The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-04-04
SEEN AND HEARD
BY GEORGE MINER
Special Correspondent Of The wssh-
fnGton Herald.
tCcVnsht lsl6. By the Mcclure Ne~sunp<r
eyndicxtSl
toopneht IN6l

and order in Mexico City, but they only
exist because they are enforced with an
iron hand
The safety OF the citizens is not nre-
served by a policemsn's club as IN other
countries. No, indeed. Il is conserved
and inforced by a loaded rife
The actual condition here Is wei Illus
trated by an incident that occurred the
night / arrived. Or. Manuel Gsmio il
the head Of the antiquarian department
OF Mexico and the chief inspector OF all
the ruins in the republic. He il a grad
uate OF Columbia University and a hiEh-
ly cultured gentleman. We Travelled up
from Vera Cruz together, as DR.. Gamio
was on his way home from washington
where he had been a delegate 20 the
Pan-American Congress and was the
hrst high Mexican official Of the Car
rama government 10 be received by
President Wilson.
In the railroad station in MeYtco Cf+y
there was an annoying wait, as a rule
nad Just gone into effect that the bag
gage OF all arriving passengers must be
examined for firearms. There was no
ehd OF confusion and delay, for the cars
were packed as full as they could boId
and we were all huddIed along the plat
form with hardly elbow room
stickIers for Hour-.
Ian arrived on time al o m
Dr. Gamio left his hand luggage with ne
on the platform and went 10 See tbe
baggage master to try and get our trunks
'hrouSh as soon as possible Being a
government Official he naturally haS
pull he came back with the cheerful
announcement that the baggage room
was closed and everybody gone. They
smut up shop and quit promptly at six,
although at just that hour the ONLY i'm,
NJ he hi.
from Vera Cruz, was due 70 arrive, The
baggage car was not even unloaded until
the next morning at S O'Clock. and then
II your trunks happened to be Al the
bottom Of a pile you must need wait
until all the trunks on top Of Il had been
called for and taken away People have
been kept waiting nearly two DAYS be-
fore getting their baggage
All Of which is typioalIy Mexican
We stood there on the crowded Mat
form and waited for an hour and a half
before an inspector came along to peek
in our bags and make sure they were
not filled with automatics While we
were waiting. DR.. Gamio said:
Look out for pickpockets. There are
your pocketbook and also keep your eye
on your bag. They will steal anything
that is not watched"
The engine that had pulled our tram
backed by just then and as we were al
the ecEe of the platform It almost
scraped us. A moment later DR.. Gamio
exclaimed: Where's my bag? It's
gone"
Sure enough It had. A large. new and
expensive dress suit case had vanished
in twinkling. It had been snatched ia
the moment he had raised his eyes 70
watch the passing engine.
He did everything possible 20 stop and
catch the thief, but all 70 no avail. The
inspectors and guards were notified. but
no trace Of bag or thief was found
promptly sat on my grip and stayed
there until we were released. The doctor
gave his up for good He had some
official reports in it from Washington
which he hated 10 loose
A few days later. I saw him in his
Office in the National Museum.
Traced by Books.
ANY trace Of your gripT" asked
oh, yes! have found IT," he replied.
You see, there were some books in Il
printed partly in Spanish and partly in
English and was sure the thief would
only try TO sell them 70 some second
hand bookstore. So had all such shops
notified at once. In two days we caught
the thief. He confessed. and eventually
I will get everything back except the
'A+4SAaA bdAFSlC "ALASlA AAS udA bul AAt4 III
hts room"
Was the thief one Of those poems
who pestered US to carry luggage"
Not at all. II was the engineer Of
the train. He snstched the grip as the
engine went by. But he had an accom-
pliCe. one OF the soldiers who guarded
US from attack on the way up. He
passed the bag to the soldier. who took
il out Of the station without question"
What will be done to them"
The soldier is to be shot tomorrow
without trial The engineer is 10 have
a trial. but he Will unquestionsbIy be
shot afterward"
That gives you good idea OF Just
how things are here
Any one who is caught stealing. selling
pulque or Counterfeiting is shot at once
They always execute them at night. and
y don't suppose there is a night passes
without several meeting the death pen
atty, People living in the suburbs FIRE
quently hear the shots OF the firing
squads. Gen. Gonzales. the military gov
ernor. is bound to maintain order here
If he has to shoot half the population.
In a social, political and economic
sense. coming from Yucstsn to Mexico
lis like coming from the sunlight into the
shadow.
The musket IS still mighty here.