The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-01-21
OPEN MART FOR pLUNDERERs.
Thieves Sell What They steal an Mex
isO with Knowledge of Public
and Police.

~
In the City of Mexico there is a
place known as the thieves market
that has a large patronage, some of
it coming from presumably respect
able and honest citizens. That such
a place should exist in any city APP
pears almost incredible, yet it con
ducts business with the full knowl-
edge of the police, and with that of
every resident of the city. What is
more, says the Chicago Chronicle, it
is directly opposite n side of the
national palace, the winter home of
President Diaz, and is only n block
from the offices of the city admins
tration. And it is no small estab-
lishment, either, such as might EH
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 un-
known, can be obtained for a tenth
of their value.
To the visitors to Mexico the mar.
ket is well worth q visit, even il
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 o.
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 a high wall, such
as surrounds many of the private
homes. But at the end of the wal
is a 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 OF
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 {
few boards, laid on supports which
raise them two or three feet off tn,
ground. Sometimes the goods arr
piled up c~arelessly on the stone pave
ment. But over each of them is thu
awning of oarse cotton cloth, sup
ported on rough poles, which tn,
Mexican huckster invariably has.
Crockery, tinware, cutlery anC
cooking utensils form one of tn
staples of the market. There is al
wavs a demand for these among tn,
poor, and SO the ratero gather
them in wherever and whenever h,
can, knowing that they will find
ready sale. And it is not only tn,
poor who buy these things. On,
restaurant proprietor in the cit
whose place is one of the larges
there, admitted that nearly all hi
table knives and forks as well as tn
pots and pans used in the kitchen
were bought by him in the thieves
market. He is a regular visitor t,
the place, and not long ago he pickle,
up a bargain in the edible line TO
his customers in the shape of
young pig, which some enterprisinI
theft had gathered in.
How long the thieves market will
exist as it does now there is none t
tell. 1t is an old institution, and n
one thinks of interfering with il
Now and then a stranger, hearinI
Of its nature for Che first time, won
ders how the city authorities can al
low it to do b-usinesE-as it does. Blu
the native Mexican and the acclim
atized foreigner accept it as 1t is
and instead of Directing to it find it
very convenient place in which t
pick up a bargain and save them
selves considerable money.