The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-11-21
OPEN MART FOR PLUNDERERS.
Thieves Sell What They Steal in Mex
leo with Knowledge of Public
and Police.

and Police.
In the City of Mexico there is a
place known as the thieves market
that has large patronage, some of
it coming from presumably respect
able and honest citizens. That such
place should exist in any city APP
pears almost incredible, yet it con-
ducts business with the full knowI-
edge of the police, and with that of
every resident of the city. What is
more, says the Chicago Chronicle, it
is directly opposite one side of the
national palace, the winter home of
President Diaz, and is only one block
from the offices of the city adminis-
tration. And it is no small estab-
lishment, either, such as might be
overlooked, for it occupies a court as
large as a city block, and is crowded
from morning to night with persons
who are looking for bargains, and
know that the place to find them is
in the thieves market"
Naturally, the thieves themselves
do not act as the statesmen for the
stolen goods. They keep out of
sight, and either dispose of the
stolen goods for a lump sum to the
hucksters or allow them to sell for
them on commission. In either case
the thief gets little, the dealer is
content with a small profit and the
goods, whose original owner is I'M
known, can be obtained for a tenth
of their value.
To the visitors to Mexico the mar
ket is well worth a visit, even if
scruples of conscience should prevent
the purchase of what are admittedly
stolen goods. There will be no trou-
BILE in finding the place.
Any policeman or any citizen will
direct you to it. 1t is just east of
the Zocalo - the park of the
poems - and across the street
from the south front of the national
palace. Even with this knowledge
you might pass but high wall, such
as surrounds many of the private
homes. But at the end of the wall
Is huge gate, large enough to drive
a loaded truck through. Passing
through this gate you enter the mar
ket. 1t is a big, open court, stone
paved and surrounded by buildings
on three sides and by the wall on
the fourth. Scattered over this, ar
ranged in streets, are the booths.
where the stolen goods are displayed
for sale. These stalls are crude
affairs. Usually they consist of a
few boards, laid on supports which
raise them two or three feet off the
ground. Sometimes the goods are
piled up carelessly on the stone pave
ment. But over each of them is the
awning of coarse cotton cloth, sup
ported on rough poles, which the
Mexican huckster invariably has.
Crockery, tinware, cutlery and
cooking utensils form one of the
staples of the market. There is al
ways a demand for these among the
poor, and so the ratero gathers
them in wherever and whenever he
can, knowing that they will find a
ready sale. And it is not only the
poor who buy these things. One
ACS td III anu PI pPl ictOi III lHe CITY
whose place is one of the largest
there, admitted that nearly all his
table knives and forks as we'll as the
pots and pans used in the kitchen
were bought by him in the thieves
market. He is a regular visitor to
the place, and not long ago he picked
up a bargain in the edible line for
his customers in the shape of a
young pig, which some enterprising
theft had gathered in.
How long the thieves market will
exist as it does now there is none to
tell. 1t is an old institution, and no
one thinks of interfering with it..
Now and then a stranger, hearing
of its nature for the first time, won
ders how the city authorities can al
low it to do business as it does. But
the native Mexican and the accIm-
atized foreigner accept it as it is,
and instead of obiecting to it find it
very convenient place in which to
pick up a bargain and save them
selves considerable money.