Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-12-19
A THIEVES MARKET.
ONE OF THE PROMINENT PLACES IN
THE CITY or MEXICO.

Any Policeman VIII show You the
Way to 1t and You May There Pur-
chrse stolen Goods by the Single
Piece or by the Carload.
If 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, II there is
anything you desire from pincushion
TO a redhot stove-just ask a police
man.
He will point the way 70 the thieves
market without any more idea of laws
that deal with those who receive stol-
en- goods than IL 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
peGns-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.
1t is no small establishment, but a
city institution, with a court as large
as Il city block, and it 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 1t is stated that now
and then persons find property once be-
longing to them exposed there for sale
at prices so reasonable that it would
be absurd to go to law about it and lay
up against the delightful convenient
''manana" the trouble of appearing In
court
The market is just what it's name i'm
plies-a thieves market, where moths
do 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
tables or piled high on the ground can
be found samples of almost anything,
for the Mexican ratero Is not partic-
ular what he steals. The thieves do
not themselves act as the statesmen. for
this would be dishonest even to the
Mexican mind. They dispose of their
plunder either for lump sum or take
commission from the sellers.
There is no assortment of goods as to
class or kind. 1t is q case of pick
and choose. Crockery. cutlery, tinware
and cooking utensils are the main sta
pies, for the Mexican is careless, and
the thieves of his kind find this sort of
plunder easy to get and with a ready
market. The proprietor of one of the
well known local restaurants admits
that nearly all his knives, forks and
table linen come from the thieves
market. He makes 1t point regularly
to visit there to replenish what may
have been stolen from his own place.
But it Is perhaps In the line of curl
osities, books and objects of art that
the thieves market is most interesting.
The libraries of the monks, scattered I'm
the war of reform, are represented now
and then. The thieves, of course, know
nothing of the value of the books.
Recently a fold of Shakespeare,
bound In vellum, in splendid condition.
notwithstanding the long ago date of
Its publication, was picked up by q
book lover for 81 80 in Mexican silver.
Several bibliophiles of the United
States have regular agents In the
thieves market, and it 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 S.
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
country 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 trifle an old swor', tarnished and
dirty. The style of tie hilt pleased
him. When he had 1t 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.