Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06

the horses of the presidential eauipage
were in view and the man at the key
closed the circuit.
Instantly there was an awful detona-
ton. 1t broke the windows of the houses
for hundreds of yards in all directions;
it even made the stout earthquake-defy
ing walls of the neighboring houses shake:
the whole city reverberated with the roar
and the whole city was Immediately
alarmed.
From the dense cloud Of dust thrown UP
by the explosion horrid shreks and groans
mingled with the no less terrifying
agonized squeals of the poor mangled car
riage horses. The staff riding around
the carriage was thrown into the greatest
confusion. Some rushed to the aid of
the wounded, others charged into the near
by houses in their efforts to discover the
authors of the desperate deed.
But they had fed. Satisfied of the
success of their attempt, they had not
tarried and endeavored to reach a safe
retreat at once. The officers that dis
covered where the wires from the mine
led to found that the conspirators had
flown.
1t was the irony Of fate that this well
planned attempt upon the life of the
executive failed. He was not even
scratched, although all around him there
were dead and wounded, and his car
riage was demolished. President Ca
and Immediately ordered an investiga-
ton to discover the guilty men. The
whole machinery Of the police was de-
voted to this purpose and it was not long
before the men who had made the at
tempt were known. The police closed
from o9ptta1
and. satisfied that no one could escape
from 1t, began a systematic canvass of
the city to discover the hiding places of
the would-be assassins. At length they
were discovered and surrounded. and in
their despair. they cheated the law that
was about to visit it's retribution upon
them for their bloody crime by COM
hitting suicide.
1t was in the midst Of plots and rumors
of plots like these that the chief Of police
of Guatemala moved continually. Besides
keeping the peace among lawless ele-
ments of the population of the capital and
maintaining supervision over the gam
ing houses Of Guatema a. which are au-
thorized and regulated by law, the chief
was continually in the vortex of politics,
of which he knew nothing and cared to
know nothing. He had his duty to per-
form-to put the police forces of the coun-
try on an efficient basis-and he found
that he was hampered In the performance
his hand on the political pulse Of the
country and his eye on the many malcon-
tents who would IL they could overthrow
the government which employed him and
to which he was loyal.
AS has been said, Lamb was absolute in
his functions as chief of police and was
to the president Of the republic
alone. In all matters pertaining to the
interior discipline Of his department he
was the court of last resort. There was
- l., t.
the chief himself tried the men against
whom charges were preferred and he him
self determined upon the severity of their
Moreover, Lamb was asked
by the president to assume the functions
of police court justice. in addition to his
other Duties and in that capacity to try
all the minor cases brought in by the po-
lice. Accordingly. every morning he tried
from twenty to fifty cases of violations of
the police regulations.
:: x
ct remember once" he said, smilingly.
"when l unearthed a case of protection
that did not protect that would have
Mr. Jerome If it had happened in
his bailiWick.
MY men had had their eyes for long
time on a gambling place that remained
open after hours-maybe l forgot to tell
you that gambling is licensed In Guatema-
la, and the gambling houses nave regular
hours like the saloons. Well, this house
was run in connection with a cantina, or
drinking place, as is usually the case with
the gambling houses down there and the
proprietor had a pull with some OF the
officials that he thought was strong
enough for anything. He even went to
the length of getting out hand bills an
that due to his excellent con-
he Germans 1t is made with the feet.