THE year 1894 was a momentous one in the history of the Natal Police, for as a sequel to the inquiries made by the Commission all the police forces in the colony were amalgamated, under Colonel Dartnell as Chief Commissioner.
The Attorney-General, the Rt. Hon. H. Escombe, in moving the second reading of the Police Bill, pointed out that Natal was essentially a country to be governed by police, especially by police as distinguished from soldiers.
" There is at present a police force," he said, " which is weakened by disconnection. It consists of various bodies distributed through the land, under different heads, subject to no central power ; and as a consequence, it is not properly in hand. The present measure will bring the whole of the separated police forces of the colony into one police unit.
" A difficulty would have arisen in the matter of a Chief Commissioner of police if it had not been for the loyalty to the public service of Colonel Dartnell. He was told what the wishes of the Government were as regards the consolidation of the different forces. He was addressed in the capacity he is known so well to fill, that of a dashing soldier, and he was asked whether, having regard to the necessities of the case, he would accept the position of Chief Commissioner. We knew perfectly well that if 10 that distinguished officer said he would, we might rely absolutely on his exact fulfilment of the duties of the office. I am glad to say that without the least reserve or hesitation, he stated that he would comply with the wish of the Government. We found a most complete accord between General Dartnell and ourselves, as regards the general control of the force. He knew, as we all know, that the peculiar character of the population here requires a police force which can move about in a strong body when necessity arises.
" Under the Act the magistrates will be relieved from a duty which does not belong to magistrates. Hitherto they have, to a large extent, had their time occupied in acting the part of detectives, and because the duty is not consistent with that of a magistrate the work has not been done to the satisfaction either of the officers concerned or the public at large. Nothing can be more wrong in principle than for a magistrate to have to unearth crime, and then to try the criminal."
Colonel Dartnell and Sub-Inspector Clarke put their heads together and prepared this scheme of reorganization, which worked so successfully that it was subsequently adopted by every other colony in South Africa. To put it into working order in Natal was no light undertaking, especially in view of the fact that there was only a week in which to draw up the rules and regulations. From the date when the force was first started it had been known as the Natal Mounted Police. This body ceased to exist on the 3oth June 1894, on which day there was a gathering of the officers of the old force, who were :
Colonel Dartnell, Commandant ; Inspector W. F. Fairlie ; Inspector F. A. Campbell ; Inspector Phillips ; Inspector Sewell, Paymaster ; Inspector Masson ; Sub-Inspector Stean, Adjutant ; Sub-inspector Dorehill ; Sub-Inspector Clarke.
The new force, known as the Natal Police, was increased from 200 to 300 Europeans, and 100 natives were added to the ranks. Eleven police districts were established, and the out-stations were increased in number from twenty-six to sixty. It was hoped that the municipalities in the colony would come under the Act, but Pietermaritzburg, Durban, and Newcastle declined the offers made to them.
In some instances the magistrates submitted with ill-grace to the new regime, and one or two of them even to-day would be glad to have control of the native police. On the whole, however, the annual reports showed that the new system was a considerable improvement on that which it had superseded. The number of arrests in the first year rose from 2564 to 16,568, this showing that there must have been a lot of undetected crime prior to the change.
Before the force was reorganized, complaints were made that, owing to the inefficiency of the police, there was an annual loss of sheep by theft to the extent of 100,000. During the first twelve months of the working of the new system 2170 sheep were reported lost, and out of that number 893 were recovered. If a certain percentage of deaths be allowed, it will be seen how great was the miscalculation, or else how great was the improvement in the police. The average number of sheep reported missing annually has never since then exceeded 1000.
When the Natal Police took over the 'gaols they found them in a chaotic state. There was no system whatever, each establishment working independently of any other.
As soon as the change took place, applications were made in all parts of the colony for police stations, and the additional men enlisted were soon absorbed. As a result, a further increase of 200 troopers became necessary early in 1896, but as good men were not readily picked up in Natal, recruiting was started in England, and 100 men were enlisted there.
Shortly afterwards there was a plague of rinderpest in the colony, and in order to place a strong guard on the borders of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, to prevent cattle from being driven into Natal, the police had to be withdrawn from all the stations in the northern part of the colony.
Early in 1897 there was a panic in East Griqualand, where a native named Le Fleur was organizing a rebellion. Alarming rumours were flying about. Many of the inhabitants formed laagers, and a large number fled to Natal for refuge. There was no force in Cape Colony available to suppress the trouble, and the Natal Police were hurried down to the border to protect the fugitives. A body of 170 men was mustered, and as many of these were recruits fresh from England, and without uniform, they had a very uncomfortable experience while marching through heavy rain to Ixopo, where the residents were found to be in a state of great excitement.
A small body of the police went as far as the Umzimkulu River to find out exactly what was happening. They met large numbers of men, women, and children tramping wearily through liquid mud, the women and children driving cattle or voorlooping, and the men driving wagons and horses. Not one of them seemed to have any clear idea what the danger was from which they were fleeing, though they all stated that they had been warned by natives to " clear out."
Native spies that had been sent out reported that Msingapanzi's people intended to make an attack upon the magazine and secure the arms and ammunition it contained, but soon after the arrival of the police the spies reported that this attack had been postponed.
Higher up the Umzimkulu a laager had been established at Graf ton's Farm, and early on the morning of the 24th January 70 men of the police were sent off to protect the refugees there.
There was great indignation at Ixopo on account of the inaction of the Cape Colony authorities. It was felt that the Cape Mounted Rifles should have been sent to their assistance, and at a meeting of residents a vote of thanks to Natal for saving the situation was passed.
As the unrest amongst the natives extended to Alfred County and the much-troubled Pondoland, a force of 60 men was sent to patrol the southern border. Later on they marched from Ixopo, joining the detachment at the Upper Umzimkulu, and patrols were sent to the Drakensberg. Towards the close of the march the police arrived at Bulwer, after having experienced ten days' incessant rain.
As the Natal winter approached they were ordered to the coast, but were delayed for three days at the Lorana River by a snowstorm which had a disastrous effect on the horses. A fortnight later the force got to Ixopo, having entirely run out of supplies, and these had to be ordered from Pietermaritzburg by wire. It was nearly a week before they were able to resume the march, and they got to Port Shepstone early in July, spending three months at that place. While they were there, fifty of the horses had to be destroyed owing to an outbreak of glanders. Before the force got back to Pietermaritzburg at the close of the year, glanders again appeared, and many more of the animals had to be shot, the total loss during the twelve months being 103, equal to 20 per cent, of the total strength. When this field force had been at headquarters just three days, orders came for a detachment to march up into Zululand, which province had just been taken over by the Natal Government. Within an hour they were ready, and left under Inspector Dimmick for Eshowe and Nongoma, the march being accomplished over very bad roads, in constant rainstorms, and during excessively hot weather. For five weeks the rain continued, and horse-sickness was rampant. On the top of this, neither supplies nor letters could be got from Eshowe.
Early in February the police were ordered to Emtonjaneni, to meet Dinuzulu, (Generally spelt incorrectly " Dinizulu.") who had returned from exile at St. Helena, and on the way there they had difficulty in crossing the flooded Black and White Umfolosi Rivers. The party which the police took back with them consisted of Dinuzulu, his two wives, and five children, Dinuzulu's uncle, with his wives and children, Tshingana and his family, Miss Colenso, who was one of Dinuzulu's chief supporters, several women, numerous servants, and a following of about five hundred Zulus. All these people struggled along the road for a couple of miles, when the Commissioner of Native Affairs sent a message to state that such a large following was unnecessary and must be dispensed with. On the Ulundi flats, however, nearly a thousand additional Zulus assembled to welcome the returned chief, and they proved very useful at the Emfabeni, where the road was impassable. The Zulus soon made the drifts fordable, and on the 23rd February the hill where the Usutu kraal was afterwards built was reached, and the police remained with Dinuzulu for a few days until he and his followers settled down.
Nearly all their horses had died during this trip, and out of three spans of mules, only five remained alive.
Inspector Fairlie took charge of the detachment at Nongoma, which remained there until Dinuzulu was again imprisoned, nearly twelve years afterwards.
The Zululand Native Police force was merged into the Natal Police in 1898, the latter body taking over all the European officers. Mr. Mansel, who had raised' the Zululand Native Police, now became second in charge of the European body. Ten police stations were established in Zululand, which was divided at first into five districts. The horses died rapidly, until the remount fund became entirely exhausted, and a supplementary vote had to be placed on the estimates.
An expedition left headquarters in Pietermaritzburg in April 1899 to locate the wreck of the barque Dorothea, which was stated to have a huge quantity of gold on board. Two trips were made to Cape Vidal with a diver and diving apparatus, and though some weeks were spent at the scene of the wreck, bad weather prevented anything being done at that time. The Dorothea has since become famous, for many syndicates have worked at the place without success. Each party has been accompanied by a member of the Natal Police, acting on behalf of the Government.
