Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-16
MExIcOs CRACK REGIMENT.
"The Rurales" Are One Of the Pillars
of Diaz's Power.

| been the terror of malcontents, and
one of the pillars of Diaz's autocratic
| power.
THE Rurales!" When this warning
is given, and in the majority of cases
it is a perfectly false alarm, all per-
sons engaged in illegal acts, such as
knitting each other. burning hay stacks,
or discussing ways of overthrowing
the present regime, sober up and fee
noiselessly. Witnesses to the affray
remember some pressing business de-
manding their presence a mile, or SO
| away.
"The Rurales!" This bushes up q
crowd of Mexicans as effectively as
the cry of 1.-The Cossacks!" does a
Russian crowd.
Should the rough looking riders In
their immense sombreros swoop down
on the crowd before everything had
again become peaceful, serious conse-
quences might follow. The ringleader
responsible for the disturbance might
be soon singled out and led away. At
little distance from the village the
Rurales might very negligeDtly give
him an occasion to escape. While TAX
ing to his heels he would hear a shot,
and fall face downward, his back brok-
en-. A hole two feet deep, a little
mound of sandy earth, two pieces OF
board nailed crosswise. And
the chief of the detachment would re-
port that a disorderly man was killed
in accordance to the "ley fuga," the
fugitive law.
"Rurales" waste no words and very
little ammunition. They receive no in
struction as to how to repress riots;
they are merely instructed to repress
them; and they generally succeed.
Riots and uprisings in all parts OF
Mexico made the country during the
last years of President Juarez's life q
storm center as insecure for the trav-
eler as some unfrequented districts of
Albania. Bands of highwaymen plum
dered villages, raided large towns, and,
mounted on swift horses, carried off
the spoil to their mountain haunts.
Troops sent against them made little
progress, for in Mexico, as elsewhere,
the bandit soon assumes a legendary,
semi-heroic character, and the villages
prefer to court his favor than to invite
his vengeance.
The army itself was made up at that
time of unorganized, Independent, un-
reliable guerrilla bands, almost as dan
gerous for the population as the out
laws themselves.
After President Juarez breathed his
last, in 1872, his successor, Diaz, de-
cided to restore the prestige Of Mexico
in the eyes of foreign nations by doing
away entirely with all the freebooters.
Calling the veterans Of his campaign
together he intrusted them with the
fearful task.
They were to trail the bandits sys-
tematically to their mountain fastness-
es, taking no prisoners, giving no quar-
ter. After several months thousands
of crosses dotted the land, marking the
spots where justice had been dealt
summarily to captured brigands. In
the northern hills a town had to be
besieged, for a group Of fourteen free
hooters had taken possession Of 1t,
armed and pressed the citizens into
their service. After a terrible slaugh-
ter it became necessary to erect cross
es over an area Of a square mile be-
yond the walls. The town lost its
name which was for shame replaced
by Catorce lin Spanish fourteen), in
memory Of the fourteen highwaymen.
Then it was that Diaz conceived an
excellent idea Of utilizing the daring
and energy Of these predatory bands,
and at the same time putting an end
to that heartrending civil war. He Of
fered a truce and invited, after giving
hostages, some Of the guerrilla chiefs
to confer with him.
They returned to the mountains
bearing the message that the republic
would respect their haunts, leave them
their arms and horses, and pay them a
regular salary IL they consented to-
make their peace. An occupation would
be found for them which would not in
terfere with their free, adventurous
life. They were to police the noun
tain regions and act as emergency
troops when quick and energetic action
was required. The halfstarved bands,
weary Of the struggle, made their sub
mission. Up to the present day they
have constituted the "Rurales," the
crack regiment OF the Mexican army.
Acquainted as they were with the to-
biography of the bad lands, they very
soon subdued the few rebel chiefs who
stubbornly held their independence.
The lure of a fighting life caused them
to pursue their former associates with
the same zeal with witch they molested
the farmer or the merchant.
Mexico was stricken off the list OF
countries where a traveller had to go
armed, where an explorer or pros
pector's life was in constant danger.
After shaming Mexico in the eyes Of
the world as robbers, those men, In the
capacity of "Rurales," gave the coun-
try a clean record for safety and tran
quillity.
Like the Russian Cossacks, they have
retained their picturesque costume.
While the rest Of the Mexican army Is
uniformed after the fashion Of the
French troops, the "Rurales" wear
clothes which greatly resemble the at
tire of melodrama cowboys. Immense
Spanish or Moorish saddles, from
which hang all kinds Of arms or camp
ing implements, leather incased stir
rups, Mexican trousers slit on the side
and showing bright -hued cabzoncilles,"
a nondescript coat Of gray, straw hat
one foot and half high, with a rolled
up brim of Merry Widow size.
Some $500 of them are now rowing
over the lonely sections of Mexico,
and, although their long cavalry sa-
bers, heavy pistols and carbines never
allow the traveller to forget that once
their calling was Of rather strenuous