The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-08-10

suncd places at either size of her
and conducted her to the foot of the
airs. from which place the lacy who
promised to take no further interest
in thieves could be seen standing
ghostiihe at the top of the steps.
Of water in the other, peering nerv-
ously down among the Gin shadows
looming up from below.
Get out quickly on the roof of
the veranda and shout for the po-
lice" commanded the prisoner under
escort. At this one Of the gentlemen
ventured to clap his hand over her
mouth to shut off further alarm, or
perhaps to check what to a Japanese
would doubtless appear want OF
dignity, not to say a distortion of
beauty. Whereupon the Inundated
lady soundly boxed his ears, cut her
fingers against the sword which he
held out in self-defense. BY this time
the lady on the roof was making such
complaint that the thieves became
frightened and fled, relinquishing
their fair charge, but taking a gold
watch that lay temptingly on a dress
ing-table.
Some minutes afterward the neigh
bors and the police began to stroll
in to see what was going on. When
asked why they had not responded
sooner, they lighted their pipes, sat
down on the floor, and replied COIL
placently that they would have come
| when they first heard the uproar, but
| had thought it was the foreign lady
singing her morning hymn. and that
it was only her vehement persistence
| in it after it ought to have been done
| that aroused a suspicion in their
minds sufficient to compel them to IN
trude upon her privacy. All of which
is positive proof of the old contention
that the Japanese have no ear fer
| music Meanwhile an ominOus silence
in the servants quarters induced the
policeman to look in; they We're all
there, but bound and gagged.
| The methods which the represent
tatives of Japanese law adopt in deal
ing with these gentlemen of the get
rich-quick variety are as eccentric as
the criminals themselves. A watch
man goes up and down the street all
through the night, clapping two short
pieces of wood together to let his
presence be known, the noise being
intended to brighten away the
thieves, but, needless to say, really
protects them.
! The police have marvellous way
of managing pickpockets that quite
| battles comprehension, provided the
culprits keep out of sight. II citi-
zen has the misfortune to be relieved
of a gold watch or sum of money,
lot the loss be reported to tie pollce.
and some time later the stolen prop
erty turns up in a manner so nys-
| terious as to puzzle any one lot
| initiated into the method Of wheels
| within wheels of the Japanese police
system.
1t may be that the magic influence
of the japanese policeman iii per-
suading thieves to deliver up their
plumber is to sore extent due to the
probable consequences if the offender
! is caught, for the process through
which a defer of the law has to so
is severe, often amounting to torture.
A few weeks ago in the province OF
Tokushima, a man who refused to
confess was suspended from the cell
ing and beaten by the officers. This
failing of the desired result, the man
was laid upon his back on the floor
and hot water poured into his nos
trils. AS he still persisted in his
obduracy, hot sake was substituted
for water, the unhappy wretch
screaming with agony, to the ap-
parent amusement of the officials
standing by. The man was then put
into prison, and next day permitted
to depart with fine.
One cannot wonder that there Is a
spirit of relentless vendetta between
the defender and defer of law in
japan, and ultimately the police al
ways suffer most. - St. James Ga
zette.