Evening star., 1898-09-13
Will Receive Attention From the
Military Commission.
MEMBERS OF THE REGULAR ARMY
Comprehensive System of Espion-
age.
MURDER BAND BROKEN UP

Blanco has maintained order by means OF
the regular troops, who formed a moral
support to the local force. When the
Spanish soldiers leave the island and the
American troops occupy it the military
garrison will be responsible for the main
tenance of order. and provost guard will
be established but this will not suffice in
itself for the policing of the city. Under
the Spanish rule Havana has usually had
half a dozen kinds of policemen. OF late
years there have been the harbor police.
the municipal police the military police,
the sanitary police, the governors police
and the order pubicos, or regular police.
All these forces still exist nominally, but
the failure of the authorities to pay them
has caused great demoralization The in
dividual policeman of whatever class, has
the weakness that is common to all Span
ish officers. 1t is always possible to cross
his palms with gold coin.
The order publicoes have been for the
past two years Havanas real police force.
They are part of the regular army of Spain
ard are the flower of 1t. Physically they
are better than the mass of Spanish SOL
diers and their intelligence is much greater.
They are under military discipline, and as
whole they are a decidedly superior body
of men. The present chief, Pagieri, is a
colonel in the army. He is said to have
Italian blood in his veins. Col. Pagleri af
fects a certain ferceness of appearance,
which has something of the dime novel in
ii, but he has proven an efficient chief The
order publicoeS wear a distinctive army
uniform. 1t is snowy, but Is neat, and its
wearer seldom becomes slouchy The de-
light of these guardians of peace is when
during the winter season breath Of brac-
ing northern air chiis the atmosphere suf-
ficiently to admit of wearing an extra gar
ment. Then they wear an oVercoat with a
cape and the red facing and blue flaps make
them what would be called in the states
dandy policemen.
The order publico in Havana is armed
from head to heels. The revolver and the
club, which complete the outfit of the po-
liCeman in an American city. are with him
but the beginning. He is well equipped
with weapons that his usefulness for quick
action is impeded. Part of the force is
mounted. At every square is mounted
order publlco. His duties must become
tiresome For hours at a time he is COM
PEELED to remain as motionless as statue.
Saucy cab driver, who is violating some
municipal regulation. a bus driver, who
gets the wrong side of the street, or
truckman who disputes the right of way
with carriage. are welcome events to
him. They enable him TO spur his horse
and show that horse and rider are not of
stone, to hold a wordy controversy with the
offender and sometimes to escort him to
the police station. This function is per-
formed with dignity and firmness as befts
the most mOmentous incident. which breaks
the monotony of weeks.
The orden publico is 4 most efficient
force Last winter in many night StrOliS
through the unfrequcnted and dangerous
parts of the city. l had occasion to note
how thoroughly projected these sections
We're. stranger or native was as safe
as on the Prado or in the Central Park.
The members are Uniformly civil and cour-
teOus. While the Spaniard and the Cuban
both have a respect for authority that is
almost SelVile in its nature, they would
not stand the clubbiIE that it is supposed
To be the inalienable Eight of the policeman
in all countries to intlict. The orden publ
cos are modified with military precision.
At the time of the army riots in January
they were more relied on by Captain Cen
eTal Blanco than the regular troops. They
charged the mob. and for several days they'
guarded the palace. Their pay is many
n cnths in arrears. and their return to
Spain may not be welcome to the Madrid
government for political reasons.
Years ago, when truce was concluded
with the CarliStS, the agreement was made
that the Carlist soldiers should form part
of the regular army in the colonies. Spain
cid not want 10 keep them at home. and
was willing to give them preference abroad
In that way many of them became MEM
bers of the orden publicO in Havana. This
was also a means of shutting out the Gu
bans from official employment. When the
authorities got so FAR behindhand in pay
ment. and were unable to maintain the
other classes of police except in spas
modiC way the orden publico, being part
of the army, could not strike. Now, how
ever when its members go back to Spain
they will be quite likely to demand a set
tlement For this reason and because of
their usefulness and experience in prcserv-
ing order. they will probably be among
the last of the Spanish troops to lie EN-
barked.
TIE Secret Police.
The secret police are institution in
themselves. They are a part of Spanish
government everywhere. They existed in
Havana before the revolution broke out,
though their labors were considerably ex-
IL.
that of the French, and Havana has had
several chiefs who were ambitious TO rival
the great Paris detectives. AS a rule
they only succeeded in being cheap im
tators- Under the Spanish laws every
stranger was subject to espionage. He
could not enter Cuba without a passport,
and he could not leave it without having
his passport vised. The hotels were re-
Quired to report their guests, though few
OF them complied literally with this re-
quirement But 1t was the boast of the Sc
cret police officials that in twenty-four
hours they could possess themselves of
every scrap of Information about a visitors
identity, his business and his movements
An officer on one of the vessels coming
across from Key West bantered an Ameri-
can passenger who was going to Havana
on confidential business that report could
De made on his return which would sur
prise him. "They won't find out about nv
affairs. was the confident rejoinder But
they did On his return voyage he heard a
correct he said. Now shall 1 pitch vo1,
overheard or go back and punch the ribs
or your friend. the chief of spies?" The
purser elected to have the ribs of the chief
| of police punched.
Band of Murderers Broken In
A real service was done by the secret
| police force some years ago in breaking
| up the society of Nanigoes. This was an
| organization for murder, reverge. assault
| tfeft and robbery. For a long time the
| existence of such criminal organization
| was doubted though there were many evil
| dences that the criminals of the city were
| in some way banded together Finally it
| was conclusively shown that society did
exist, which had branches in the different
'barrfos' or wards of the city. Originally
| its membership was limited to black crimi-
| nails, but later mulattoes and whites were
admitted. 1t embraced the wclst product
| of the tropics. which is that of mixed blood
| No one could be admitted without having
| stabbed or otherwise assaulted his man
| While robbery was the basis of the organi-
| Zation. in time II came TO be known that
| persons Joined 1t whose motive was re-
| venge, a common incitement to crime in
warm countries. The conditions became so
i bad that no one WAS safe on tho roost Ca