The San Francisco call., 1904-07-03
WASHINGTON POLICEMAN
INVADES JAPANESE SOIL
Chasing a Negro Into Legation Build
ing May Give Rise to Inter-
national Inquiry.

The chancellor of the Japanese 1ega-
tion at Washington is in great distress
over the publication Of an incident that
took place at Minister Takahira's resi-
dence a few days ago. The occurrence
itself did not amount to much, but 1t
may, nevertheless, result in an Inter
national affair" In order to prevent it
from assuming such tremendous pro-
portions Chancellor Stevens strained
every nerve to bottle up the news and
thought for a time that ne had sue
ceeded.
The colored porter OF the legation,
a bicycle policeman and the speed laws
of the district figured prominently in
the first chapter of this narrowing tale.
The porter, a long llmbed, vigorous
young uegro, was pedaling too rapidly
along Massachusetts avenue about a
week ago. A bicycle policeman swung
around the corner of Fourteenth street,
saw the vision of ebony flashing down
the avenue ahead of him and gave
chase, after emitting two or three loud
cries of Stop" The porter looked
around, measured the distance, con-
cluded that he could outpedal the po-
liceman and bumped himself" The
chase led down Massachusetts, avenue
to Sixteenth street, north on Sixteenth
to N street, and back east on n street
to No. 1910, where the Mikados little
inviolable extraterritoriaI plat is sit
uated By the time the porter reached
the legation the policeman was close
behind him. Off his wheel leaped the
porter, and In less time than it takes
to tell about it he had dragged the
bicycle across the sidewalk to the fence,
lifted it over and leaped after 1t. The
policeman gained on him in this ma
neuver. and just as the porter reached
the top of the stairway leading to the
basement the officers hand was on his
collar. The porter thereupon dropped
mis- wheel In the path of the policeman
and went down the steps.
The policeman fell over the wheel
and bumped down the stairs and pick
ed himself UP as the porter vanished
through the door. The pursued did
not have time to close the door after
him, and, without pausing to think Of
the awful crime he was committing,
the policeman dashed IN. He caught
sight Of the porter climbing the stairs
to the first floor and, still unheedful of
his international trespass, dashed after
him. Somewhere in the Oriental dra-
peries of the first floor the porter
eluded his pursuer and the policeman,
mad clear through from his bumps,
began a systematic search Of the prem
ises. How long he looked he did not
know, but suddenly a commanding
voice brought him to a halt. He found
himself surrounded by stern faced
Japanese, who looked him through and
through.
What are you doing here?" the po-
liceman heard one of them ask him
in excellent English.
'I am looking for the fellow that I
chased in here" stammered the police
man, beginning to feel uncomfortable.
do you know where you are?" the
| commanding voice inquired.
mo, and I don't care" retorted the
/ policeman, angrily. II want to arrest
/ that colored fellow"
This Is the Japanese legation and
you are a trespasser. 1t may go hard
with you for breaking the law Of na-
tions."
The policeman tried to explain his
position, but the officials would listen
[
called in and after a conference man
aged to appease their wrath sufficiently
to allow the matter to be dropped for
! the present, eff no publication was
made of the occurrence" If the affair
became public it was insisted, how
ever, it would have to be taken up
automatically and the least that could
/ then be done would be the discharge
| Of the policeman and an apology from
| the United States.
! But the matter will now have to be
taken up with the State Department,
for it has become public property that
the sacred soil of japan was invaded
without authority or warrant by an
officer employed by the United States.
The fact that the officer was only a
poor, misguided bicycle policeman does
not seem to ameliorate the sensitive
situation.-New York Tribune.