The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-07
PANANA'S POLICE FORCE
INTELLIGENT, CAPABLE,
LOYAL AND ESTEEMED
It's Personnel Much Superior to
the Makeup of Either the
Army or the Navy.
LITTLE WORK FOR IT TO DO
But When Action Is Necessary Its
Members Know Well How to
Crack Heads.
ALCALDES ALL GRAFTERS
And the Administration OF Justice
Therefore Is a Farce-Boot- F
Toe Punishment.

mirable institution in this republic Is the
police force. In intelligence. capability and
personnel IL Is vastly superior 10 either the
army or the navy, and for it the popuiace
has infinitely more respect than IL has
for either Of the others. This force Is
composed of about 300 men, each good
specimen OF physical manhood distributed
throughout the various cities and towns OF
the isthmus. 1t is commanded by Chief
Arrange, who has his headquarters in this
city and who directs it's operation with
ability In Panama, Colon and other larger
cities in the republic the force is sufficiently
large 10 certainly preserve police order,
while in the smaller towns and villages
from two 10 six men are stationed No
town is too small to boast little building,
over the entrance to which is a sign bear
ing the legend. Inspection de Policia,
and. while the force is essentially a nom
combatant organization, it does its work so
we'll that public order is most excellently
maintained
The personnel Of this force is restricted,
I'm so far as restriction is possible. TO native
isthmians. Occasionally there is encOunt-
cred a policeman of pure negro blood. but
while the entire force is dark-skinned, the
native element is far in the majority. Some
members come from the southern depart
ments of the Colombian federation, where
a larger sturdier and more resolute race of
men is bred; but the $50 Colombian silver
paid as a monthly wage is sufficient to hold
every member of the force in bonds of
strongest allegiance TO the new republic
The superior station the policemen occupy
I'm the various communities is another an
chor for their fealty. The work is COM
paratively light: their uniforms-blue. with
red trimmings. and white pith helmets-are
attractive, and they are looked up TO with
such respect and obeyed with such prompti-
tude that membership on the force Is COM
monty regarded as quite the most comfort
able berth procurable under the isthmian
government.
AN ORDERLY PEOPLE.
Except that they are required to patrol
their beats, which they do in a lazy sort
of way. these policemen are seldom called
upon TO exert themselves, as the breaches
of the peace are of infrequent occurrence.
1t is in fact, quite remarkable that among a
people so generally benighted and back
ward in their civilization, there should be
state of public order more excellent than is
TO be found in any city of consequence in the
States, but such is the case. There are,
as a matter OF course. numerous street
brawIs, but these are Of little moment, as
they are limited to set-tos with the fists. and
nobody can be seriously injured. Drunken
ness Is not looked upon public offense,
unless the drunken man makes himself par
ticularly obnoxious, for I'm this country
drinking Is the rule rather than the ex-
ception- Again, gambling houses. common
immortality and places OF il-Tepute are
never interfered with. This means, to be
sure, that this police force has less work
To do than a similar organization in the
h..
here there is a very different and most
generous construction placed upon what
constitutes breach of the peace.
But allowing for the liberal view the 18th
mus must be set down as a place where the
law is publicly respected. and where the
people generally are peaceably disposed and
ever. the police force has little difficulty in
quelling it. None OF the officers is permitted
TO carry revOlver-a policeman with pis-
tol would have too good a chance to start a
revolution-his equipment being limited 10
rubber coat for protection against the
torrental rains. a whistle for use in sum-
moning assistance in case of trouble and a
pOnderOus lignum vitae mace.
The moment trouble breaks out the police
blows his whistle and then mixes in the
melee. Ihat nSnum vitae mace of his is a
terrible weapon, and he uses IL indiscrimi-
nately. Clubbing Is the method resorted to
upon all occasions for restoring order. When
policeman comes up with a crowd of street
brawlers everybody about can expect to re-
ceive resOunding whacks over the head
from the mace. The greater the number of
officers summoned by the whistle the more
cracked heads there Will be- and SO dex-
ferrous have the policemen become i'm WELD
ing these clubs that a crowd of disturbers
or the peace viii scatter the minute an Off
Ger comes IN sight. Cracked heads are not
relished by this populace. and the facility
displayed by the police force I'm causing
them has had much 20 do with creating for
IL universal respect and esteem
Admirable this force is in itself. how
ever, the administration of justice is little
hon falaNr Ieaa -
under the immediate direction of the alcaldes
OF the respective cities and town. and a
rather sorry lot of officials these have
proved 10 be IN the past Colombia made IL
q rule 10 appoint these men, but never Ia
pay them. The result was that there de-
veloped gang Of grafters that would have
put ST. Louis TO shame.
The business of the alcalde when he found
MS pay not forthcoming, was To turn his
office 70 his personal account, and this the
majority OF them did with great success
everybody knew that fines assessed against
Offenders were appropriated by the alcaldes
and applied To the liquidation OF amounts
que tnein Tor salary. and the same universal
knowledge obtained with respect To the
practice common among the alcaldes of ac-
cepting small sums of cash full satisfac-
ton Tor sentences Of penal servitude but
nobody ever objected or attempted reform.
INSTANCES OF POLICE JUSTICE.
Instances OF these practices are most
common, while the stories OF what any
other people would set down as outra geous
perversions OF justice are handed about
with the utmost freedom. No white man on
the isthmus will ever strike a native SO
as 10 blacken an eye or otherwise leave
mark on the native anatomy. The white
men all have money and an offense of that
kind means that the aicalde and the police
prefect will join hands 10 muIct him OF
from $50 10 500 In gold. assessed as a fine
but instantly appropriated by the two of.
ficials and converted to their own use. Or
the other hand. native may offend q
white man with virtual impunity.
kaleisch-bOss stevedOre OF the Panama
Railroad at Colon. German who has beer
w0rid-rOyer and who Is so broad that he
can seize the biggest black by the nape ot
the neck and hurl him across the dock
= tells a story truly illustrative of the native
Administration OF justice.
Some time ago Kaleisch caught native
borer stealing part OF a ships cargo
ed the man. carried him cff to ths
cation, preferred his charge and
was taken in custody. His trial
Immediately. the evidence against
conclusive and he was sentenced
Us imprisonment. Kaleisch felt
IUED on PAGE 5. col. II