Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-12-26
A THIEVES MARKET.
ONE OF THE PROMINENT PLACES in
THE CITY OF MEXICO.

THE CITY OF MEXICO. +
Any Policeman Will Show You ~.
way to 1t and You May There Pur.
chase Stolen Goods by the Single
Piece or by the Carload,
II you want to knoW the time In
the City of Mexico; If you need house
hold goods, objects Of art or of per.
sonal adornment; In fact. if there is
anything you desire from pincushiou
to redhot stove-just ask a police.
man.
He will point the way to the thieves,
market without any more idea of laws
that deal with those who receive stol-
en- goods than if you had asked him the
way to the best hotel in the city or to
one of the theaters or to the National
palace. The official of the law will not
hesitate to tell you that it is directly
across the street from the National pal.
ace. east OF the Zocalo-the park of the
peons-and that if you are timid about
the size of the load you wish to take
there the gate is large enough to drive
the biggest truck through without in
convenience. 1t is very simple mat
ter to find the thieves market.
IL is no small establishment, but a
city institution, with court as large
as city block, and 1t Is crowded from
morning to night with those who are
looking for bargains without the slight
est idea of moral wrong in buying stol-
en- goods. Indeed it is stated that now
ana then persons find property once be-
longing TO them exposed there for sale
at prices so reasonable that it would
De absurd to go to law about it and Law
up against the delightful convenient
manana" the trouble of appearing In
court.
The market is just what its name i'm.
plies-a thieves market, where moths
90 not corrupt, because there is ALWAYS
stream OF purchasers for goods at RI
diculous prices Nothing remains in
STOCK over few days. Spread out on
taDles or piled high on the ground can
De found samples of almost anythino
Tor the Mexican ratero is not partic-
uiar what he steals. The thieves do
not themselves act as the statesmen. for
THIS would be dishonest even TO tba
mexican mind. They dispose of their
pluhuef either for lump sum or take
commission from the sellers
Ihere Is no assortment of goods MS TO |
class or kind. 1t is a case of pick
ana choose. Crockery, cutlery, tinware
ana cooking utensils are the main sta
pies, for the Mexican Is careless. and
the thieves of his kind find this sort Of
piunder easy to get and with a ready
market. The proprietor of one of tba
wen known local restaurants admits
that nearly all his knives, forks and
taDle linen come from the thieves,
marker. He makes it point regularly
10 Visit there to replenish what NAV
nave been stolen from his own place.
But 1t Is perhaps in the line of cur,.
osities, books and objects of art thai
the thleyes, market is most interesting
the war of reform, are represented now
md then. The thieves, of course, know
nothing of the value of the books.
Recently folio of Shakespeare,
bound in yellum, in splendid condition,
Notwithstanding the long ago date Of
Its publication, was picked up by
book lover for $1.50 in Mexican silver.
Several bibliophiles of the United
States have regular agents in the
thieves market, and 1t pays them.
With Macmillan and his court many
rare works of art came to Mexico. In
the rush away from Mexico these were
left behind. Within the last month a
fan, beyond doubt by Vatican, was
bought in the thieves market for SIS.
The painting Is still bright, the lace eX-
quisite and rare, and the ivory sticks.
inlaid with gold, are still intact.
MeXico's many wars have made the
an arsenal of obsolete weap-
ons. Swords, guns and firearms from
the time of Cortes to the present dec
ade can be picked up in the thieves
market for little or nothing. Some of
them, outside of their value as curios,
are Of intrinsic worth, as an American
discovered not long ago. He bought
for n trifie an old sword, furnished and
dirty. The style of the hilt pleased
him. When he had it cleaned, he found
that scabbard, hilt and blade were in
laid with rich gold of marvellous ar
tistic design.-City Of Mexico Letter in
New York Times.