The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-12-04
A THIEVES MARKET.
ONE OF VIE PROMINENT PLACES IN
TIE CITY OF MEXICO.


Way 10 IL and You Mny There Pur-
chase stolen Goods by the single
Piece or by the Carload.
Ii You want 10 know the time In
the city of Mexico: II you need house
hold goods, objects of art or of Der.
sonal adornment; in fact, II there Is
anything You desire from Il pIncushon
TO redhot ove-Just ask police.
man
lie 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 theatcrs or to the National
palace The official of the law Will not
hesitate to tell you that 1t IS directly
across the street from the National pal
ace, east of the Xocalo-the park of the
neen-,= ....s unnt II you are uuIlu unOut
Tue size Of the load you wish to take
there the gate ~ large enough to drive
the biggest truck through without In
convenience. 1t is II very simple mat
ter to find the thieves market
1t Is no small establishment, but II
city institution. with court as large
AS a 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-
eu goods Indeed 1t is stated that now
md than ~ ,.,.fx, 4.
longing to them exposed there for sale
nj prices 40 reasonable that II would
be absurd TO go 10 law about ii and lay
up against the delightful convenient
"manana" the trouble of appearing In
court
The market IL Just what its name I'm
plles-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 ratcro Is not pnrtic-
ular what lie steals, The thieves do
not themselves act as the statesmen, for
Mexican mind. They dispose of their
plumber either for lump sum or take
commission from the sellers.
There Is no assortment Of goods ms 10
class or kind. 1t is Il case OF pick
and choose. Crockery, cutlery, tlnwarc
and cooking utensils are the main sta
pies, for the Mexican ls careless, and
tho thtnung nf TN, IL. .
plumber easy to get and with IL 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 It point regularly
TO visit there to replenlsh what mny
have been stolen from his own place.
But It Is perhaps in the line of curl.
osltles, books and objects Of nrt that
the thieves market Is most Interesting.
The libraries Of the monks, scattered In
the war OF reform, are represented now
and then. The thieves, OF course, know
nothing of the value OF the books.
Recently folio OF Shakespeare,
bound IN vellum, In splendid condition.
Notwithstanding the long ago date OF
It's publication, was picked up by n
book lover for 81 90 In Mexican silver
Several blbllophiles OF the United
States hive regular agents la the
thieves market, aud 1t pays them.
With Macmillan aud 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 So
The painting Is stIll bright the lace cx-
quislte and rare, and the ivory sticks,
inlaid with gold, are stll intact
Mexico's many wars have mudc the
country an arsenal Of obsolete Weap-
ons Swords. guns and firearms from
tie time OF Cortes TO the present dec
ndc can be picked UP in the thieves
market for little or nothing Some Of
them. outside OF their value as eurlos,
are of intrinsic worth, a5 an American
discovered not long ago He bought
for trine an old sword. tarnlshed and
dirty. The style of the hit pleased
him. When he had it cleaned, he found
that scabbard, hilt and blade were In
laid with rich gold Of marvellous ar
tistlc design.-City of Mexico Letter In
New York Times.