The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-02

and are often sold to the first bidders.
The man picks on, his article and it
is KNOCKED eff after giving the others
a chance. Everything has been APP
praised. and there is no false bidding.
The great bargains in good things.
however. are usually sold before the
auctions take place
In the Thieves Market.
In addition TO the national pawn
shop there are many private pawn
shops in Mexico City. At these the
loans are more costly and or 10 cent
a month is frequently paid. 1t is un-
wares at the Monte de Piedad, but
this is not so of the private pawn
shops. and 1 am told that many OF
them are fences or receivers or stolen
goods.
which has SO much QUESTIONED BILE mer
chandise that 1t goes by the name of
the Thieves Market. It Is not far
from the cathedral and just off of the
main market house OF the city. 1t IS
on n street oEce occupied By the pal
ace OF King MontcZuma and where the
first bull ring was afterward estab-
lished BY the Spaniards. On the same
spot thirteen heretics were condemned
to be burned 10 death by the inquisi-
ton in 1919, and IT is only within a
century or so that the land has been
cleared and the property of the city.
In my walk through this market
kept my hands on my pocketbook, but
was not molested. i examined the
goods but there was nothing OF value
In the shape OF curios or gold and sill
YER set with jewels. The most of the
wares seemed to be trinkets. house
hold goods and old clothing. There
was a great stock OF the latter and s
looked at the silk dresses and mems
suits of one kind or another l be-
thought me of the warning I had when
l spent my first night in Mexico. My
adviser was an old resident Said he:
I'm going to bed on the ground
floor you must be careful TO put your
trousers under the mattress and lay
your other clothes near the wall far
thest away from the window. espe
cially SO II YOU keep your blinds open.
This country has many sneak thieves
and there are professionals who have
iointed rods with a hook al the end.
by which they can reach through the
bars and drag out your clothing. You
must also watch out for your pockets.
and especially in crowds and on the
street ears. 1t Is not safe 10 leave
your car window omen while travel
ing on the railways and YOU want to
keep track of your camera"
'The Revolution anu It's HOld-U ps.7
Since then 1 have found reason TO
appre ciate these suggestions. 4 man
travelling with me had his pocket
picked two days after he entered Mex
leo. and this has scared him so that
he now does not venture out without
one hand In his trousers 1 am told
that the thieves steal wire cable and
electric wiring. They cut through tho
roofs TO get into the stores and ware
rooms and even try 10 rob the poor
boxes of the churches. The railways
lose thousands of bolts from the cars
and tracks every year and they even
take the fshplates from the rails.
Nothing left out of doors unmatched
is safe and l am told that doormats
are usually chained down. 1t Is not
safe TO put an ashbarreI out into the
street and ported plants and flowers
are sometimes stolen. while a vacant
house frequently loses it's lead nlpes.
electric globes and bath fixtures
Just now in these revolutionary
times much OF the stealing is bare
faced and open. There are parts OF
Mexico which swarm with hrigands
and bandits and where II is unsafe TO
travel even by rail- or In automobiles
,Thia-is especially so outside the cities,