The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-23

~ accot,ipa,ly tho soldiers to hnranguo tho
crowd which would gather, and It was
expected that by daylight Patiayt,a wo ', 9
DO II, ferment Of excitement, Wn ,ieA \, n
wns blamed to hold d mass meeting II
III, 81 ri hedrAl plaza and with the people
thorotighly5 aroused, proclaim the iiue-
pendonce
rate threatened, however, to psot AZ
of the plans OF the, consplrators. MISS
Ossn hnd completed the flag, IN regard 70
the making Of which there Ia Il separate
story. There was no longer any occasion
for secrecy about the plans, and the en-.
tire lsthn,us was alive VIII !. the runners
aware that the plan was to BIO attempted
and at tic meeting Of tho original band II!
Of consptra tors, held on the evening 1 ~
November "a, III the office Of tho electric;
lighting company, iii PANAMA, 1t was
agreed that there should be no drawing
back, and that this republic SHOULD DO
launched the second morning following
DIsmay took tho place OF CONFIDENCE,
however, on tho morning Of November 3D.
when tho Colombian gunbont Cartagenn
steamed into Colon, having on board 4oV
Colombian soldiers. Back Of tho arrival va
Of this ship there Is n story, tho details
Of which are not clear.
COLOMBIA WAITED TOO LONG.
It is stated that when the tnllt OF seces-
sion became open, some four or five days
before the revolution took place, Javiaer +
Jangulto, the Catholic bishop stationed at
Panama wired Information OF the consplr-
ators' plans to the government at Bogotn.
This charge is denied by Bishop Jangu'to:
but It's accuracy Ia insisted upon by those
who are In the secret Of tho details Of
tho secession. Whether the charge be
true or false, It Is certain that Bogota
lad full and complete information In adj
vance Of tho Pnnanaian proposition TO
secede; but the spirit OF nnnnnn, with
which tho whole Of Central and South
America Is afflicted proved fatal to the
interests of the Colombsi, government.
She started to lock the door after the
horse Ind been stolen. Had the Carta-
gcna arrived on the second Of November
the revolution would never have taken
place. AS It was, 1t came very near All
z atortlve attempt, for the consplrators, all
except Amador, halted when the arrival
OF tho Cartagena was photographed to this
city.
There was good reason tor this inde-
clsion, for the garrison at Panama ntrn-
bered only 200 men and would have been
no mattel, for the force delivered by the
Carngena Mt Colon. So accurately had
Colombia discounted the plans Of the con- Z
srirators that she was prepared to balk
Z them at every turn, and speedy death
would have been the penalty for the NOV
ers lii the enterprise. On board tho Car
t. gena was General Pompilia Gutierrez.
who bore decree appointing him COVER
nor Of the Department OF Panama. IN
place Of Jose Domingo de Obaldla, who
was unjustly suspected at Bogota OF
Ing implicated in the plan for seces-
sion. Accompanying Gutierrez were AZ
officials, clerks and others, the plan being
for the troops on the Cartagena to arrest
Cbalda, install Gutierrez in the COVER,
nor's palace and then turn out OF ONCE
every man connected with the former
administration. substituting In his place a
trusted Colombian. who could be relied
5,iron to show no lenency IN dealing with
the Panamaians Tho soldiers sent on the
grnboat were to do this work and were
tken to relieve the garrison at Panama,
which Is considered the flower OF the CO.
lombian army. The majority OF the men
in tho Panama garrison were recruited
! the southern departments OF the Re-
Iubllc Of Panama; but they have been
stationed here SO long MS to have become
III namaians In fact. They have married
here. Nearly every one has some little
b. sness enterprise to swell hIs income.
They have been paid (when paid Mt alb
iii Colombian silver, and are entirely sat
lshed with thelrSlot caring little for any.
thing except an opportunity to ROMAN
here.
It was this desire 60 be kept In Panama
that cased the way for the secessionists
TO secure the nrrny's support for some
weeks before the plan for Independence
assumed definite shape It was Unlimited
tn General Huertns. commander OF the
garrison. that his battalion was to be.
transferred TO Barranquilla, on the Car
.il.hean coast Of Colombia This meant
NJ ~ In fok a frpyr their
homes and sent to part of the repub-
lie where their arrearages Of pay and
current wages could be satisfied with the
worthless paper currency which Is print
ed BY the millions at Bogota and without
regard to stability OF value. Tho men
were accordingly ripe for revolt and their
support was secured by the secessionists
upon the promise to pay UP the arrear-
eyes due them. to pay them steadily In
the future under tho republic aud TO keep
them in Panama. This promise has been
kept, the amount already distributed
among the men of this garrison aggre-
Eating moro than 100000
COLONEL sIIALER's DIPLOMACY.
But in laying this plan TO insure the
continuance OF Panama as a department.
OF the Colombian government Rogota
counted without estimating tho ndrott-s
ness OF the Americans on the Colon side
OF the Isthmus. The troops landed from
tho Cnrtngena on the morning Of Novem-
'I,cr Sd and a demand was Immediately
made by General Tovar, who WAS IN COM
rand. upon Colonel j. S. shaler
general superintendent Ut the Panama
Railroad for transportation for the Ell.
trio body across the Isthmus, Colonel
shalor was most diplomatic In his hand
ling OF the situation. He could not nova
tho troops unless Ito had an order from
the Governor OF the department, upon
which le could claim compensation Tor
his company for the service to be rem
dcred Z but his telegraph wires We're at
tho disposal of the two esteemed Colon-
hian generals, Amaya being tho second
III command, to communicate with Cover
nor Obadin at Panama and procure tho
needed order; would they he SO kind as to
avail, themselves Of tho telegraphlc "a.
cilities? Tho two Colombian generals
needed no second urGing Ind tho wires
Mero soon carrying their demand for an
order for transportation to Governor Oba-
Ida. But Obaldia Is a native F'anamntaanI.
nnd,, most conveniently, he was unable
to understand why the Colombian govern,
mont should be sending $50 men to, Pan
......' ,,,,tbo,,t Ars adyIaiNc him OF itS