The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-15
From the kansas Clty Star.


x NosT picturesque. and also danger
MI Gus, of the fighting men of Mexico
= that United States soldiers would
have to conquer in case of Intervention
are the rural police-los Rurales de la
Federation, in official language. Hard
riding, desperate fighters. these men will
give good account of themselves against
any foe.
The rurales were orgenized shortly be-
fore the civil war by President Comon-
fort The nation was overrun with MAJ
rauding bands. The authorities were pow
erless. President Comonfort conceived the
idea of using part of these lawless men to
stamp out the others. So the rurales were
born, a testament of the old adage that
it takes thief to catch a thief.
The frs rurales were known as cuer-
dados, leather clad.' because of their
leather uniforms Most of them turned
rebel when Emperor Macmillan usurpe1
the Mexican throne. They never surren-
dered to the Fernch troops; never stopped
their bitter, guerilla warfare. Maximilian
organized a similar corps known as caza-
deros, hunters" and under the leadership
of French veteran known as El Tigre
they were his stanchest native supporters.
Under President Porfirio Diaz the corps
was brought to its present organization
and efficiency. He continued the practice
of enlisting outlaws, and soon the rurales
won worldwide reputation as irregular
cavalrymen.
Some foreign military officers who have
observed the rurales class them as better
cavalrymen than the Cossacks of Russia,
the wild Hungarian hussars of the Aus
trian army or even the Arab spahees of
Egypt. whom Kiplng believed the su-
perior of any fighting men, American Of
flcers do not rate the rurales that high
and, probably, they do not deserve such
distinguished classification.
Prior to the Madero revolution the rur-
ales numbered about 1900 men. Since then
the corps probably has been increased 70
5000, most of whom are used as patrols
along the various railroad lines.
The organization of the rurales is diff
ferent from any military organizat ton in
the United States. Strictly speaking, the
rurales are not soldiers, but policemen
They are attached to the department de
gobernacion, which corresponds to our de-
partment of justice. The battalion forma-
ton is used. each unit consisting of 200
men and known as a corps. A comman-
dante. ranking with a major, commands a
corps. He has . captain, three lieutenants
and 12 sub-lieutenants, called cabos
Chiefs" as commissioned officers under
him. Three top sergeants, - sergeants
"a corporals, nine buglers and two stand
ard bearers are the commissioned o.
ficers.
Few corps are ever together for more
than brief periods. They will have head
quarters in state capital and keep
squads OF men in dozen or more smaller
towns surrounding it. They are contin-
TALLY patrolling the highways of the ma
ton in groups of from three to dozen.
The uniform of the rurale is his most
distinctive feature. A private wears gray
form fitting trousers, laced at the bottom
to form Logging. A short, bolero-like
jacket also gray, is trimmed with a single
band of silver lace down the front and
around the bottom of the jacket. A silver
frog draws 1t tight just above the waist
ored shirt to show. The shirts have low
soft collars Crimson ties, similar to those
usually worn by comic supplement poets
are worn. The hats are high peaked SOM
breros trimmed in silver lace with the
numeral of the corps in silver on the side
All wear largs spurs.
Officers follow the same cut and color in
their uniforms; but each man decorates
his clothes to suit his own taste and pock-
etbook. Captain Alvirez, commanding the
rurale detachment at Matamoras few
months ago, wore so much silver lace that
only in a few spots could the gray of the
jacket be seen. A row of silver tassels
hung from his hat brim and a strip Of
silver lace at least two inches wide went
down the outside of each trouser leg. He
also wore wide, red silk sword sash.
completing uniform that for dash and
picturesqueness could not be surpassed in
Europe.
The equipment of rurale is simple.
The government furnishes him with a
Mauser carbine. a long, heavy cavalry
saber, a red serape and a horse Each
man furnishes saddle. bride. lariat. spurs.
hunting knife and as many revolvers as
he can afford. Ammunition is carried In
ban1oliers and belts.
The esprit du corps of the rurales is far
above that of any other Mexican military
organization man will accept death
gladly rather than break one of the or
ganization's unwritten laws. One of these
is that no rurale, once sent after law
breaker shall return to barracks until his
man is prisoner or dead. Most times the
prisoner dies a victim of ley fuga.
The rurales are the least encountered
with baggage Of any soldiers. Each man