Evening star., 1898-09-13
the Nanigoes were in the habit of COM

the NanigoeS were In the habit OF COM
mftting.
For two years the secret police of Havana
were mainly concerned in ferreting out
what the authorities called political
crimes" That is they were spying on Gu
bans and other persons supposed to be in
sympathy with the insurgents. Much of
the testimony was suborned, and many Gu
bans were sent into exils or imprisoned in
the fortresses On manufactured evidence.
The CubanS submitted to these methods be-
cause they were used to them. Besides,
there was no remedy for them, and, on the
whole, they managed to hold an even score
with the secret police. Americans, how
ever, objected vigorously to this kind Of eS-
pionage. When Mr.. W. J. Calhoun went to
Cuba as the special representative of Pres
ident Mckinley he could not take cab
from his hotel to the consulate without his
shadow fitting along. When he we2t on a
railroad journey there was the same "shad-
ow Mr. Calhoun gave the Spanish au-
thorities stinsing rebuke. Dr. Congosto,
Who represented the Madrid government in
the inquiry into the death of DR.. Ruiz did
not understand his Indignation. He assured
Mr. Calhoun that his own movements were
followed by the police, and that it was the
common practice. Last winter when Sem
ator Proctor travelled over the island he
had a travelling companion who was fur
nished him without his knowledge. Other
Americans who sought to go about were
treated in the same way. When Lispenard
Stewart of Nav York gave a private dinner
to Consul General Lee it was said that all
the walters were members of the secret po-
lice The Americans who remained in ths
city any length of time got to know most
of the sleuths, as they were called, and
managed to extract good deal Of amuse-
ment from these individuals. who were al
ways sheepish when they knew their iden-
tity had been discovered.
Shadows Watching One Another.
AT times the police were augmented by
the presence of detectives from an Ameri-
can agency sent down by Minister Dupuy
de LONE. Their efforts to conceal their
trade were the source of endless merri-
mnt. Sometimes there would be a series
of complications due to the failure Of De
LONE to communicate with the authorities
the the identity of his agents The secret po-
lice would watch them and they would
watch the secret police The snarl would
finally be Strengthened out by Secretary
General CongostO, who when consul at
Philadelphia had charge of the detective
branch of the Spanish diplomatic service
Some of these American detectives owed
more to the forbearance of their country
men than they knew. They were usually
persistent in trying to find the under
ground channels by means of which news
was got from the insurgents. All sorts of
reasons would be invented in order to visit
the insurSent camps. One Hawkshaw, who
was especially offensive and persistent did
have arrangements perfected for a visit
and he made part of the Journey. If he
had ever got among the Cubans in the
bushes he would have had an interesting
time of it, as they knew his real character.
Because of the possible consequences the
rendezvous which had been arranged was
not kept, and the detective returned to
on money lent him by one of the
Americans he thought he was fooling.
The chief of the secret police is or was
until recently. Senor Trujillo. He is
Canary Islander Senior Trujillo is in ap-
pearance the ideal head of such a force
He is tall and dark, with searching black
eyes and Dundreary whiskers. He wears
flowing mantle and affects air of mys-
terry befitting his position. He is always
around on dark nights. He is not bad
kind of fellow. and he enjoys fair de-
gree of popularity. He was liked by the
CubanS because they succeeded in fooling
him so easily. One afternoon in the cafe
of the Inglaterra Hotel l saw an emissary
fresh from the camp of Gomez. He had
brought important advices from the insur-
gent commander-in-chief to the Havana
junta His presence in the city was sus-
pected and the secret police were on the
lookout for him. This insurgent emissary
glanced casually around the cafe. noted
where half a dozen detectives We're located,
and then seating himself at the table with
Senor Trujillo ordered a refresco, or mild
drink. While he was seated there two or
three of the detectives came over to the
table and talked with the chief. Incidents
of this kind We're quite common. They
will not be common in the future, because
the secret police of Havana is one of the
Spanish institutions that will give way to
American police methods.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.