The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1900-03-24
|HAVANA'S POLICEMEN
ARE a CREDIT TO THE CITY.
Former OAssf AoCallagh. of New Yegk.
Has Worked Wonders With Bst 81

Havana's police force was organized
during the latter part Of last winter
by former Chief McCullagh Of New
York, who selected and instructed,
from several times as many applicants,
about 200 men to guard the pubic
peace. The applicants were mostly
young men who had seen hardship, u
not service. in the army of liberation,
with liberal sprinkling Of stay-at.
homes who felt that their services -
agitatOrs, often more dangerous to life
than field service, were deserving Of
substantial recognition. Among ths
candidates there We're also numerous
members of the former Spanish police
force, whose familiarity with police
duty and with the crooks, dives and
dens Of Havana gave them some claim
upon the formative government.
Among them were some whose previ-
Gus record was not severely against tie
Cubans, and whose domestic relations
were so intermixed with the latter Is
to make 1t satisfactory that some Of
them should be retained.
In the early weeks Of the service
there were some gross blunders COM
mitted, making 1t necessary that the
American provost guard should resume
for a time the policing Of the city In
the more public places, especially IN
Central park. At one time, indeed,
the feeling ran so high between the
new police force and the American SOL
diery that armed conflict was immi-
nent. Several soldiers were shot upon
what seemed to be trivial pretexts,
i these wanton killings causing the blood
to boil in every American vein In Ha-
vana. A few removals and punish
| ments for indiscretion and wrongful
use of firearms corrected this vicious
tendency, the police force to-day being
!, u credit to its organizers and the city.
Havana's police are as rule fairly
well-educateI young men of good FAM
| lily connections. They have been Sc
lected not for their size or strength,
| but because of their intelligence. The
brigade, taking its personality rs u
| whole, is believed to be the youngest
force patrolling any city in the western
| hemisphere. They are Clean clever,
gentlemanly corps, not given to bibu-
lOusness and carousing, a trif1e over
jealous, perhaps. in the making Of mr.
rests and in dealing with American cit
Mens, not always conscious as they
might be Of the debt that country owes
the people of the United States.
The lieutenants and sergeants are 4
natty looking lot, who dOte on their
| handsome uniforms. Silver braid
adorns their shoulders and borders
their nobby caps. Their sleeves are
J also banded with it; and II perchance,
one of them has obtained any special
distinction there is some insignia to
indicate 1t, worn where the attention
of an approving world cannot miss 1t.
These youthful looking officers are
very popular among the fair sex and
are decidedly inclined to sportiness.
They loiter about the cafes and the
aters during the evening and are al
ways to be found where there is a
gathering of the swells Of Havana.
The police band il feature in the
Prado life of the promenading popu-
! lace. 1t has altogether superseded
| military bands which formerly gave
evening concerts in Central park, alter
mating Its evening appearances there
with afternoon appearances down
the Prado four or Ave blocks,
occasionally changing its position
n block or two during an
afternoon concert for the pleas
urc of different residence sec
tons. The hand Is composed of about
sixty pieces. the players being equally,
or nearly SO, divided between Span
iards and Cubans.