol- dier." Az men in the pay of the Chi. nese government, whether natives or not, they have taken an active part in the present troubles in China.
 The police rank officially as gem darmerie. In Peking the head of them Is always Nanchu. Policemen must be plentier than blsckberries in the Chinese capital. The sacred or im- perial walled city keeps between 1ss- coo and 2o.o00 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 big nine-block. Pc lice stations are scattered all along the nine squares. especially around their outer edges, which face upon the passwsy inside the wall The head of the police has charge of all the city gates. They are nine in number-sinee 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 a the Eight Banner corps. They do not carry arms, not even 30 much as the baton of a civilized officer, but keep swords, spears, guns and eutlAsses in racks at the stations, and make a rush for them when they hear the signal gun. This is fired by an officer whose special charge 1t is, either upon orders or if.in his own judgment 1t is neces- sary. The penalty for firing is at the wrong time is severe-it may be deg radiation and banishment or simple strangula ton.
 Upon parades and reviews the police men are always armed, especially # foreign devils are to witness the fs- view or the parade. The weapons are curious looking, but wicked in the ex- treme-ths three-hooked spears they all carry in particular make jagged and ghastly wounds. Besides the 20,- 900 within the wall Picking maintsins g force of I4,Ooo with which 10 regulate affairs In she outer city. They are under comAand of che same general officer and governed by the same regu- lationS. though there are varistions arising from the differences of situs- ton. Men and officers alike furnish their own uniforms, but are armed by the state, and receive . monthly rice allowance In addition to their pay. The chief gets fair salary, but ths men and subordinate officers are mes gerly paid. Notwithstanding, they make and save money enough to retire after moderate terms of service. "In- huence" in the shape of cold cash stands the prisoners friend h 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 dirt cheap all ever the Celestial empire.