File No. 319.112C64/1.
[Untitled]
Panama, February 14, 1915—midnight.
Supplementing my telegram of February 14, 7 a.m. It develops that only one was killed in the mêlée last night and that he was a Costa Rican negro resident of Panama; probably shot accidentally. Chief of Police of Panama who reported to me the two deaths cabled, admits he was misinformed. Four soldiers and several Panamans including a police lieutenant have bullet wounds which may prove serious to one soldier and to a Panaman boy fourteen years of age. Forty-odd others wounded are not in danger. Lieutenant Edgerly of the soldier patrol on duty was mistreated and bruised.
The trouble possibly originated from a small quarrel between a coachman and soldier in which a policeman interfered and the soldier resented it. The higher Panaman officials and police heads have been considerate. It is believed that but for the ignorance, excitability and lack of control of the body of the police force, trouble would not have occurred. Dissipation incident to first night of Annual Carnival was to a certain extent responsible for proportions the difficulty assumed.