The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-27
HAVANA'S POLICEMEN
ARE A CREDIT TO THE CITY.
Former Chief McCullagh, of New York,
Has Worked Wonders With Set of
Raw Men-An Elements Represented.

Havana's police force was organized
during the latter part of last winter
by former Chief MeCullagh of New
York, who selected and instructed,
from several times as many applicants,
about 200 men to guard the public
peace. The applicants were mostly
young men who had seen hardship, If
not service, in the army of liberation,
with liberal sprinkling of stay-at-
homes who felt that their services as
agitators, often more dangerous to life
than field service, We're deserving of
substantial recognition. Among the
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 the
Cubans, and whose domestic relations
were SC intermixed with the latter as
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 it 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,
these wanton killings causing the blood
to boil in every American vein in Ha-
vana. A few removals and punish
ments for indlscretion and wrongful
use of firearms corrected this vicious
tendency, the police force to-day being
a credit to its organizers and the city.
Havana's police are as n rule fairly
well-educated 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 as
whole, is believed to be the youngest
force patrolling any city in the western
hemisphere. They are a clean, clever,
gentlemanly corps, not given to bibu-
lousneSs and carousing, n trifie over
jealous, perhaps. in the making Of ar
rests and in dealing with American cit
izens, not always conscious as they
might be of the debt that country owes
the people of the United States.
The lieutenants and sergeants are
natty looking lot who dote on their
handsome uniforms. Silver braid
adorns their shoulders and borders
their nobby caps. Their sleeves are
also banded with 1t; and II, perchance,
one of them has obtained any special
distinction there is some insignia to
indicate ii, 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 is a 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 five blocks,
occasionally changing its position
block or two during an
afternoon concert for the pleas
ure of different residence sec
tions. The band is composed of about
sixty pieces, the players being equally,
or nearly so, divided between Span
iards and Cubans.