Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-09
8listellansu,1s gsading,
TO COMBAT THE APACHE.
Self Defense League Formed Against
| Ruffians of Paris.

Self Defense League Formed Against
Ruffians of Paris.
Our merry friends, the Apaches new
er leave us long alone, says the Paris
correspondent Of the Pail Mall Ga
zette. It is true that their exploits
are rarely lessened by the journals;
at the same time, their activity Is dis
quieting. NJ. BRAND, in recent
speech before the chamber, quoted
statistics to prove that the number OF
outrages committed each year by
these knights of the footpath was not
as great as was popularity supposed,
and he insisted on the exaggeration
with which the writer Of "Faits d.
vers" invested their exploits. The
minister of justice had without doubt
verified his figures; but there remains
this fact, that in no great civilized
capital are there as many attempts
upon the person by young ruffians
armed with knives and revolvers.
Sometimes they meet their match. 1t
happened so recently. In the subur-
ban district of Colombes, four young
fellows fell. upon a passer-by In the
hope Of disabling him and securing
his personal property. The intended
victim, however, proved to be more
than master Of the situation. Out
came q revolver from his pocket and,
with splendid aim, he shot his fore
most assailant in vital part, wound
ed another in the leg, while the 9TH
ers, before such accurate practice,
took to their heels and fed. The
worse wounded Apache was carried
to the hospital, where a serious ope-
ration had to be performed upon him.
The police captured the other three,
including the man who had received
bullet in his leg, and they are now
safely lodged in the police station.
If every one were as capable to de-
fend himself as the 'rencontre" there
would be very much less heard Of the
Apache nuisance. A league has been
formed in Paris, as has already been
announced, to protect the public from
the desperadoes. On the principle
that heaven helps those who help
themselves, this association has been
called into being to inculcate the prin-
ciples of self defense, and, at the same
time, give a salutary lesson to the
midnight marauders. It is said that
M. Lepine does not look with favor
able eye upon this private initiative to
rid the town of the incubus OF Apach-
edom. 1t is quite possible that the
amateur policemen may find them
selves right roughly treated-indis-
criminately treated, shall we say-by
the professional police. However
that may be, they are apparently de-
termined to persevere. Whether any
thing will come Of it is another ques-
ton. It has been rightly pointed out
| that the ordinary French citizen Is
not much a pugilist; hence a few
lessons in the noble art would seem
to be the necessary preliminary to
forming oneself into an Anti-Apache
associa+' n.
A year or two ago a certain enter
prising barrister, with turn for phys
ical exercise, gave a series of lectures
in various suburban halls with the
object Of initiating the pacific, and
somewhat nervous bourgeois into the
trick of ridding himself Of the atten-
tions of ill-favored gentry whom he
might meet on his way home late at
night. He had patent methods Of
downing his man, ways of putting
him "hors de combat" in the twink
ling Of an eye, a certain, sure and
ready means of disabling him by a
kick in a tender part, and various
other useful ideas in the category Of
self defense. I have not heard what
the sequel Of these lectures is; at any
rate, the Apache continues to thrive
and to be not afraid.
Perhaps the best suggestion is that
conveyed by writer in the Matin the
other day. He formulates the idea
that the leading Apaches should them
selves be recruited in order to do bat
tie with their ancient comrades. Thus
we should have the Panther of
Montmartre, the Eel of Montpar-
nasse, the Terror" Of the Boulevard
| Sebastopool, or the "WhiteAeyed
Wonder" Of Pere Lachaise, incorpor-
ated into a regular force Of Apache
repressors. 1t might read little
queerly If, in reports Of ceremonious
events, we learned that a gentleman
| In ~ o.
vile" was presented to M. lie Presi-
dent de la RepubliQue. Such things
might of course, be If these ex-Apach-
es rose to official rank and became
the valiant assistants of the night po-
lice Nor is the maxim, 'Set thief
to catch a thief" bad one in prac-
tice.
| Vidocq, one of the greatest Of Paris
detectives-a Sherlock Holmes in real
life-was formerly supposed to have
belonged to the class which looks
shyly on the policeman. But when he
reformed his life and entered the por-
tails Of La Surete, there proved to be
none like him to know the dark ways
and the vain tricks of the criminal
world of Paris. With compulsory
military service still fact in France,
there would seem to be plenty of able
bodied young men who might be mob
ilized into a society to help authority
to grapple with the Apache evil. "En
attendant" the example I have quot
ed, will do as well as any other to
frighten away the wrongdoer.