Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-03
MOUNTED POLICE
HAVE HARD TIME
MEMBER OF FORCE TELLS HIS
EXPERIENCE
Has Desperate Encounter with Smug-
gIers, and often Brave COM
panions Are Killed by
Men in Ambush

Twelve years as member of the
Canadian mounted police, twelve years
passed as frontier guard, each day |
carrying his life in his hands and fight |
ing against men whose daring, shrewd
ness and cunning have made their
names famous in all parts of the world. |
This is the life led by Randolph H.
Holman, 32 years of age, who is visit
ing relatives in this city.
1.-TWO weeks ago 1 left my uniform
behind and donned citizens clothing"
said Holman when seen at the Angelus
hotel yesterday. "It was the first time
1 had been out of uniform since the first
day 1 went into service twelve years
ago.
81 had received three months leave
of absence and had arranged to come
to Los Angeles and visit my relatives
who live here. At the close of my va
cation 1 will again return to my old
command and 1 presume, pass the re-
mainder of my life in the harness.
Mounted Police No Myth
"Few persons are familiar with the
work of the mounted police" continued
Mr.. Holman, land to many this body
seems to be a myth. Since my arrival
in the United Sttaes 1 have been asked
ties, most persons apparently believing
that we are the same as a police force
which guards city streets.
"Our work, on the contrary, is more
like the work of the Texas rangers. 1t
is our duty to guard against smugglers,
protect the borders of our country ami
to guard against the illegal distilling
of liquors.
During my term of service I have
passed about four years on the bor-
ders of Alaska. There is a great deal
of smuggling carried on between Can
ada and that territory, the ones who re-
ceive the goods transmitting them to
the United States. Then great deal
of tobacco and whisky is smuggled
across into Canada. the price of those
articles being very high there.
1--WE frequently get into combat with
these gangs of smugglers and several
times have been in rousing good fights
with them. TheY are men who are
hard fighters and shoot to kill. Many
of our boys occupy lonely graves in the
| frozen north, having served as marks
for the sharpshooting smugglers, but
as a usual thing a short distance away
can be found another grave which con-
tains the body of the man who brought
our comrade down.
Secret Agents Assist
"It takes many men to cover the bor-
der between the territory and Canada,
but they are greatly assisted in their
work by the secret service agents, of
which there is one or more in every
city. Thes agents make it their busi-
ness to know all about what is going
on and it is seldom a cargo of goods
of the kind smugglers carry is turned
over to any person without our officers
knowing Of it.
"The last big fight we had was in
bleak region about thirty miles from
the Alaskan border. The smugglers
were carrying a large amount of to-
bacco to a small town known as Bears
Head. where they intended to turn 1T
over to fence Word was brought to
us and with a detail of ten men Lieut..
Miller, at that time our commanding
officer, started in pursuit. We had
been camped about twenty miles from
Bears Head and left that place short
ly after 10 o'clock at night. About
three hours later we spied our men
in the distance and long, stern chase
began.
"They saw us about the same time
and knew what we were after. For
several hours we continued the chase
until our horses began to show signs
of fatigue We knew we rode better
animals than the smugglers, however.
so stuck to the chase. AT last we got
within rifle shot and at a command
from the lieutenant began sending bull
lets singing after the fugitives.
DisIodge Smugeers
"The smuggling gang continued on
the run until they at last gained
small hill behind which they dashed.
We at once drew rein, fearing an am
bush, and began to circle the hill. AS
we did so the smugglers' rifles began
to crack and soon several OF our boys
lay stretched out in the snow with
blood flowing from bullet wounds.
"This sight angered us, and at last,
despite our decreased numbers, our
lieutenant decided to charge the hill
and drive the smugglers from their
stronghold.
1--WE drew back a short distance, ex-
amined our guns and then galloped
| toward the hill, leaning far over the
side of our horses and using their
bodies for shields.
"As we neard the hill the smugglers
suddenly broke and galloped away, with
our men in close pursuit. The result
was that out of the gang of nine smug-
glers five were taken to the Jail in
Bears Head, while the remaining four
were laid in quiet graves alongside the
two members of our squad who had
lost their lives
| "The life of a member of the mounted
police is filled with incidents of this
nature and any young man who seeks
adventure can get plenty of it by join
ing the force. 1t is a hard life, one
| a 1NrtXr