The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-01-05
Costume 10 Distinctive and Pietur-
esque-Present Head of Aztec Land
Recruited His constabuIary From
Among Freebooters Who Had Har-
assed Travellers and Laughed at Law.

the present regime, sober up and flee
noiselessly. Witnesses to the ARRAY
remember some pressing business de-
handing their presence a mile or so
away.
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
q little distance from the village the
rurales might very negligently give
him an occasion to escape While tax
ing to his heels he would hear a shot
and fall face downward, his back
broken. A hole two feet deep, a little
mound of sandy earth. two pieces of
board nailed cross wise, and the chief
OF the detachment would report that
disorderly man was killed in accord
ance to the "ley fuga," the fugitive
law.
Freebooters Formerly Ruled.
Riots and uprisings in all parts of
Mexico made the country during the
last years Of President Juarezs life
a storm center as insecure for the
traveller as some unfrequented dis
trtcts of Albania. Bands of highway
men plundered 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
rather than 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-
c1ded 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
task.
They were to trail the bandits sys-
tematically to their mountain fast
nesses, taking no prisoners, giving no
quarter. After several months thou
sands Of crosses dotted the land, mark
Ing the spots where justice had been
dealt summary to captured brigands.
In the northern hills town had to be
bes1eged. for group of fourteen free
oooters had taken possession Of it,
armed and pressed the citizens into
their service. After a terrible slaugh-
Ter 1t became necessary to erect crosses
over an area Of a square mile beyond
the walls. The town lost its name,
which was for shame replaced by Ca
torce Tin Spanish fourteen), in memory
OF the fourteen highwaymen.
Diaz Solves Problem.
Then it was that Diaz conceived an
excellent idea Of utilizing the daring
and energy Of those predatory bands
and at the same time putting an end to
that heartrend1ng civil war. He offered
truce and invited, after giving hos
tages. some of the guerrilla chiefs to
confer with him.
They returned to the mountains bear
Ing the message that the republic
would respect their haunts, leave them
their arms and horses and pay them
a regular salary If they consented to
make their peace. An occupation
would be found for them which would
not interfere with their free, adventur-
Gus life. They were to police the
mountain regions and act as emergency
troops when quick and energetic action
was required. The half starved bands,
weary Of the struggle, made their SUBJ
mission. Up to the present day they
have constituted the rurales, the crack
regiment Of the Mexican army.
Like the Russian Cossacks, they
have retained their picturesque Co.'S
tune. 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 "cabzon-
cilles," nondescript coat Of gray, a
straw hat one foot and a half high
with a rolled up brim Of "Merry Wild
ow" size.
Some $500 Of them are now rowing
over the lonely sections of Mexico, and.
although their long cavalry sabers,
heavy pistols and carbines never allow
the traveller to forget that once their
calling was of a rather strenuous char
acter, their presence Is always a great
comfort. 2 %|s"2', se