The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-23
BELIEVED THEY HAD
AMERICAN SUPPORT
Panamanian Conspirators Relied on M. Bunau-
VariIlas Cablegram.
By MERRILL A LEAGUE.
Special Correspondent of the Morning News.


been no match for the force delivered
by the Cartagena at Colon. So accu-
rately had Colombia discounted the
plans of the conspirators that she was
prepared to balk them at every turn
ana speedy death would have been the
penalty for the movers in the enter
prise. On board the Cartagena was
Gen. Pompilio Gutierrez, who bore a
decree appointing him governor of the
Department of Panama, in place of
Jose Domingo de Obaldia, who was I'M
justly suspected at Bogota of being i'm
plicated in the plan for secession. Ac-
companying Gutierrez were forty-two
ottlclals, clerks and others, the plan
being for the troops on the Cartagena
10 arrest Obaldia, install Gutierrez in
the governors palace and then turn out
OF office every man connected with the
former administration, substituting in
his place a trusted Colombian, who
could be relied upon to show no leniency
in dealing with the Panamaians. The
| soldiers sent on the gunboat were to
do this work and were then to relieve
the garrison at Panama, which is con-
Sldered the flower of the Colombian
army. The majority of the men in
| the Panama garrison were recruited in
the southern departments of the re-
public of Panama; but they have been
stationed here so long as to have be-
come Panamaians in fact. They have
married here. Nearly every one. has
some little business enterprise to swell
his income. They have been paid
(when paid at alD in Colombian silver,
and are entirely satisfied with their
lot, caring little for anything except
an opportunity to remain here.
1t was this desire to be kept in Pan
| ANA that eased the way for the seces-
sionistS to secure the armys support
for some weeks before the plan for
| independence assumed definite shape
it was intimated to Gen. Huertas,
commander of the garrison, that his
battalion was to be transferred to
Barranquilla, on the Caribbean coast
of Colombia. This meant that the men
were to be taken from their homes
and sent to a part of the republic
where their arrearages of pay and
current wages could be satisfied with
the worthless paper currency which is
printed by the millions at Bogota and
without regard to stability of value.
The men were accordingly ripe for re-
volt, and their support was secured by
the -secessionists upon the promise to
pay up the arrearages cue them, to
pay them steadily in the future under
the republic and to keep them in Pan
anna. This promise has been kept, the
amount already distributed among the
men of this garrison aggregating more
than 100000
COIOred ShaIer's Diplomacy.
But in laying this plan to insure
the continuance of Panama as a de-
partment of the Coleman government
Bogota counted without estimating the
adroitness of the Americans on the
Colon side of the isthmus. The troops
10 nd Cd hA aYafo fln
morning of Nov. 3, and a demand was
Immediately made by Gen. Tovar, who
was in command, upon Col. J. S.
Shaler, general superintendent of the
Panama Railroad, for transportation
for the entire body across the 18TH
mus. Col. Shaler was most diplomatic
in his handling of the situation. He
could not move the troops unless he
had an order from the Governor of
the department, upon which he could
claim compensation for his company
for the service to be rendered. but
his telegraph wires were at the dis
posal of the two esteemed Colombian
generals, Amaya being the. second in
command, to communicate with Gov.
Obaldia at Panama and procure the
needed order; would they be so kind
as to avail themselves of the tele-
graphic facilities? The two Colom-
bian generals needed no second urg-
ing, and the wires were soon carrying
their demand for an order for trans
portation to Gov. Obaldia. But Obaldia
is native Panamain, and, most con-
veniently he was unable to under
stand why the Colombian government
should be sending $50 men to Panama
without first advising him of it's in
tentions; would the two generals kind
ly take the train. come to Panama
and confer with him?
The dilemma was a serious one for
the Colombian commanders; but with
Shaler suave but obdurate, and Obal-
dia forty-seven miles away and equal
ly obstinate, there was nothing for
them to do but leave their troops
and go in person to Panama for the
necessary order for transportation.
Col. Smaller was more than pleased to
assist them in every way possible.
The regular morning train was just