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Effective Security
Management
Effective Security
Management
Seventh Edition
Charles A. Sennewald
Curtis Baillie
Butterworth-Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier
The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, United Kingdom
50 Hampshire Street, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
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This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as
may be noted herein).
Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our
understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any
information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should
be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.
To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any
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Contents
Preface xvii
Acknowledgments xix
Introduction xxi

Section 1 General security management 1

1. General principles of organization 3
Organization principles 3
Where security fits in the organizational structure 10
The difference between corporate and company security 12
Summary 14
Review 14

2. Organizational structure 17
The informal organization 17
Additional organizational structure 23
Summary 23
Review 24

3. Security’s role in the organization 25

The protective service role 25
Summary 32
Review 33

4. The security director’s role 35

The security director. . . 35
The new security director 42
Summary 43
Review 43

v
vi Contents

5. The security supervisor’s role 45

The supervisor as an inspector 45
Supervisory authority 46
The supervisor as the “in-between” person 47
The supervisor’s span of control 48
Supervisory training 50
Summary 51
Review 52

6. The individual security employee 53

Standards of conduct 53
Summary 59
Review 59

7. Ethics and conflicts of interest 61

Deciding between right and wrong: listening to our inner voice 61
The need for ethics based policies 62
Higher standard of expectations 62
Establishing a business ethics policy 62
Train employees as to what you expect 63
Reporting potential unethical conduct 63
Deciding ethical dilemmas 64
Identifying, and reporting potential conflicts of interest 64
Summary 69
Review 70

Section 2 Security personnel management 71

8. Hiring security personnel 73
Hiring 75
Summary 82
Review 82
 Contents vii

9. Job descriptions 83
Accuracy and completeness in describing the job 83
Matching applicant to the job 84
Employee’s understanding of the job 85
Matching training to job description 85
Performance evaluations based on job descriptions 86
Job descriptions are current 87
Composition of the job description 87
Summary 89
Review 90

10. Training 91
Shortcomings of typical “training” 91
Circumvention of the training program 92
Training defined 93
POP formula: policy, objective, procedure 95
Training as ongoing responsibility 97
Types of security training programs 98
Security manual 99
Summary 100
Review 100

11. Discipline 101

The supervisor’s role in discipline 102
Disciplinary problems arising from misunderstood assignments 103
Basic rules of the disciplinary process 104
Progressive discipline 106
Self-discipline 107
Summary 108
Review 109
viii Contents

12. Motivation and morale 111

Theory X and Theory Y 111
Organizational behavior 112
Give your people the opportunity to fail 114
Motivators 116
Demotivators 118
Summary 120
Review 121

13. Promotions 123

Identifying promotional candidates 123
Selection of the right candidate 125
Following the selection 127
Promotion from within 127
Vertical promotion outside the department 128
Advantages of multiple layers 128
Temporary promotions 129
Retreating 129
Summary 130
Review 131

14. Communication 133

Types of communication 133
About listening 140
Summary 140
Review 141

15. Career (proprietary) versus non-career

(and contract) personnel 143
Career personnel 144
Part-time non-career personnel 146
Contractual non-career personnel 147
 Contents ix

Combining career and non-career personnel 149

Summary 150
Review 150

Section 3 Operational management 153

16. Planning and budgeting 155
What is a budget? 155
Why do we have a budget? 156
When is a budget prepared? 157
Who participates in the budgeting process? 158
Top-down and bottom-up process 158
How is a budget prepared? 160
Justifying the security budget 165
Summary 167
Review 167

17. Program management 169

The security inspection process 169
Who conducts the inspection?? 172
Assessment of risks and countermeasures 174
Inspecting for compliance with procedures 178
Statistics in program management 179
Summary 181
Review 181

18. Risk 183

Risk defined 183
Risk management programs and the security professional’s role 183
Risk program components 184
Summary 190
Review 191
x Contents

19. Problem solving 193

Summary 198
Review 198

20. Crisis management 199

Crisis management defined 199
Genesis of the crisis team management 199
The media and public threat 199
Composition of the crisis management team 201
Communication 202
The crisis management team leader (CMTL) 202
The crisis plan 203
Red teaming seeking out company security vulnerabilities 203
Summary 204
Review 205

21. The security survey 207

What is a security survey? 207
The purpose of a security survey 207
Defining security survey goals 208
Building a survey program: components of a security survey 208
Summary 211
Review 212

22. International security standards 213

Introduction 213
What is a standard? 213
Why international standards? 214
International Standards Organization 214
International security standards 215
European Standardization Organizations 217
 Contents xi

National standards bodies 217

Summary 221
Review 221

23. Office administration 223

Description of functions 223
The office environment 230
Summary 231
Review 232

24. Written policies and procedures 233

Historical evolution 233
Policy 234
Benefits 235
Consistency in performance 235
Reduction of decision-making time 235
Enhancement of controls 235
Provision for objective performance evaluation 236
Compliance 236
Combining policies and procedures 237
Section 11.06 Investigative and security interviews 238
Definitions 238
Procedures 238
Free-standing policies 239
Importance of the written policy 239
Policies, procedures, and the security manual 240
Format and mechanics 240
Post orders 240
Summary 243
Review 243
xii Contents

25. Computers and effective security management 245

Introduction 245
PC hardware 245
Networks 248
PC software 249
Specialized management programs 256
Artificial intelligence 257
Multimedia 258
Risks of using PCs 258
Summary 259
Review 260

26. Statistics as a security management tool 261

Introduction 261
Planning for future security needs 261
Internal statistical analysis 266
External statistical analysis 268
Methodology 269
Information for risk analysis 271
Return on investment 271
Summary 272
Review 273

27. Convergence in security management 275

How the idea of convergence came about 275
Merging functions between companies 275
The convergence of security and IT security 276
Understanding convergence 278
Benefits of converging 279
Return on investment 279
 Contents xiii

Summary 280
Review 280

Section 4 Public relations 281

28. Selling security within the organization 283
How to sell security 283
Summary 289
Review 289

29. Relationship with law enforcement 291

Services of the public sector 292
Services of the private sector 297
Summary 298
Review 299

30. Relationship with the industry 301

Effective relationship categories 302
Participation 304
Summary 308
Review 309

31. Community relations 311

Introduction 311
Company outlook and participation 311
Company image 311
Company support 312
Security networking 313
Public speaking 313
Print media interviews 314
Radio interviews and appearances on television 314
General public contact 316
xiv Contents

Summary 316
Review 317

Section 5 Mismanagement 319

32. Jackass management traits 321
The manager who seeks to be “liked” rather than respected 323
The manager who ignores the opinions and advice of
subordinates 323
The manager who fails to delegate properly 324
The manager who ignores the training and developmental needs of
subordinates 325
The manager who insists on doing everything “the company
way” 326
The manager who fails to give credit when credit is due 327
The manager who treats subordinates as subordinates 328
The manager who ignores employees’ complaints 328
The manager who does not keep people informed 329
The manager who holds his or her assistant back 331
The manager who views the disciplinary process as a punitive
action 332
The manager who fails to back up his or her people 333
The manager whose word cannot be trusted 333
The manager who avoids making decisions 334
The manager who “plays favorites” 335
The manager who fails to stay current in the field 336
The manager who enjoys “pouring on” more work than a subordinate
can handle 337
The manager who acts or overreacts too quickly 338
The newly promoted manager who believes his or her manure is
odorless 339
The manager who is moody 340
 Contents xv

Managers who fail to plan and put priorities on their work 341
The manager who lacks emotion and empathy 343
The manager who hires relatives into the organization 344
The manager who has a dim view of women’s value in the workplace
and created the famous “glass ceiling” 345
The manager who faithfully practices the art of pessimism 346
The manager who steals subordinates’ ideas 347
The manager whose style and authority is based on absolute
power 348
The manager who seems oblivious to what is happening 349
The manager who loves to “sack” employees 350
The manager who embarrasses subordinates in the presence of
others 351
The manager who follows “double standards” in the
organization 352
The manager who is a religious or racial bigot 353
Summary 353

Appendix A: Employee performance evaluation 355

Appendix B: Security vulnerability survey 363

Appendix C: IAPSC code of ethics 369

Appendix D: Selected security-related organizations 371

Appendix E: Suggested security/loss prevention

reference sources 375

Index 381
Preface
When I first positioned myself in front of a portable electric typewriter to write the original
version of this book back in the 1970s, there were very few books in and for the industry. For
the most part they were “nuts and bolts” texts, dealing with such specific protection areas as
hospital security, hotel security, office building security, industrial security, and sources of
information.
At the same time, national seminars and other training forums sponsored by such profes-
sional organizations as ASIS International similarly focused on the “how-to” of security, such
as how to improve facility security through the integrated use of state-of-the-art technology
with a smaller staff.
Those kinds of books and training programs were professionally done and certainly wel-
come. In fact, they were indispensable in the ever-growing protection industry. However, lit-
tle attention was paid to the administrative, managerial, and supervisorial aspects of our
industry.
We were becoming highly skilled protection technicians, but the industry remained aloof
and insensitive to the principles and practices of good management. Security executives, as a
group, had fallen behind—had become less than “whole” executives in comparison to others
in the corporate structure. Men and women in other organizational and career disciplines,
such as finance, marketing, production, research, and human resources, were regularly
exposed to management development trends, but for a number of reasons security managers
were not. One reason was that we were too busy keeping up with fast changing security tech-
nology. Another reason was that we were too busy with important investigations and too
absorbed with the so-called emergencies and crises that rightfully belong in the Security
Department’s arena. Still another reason was that security executives are of a disciplined and
hard-set mentality, stemming in part from military or other public sector organizational
experience, such as the police—organizations in which people performed because they were
told to perform.
It was at this time the president and editor of the nation’s first security publishing com-
pany asked me to write a book. “On what?” I asked. They responded, “What, in your judg-
ment is the greatest need in the security industry today?” My response, “a better
understanding of good management.”
I had personally seen so many abuses that to me the need simply cried out. Some of
these management abuses were truly tragic, some were idiotic, and some were hilariously
funny. The common denominator was ignorance.
This discussion was during lunch in a restaurant in Los Angeles, CA. I can still see the
three of us seated at the table and their response to my remarks. It took them no time at all
to say, “Chuck. You write a book on management and we’ll publish it.”

xvii
xviii Preface

I wrote Effective Security Management with the hope that through education and aware-
ness, abuses would subside, and security managers would favorably compare with other
managers regarding modern attitudes and practices in management.
The field of security management has certainly improved its image since the first edition
of this book was published. Security management is increasingly viewed as a professional
area within the management framework of a company or institution. I would like to think
that this book, in some small way, had a part in the growth, development, and enhancement
of the security profession and its managerial practices.
This seventh edition, although updated to reflect the ever growing managerial and techni-
cal sophistication that steadily appears on the modern scene over the past several decades,
remains a basic introduction to the principles of management applicable to Loss Prevention
and Security Departments. I believe it is still in keeping with the practical, real-life approach
to the subject.
I have again included my “Jackass Management Traits” at the end of this book, material I
created for and that originally appeared in the Protection of Assets Manuals published by the
Merritt Company in Santa Monica, California. These fun, tongue-in-cheek caricatures may
indeed be the most important part of the book, because it is all very well and good to under-
stand organizational principles and management techniques, but if a manager does not
know how to manage and supervise the employees, this learning will be all for naught.
It’s my prayer this seventh edition of Effective Security Management will continue to be a
viable tool in preparing students as well as update practitioners for the exciting and demand-
ing challenges offered in our industry today.

Charles A. “Chuck” Sennewald, CSC, CPP, CPO

Acknowledgments
Various professionals in the security industry have freely given of their time and talent to
make this book a viable resource in understanding the discipline of management. My old
comrade Jim Broder, along with IAPSC colleagues Karim Vellani and Colin Braziel of the
Association of Security Consultants, U.K. (a sister organization to the IAPSC), have made
important contributions. Geoff Craighead’s contribution on computers and security manage-
ment, edited by Phil Marazita and John Sanger remain in the work from the last edition. The
chapters on “Risk” and “The Security Survey”, adapted by Kevin O’Brien from James
Broder’s Risk Analysis and The Security Survey, 2nd ed., Butterworth-Heinemann (2000)
remain in this edition. And I acknowledge Christopher Baillie (especially for his contribution
to Chapter 26, “Convergence in Security Management”) and Ken Wheatley for his time and
effort on my behalf. Thank you, gentleman.
I don't think I could have revised and restructured this newest edition without the
assistance of Curtis Baillie, security/loss prevention expert witness and friend who shares my
philosophy of management. I admire his work ethic, and am grateful for his assistance.
Thank you Curt.

Chuck Sennewald

xix
Introduction

Managing the organization

What is management? What functions do managers perform? Although these are complex
questions that will be explained in more detail throughout this book, we still need a funda-
mental idea of what management is and what a manager does before much of the material
will be meaningful. Let us start, therefore, with an exploration of what management is. Then
we will explore the functions of management.

Managerial acts
If we were to follow a security manager about all day and list on a sheet of paper everything
that he or she does as a manager, the list would probably look somewhat as follows:
• Talks to employees
• Gives directions to lower-level supervisors
• Dictates letters
• Establishes loss prevention goals
• Plans new loss prevention programs
• Hires new security personnel
• Reads email, regular mail and reports
• Tracks security related incidents and their trends
• Attends meetings
• Briefs his management as to any event or worthy incident
• Talks to industry peers and monitors what they are doing
• Reviews latest trends in security related soft-ware and technical equipment
• Considers and evaluates staff performance with future promotions in mind
Note that these activities are either physical or mental in nature. The physical activities
evolve around the concept of communication. In terms of the physical activities, the man-
ager is either telling someone something verbally or in writing, or he or she is receiving a
communication via the written or spoken word.
The mental activities, however, cannot be observed directly, but we know through his or
her communication that the manager must ponder and make decisions a mental activity.
The ultimate objective of both physical and mental activities is to create an environment in
which other individuals willingly participate in achieving organizational objectives.

xxi
xxii Introduction

Managerial functions
Management functions are categorized differently by different managers. But generally and
historically there are five well-established functions identified by the acronym PODSCORB:
P Planning
O Organizing
D Directing
S Staffing
CO Coordinating
R Record keeping
B Budgeting

These functions will be discussed as you progress through this book.

The successful manager

The manager’s job is to create an environment conducive to the proper performance of acts
by others to achieve personal as well as company goals. Managers should, no must, be able
to inspire, motivate and direct the work of others.

Characteristics of the successful manager

A partial list of traits and characteristics of the successful manager would include
1. The manager must be a problem solver, i.e. thinks through a problem and the
alternative solutions and then makes a decision.
2. The manager must be articulate, clear and easily understood.
3. The manager must be reasonably savvy to the ever growing technology which is part of
the security task. He or she isn’t required to be a technician but at least understand the
process.
4. The manager must think broadly and have vision as to the impact of security on the
organization today and what will be required in the ever-changing future.
5. The manager must have salesmanship skills, i.e. be convincing with the ability to sell.
6. The manager must remain focused on the job to be done, including his or her
management of the security goals of the organization.
7. The manager must possess moral integrity.
8. The manager must be emotionally stable.
9. The manager must be empathetic to the dynamics of human relations and follow the
Golden Rule (treat others how you would have them treat you).
10. The manager must be dynamic, pleasant, out-going, easy to talk to and quick to smile,
yet firm.
 Introduction xxiii

11. The manager must have leadership skills.

“Leadership skills”? Doesn’t the list of 1 through 10 above reflect leadership skills?
In part only. I like to think of the manager’s task as more global, the macro aspects of set-
ting the climate to get the protection job done, whereas leadership skills are more the
micro/personal orientation. That means the real leader’s the task is setting the climate which
encourages his people to want to please and do well and indeed find genuine satisfaction in
their jobs. That said, such characteristics of a good leader would include, but not be
limited to:
• Flexibility in dealing with different personalities
• Honesty in everything you say and do
• Fairness
• Consistency
• Setting him or herself as an example of what a real security professional should be
• Open-mindedness
• Willingness to change
• Interested in what employees have to say
• Willing to delegate
• Enthusiastic
• Recognizes and acknowledges the employee’s performance
• Always courteous and respectful
A good leader is not necessarily a good manager, but a truly good manager must have
the qualities of a good leader.
Remember, the ultimate task of management is to get the job done. Management is
made up of people. Good people, good managers and leaders have the task of getting
employees to
Do what management wants,
When management wants it
Where they want it done
And how they want it. . .WILLINGLY
Management and leadership: What a wonderful and worthy vocation! LET THIS BE YOUR
PASSION!
 SECTION

1
General security
management
1. General principles of organization 3
2. Organizational structure 17
3. Security’s role in the organization 25
4. The security director’s role 35
5. The security supervisor’s role 45
6. The individual security employee 53
7. Ethics and conflicts of interest 61
 1
General principles of organization
The structural framework of an organization is a vehicle for accomplishing the purposes for
which a company or a department is established. That skeleton, the organizational structure
itself, does not think, has no initiative, and cannot act or react. However, it is absolutely
essential in the work environment. A sound organizational framework facilitates the accom-
plishment of tasks by members of the organization—people working under the supervision
of responsible managers.
A hospital, for example, is organized for the purpose of providing health care services. A
subunit of that master organization, the Security department, is organized for the purpose of
protecting that health care environment. Organization, then, is the arrangement of people
with a common objective or purpose (in a manner to make possible the performance of
related tasks grouped for the purpose of assignment) and the establishment of areas of
responsibility with clearly defined channels of communication and authority.

Organization principles
In the design of a sound organizational framework there are six widely accepted principles:
1. The work should be divided according to some logical plan.
2. Lines of authority and responsibility should be made as clear and direct as possible.
3. One supervisor can effectively control only a limited number of people, and that limit
should not be exceeded. (This principle is called “span of control.”)
4. There should be “unity of command” in the organization.
5. Responsibility cannot be given without delegating commensurate authority, and there
must be accountability for the use of that authority.
6. All efforts of subunits and personnel must be coordinated into the harmonious
achievement of the organization’s objectives.
Because each of these principles has a meaningful application within a security organiza-
tion, it is helpful to elaborate on them.

Logical division of work

The necessity for the division of work becomes apparent as soon as you have more than one
person on the job. How the work is divided can have a significant impact on the results at
the end of the day. The manner and extent of the division of work influence the product or
performance qualitatively as well as quantitatively. The logical division of work, therefore,
deserves close attention.
Effective Security Management. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814794-8.00001-9
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
3
4 Effective Security Management

There are five primary ways in which work can be divided:

• Purpose
• Process or method
• Clientele
• Time
• Geography

Purpose
It is most common for work to be divided according to purpose. The Security department
could be organized into two divisions: a Loss Control or Loss Prevention division (its purpose
is to prevent losses) and a Detection division (its purpose is to apprehend those who
defeated the efforts of the prevention unit).

Process or method
A process unit is organized according to the method of work; all similar processes are in the
same unit. An example in security might be the alarm room operators and dispatchers or the
credit card investigators unit of the general investigative section.

Clientele
Work may also be divided according to the clientele served or worked with. Examples here
include the background screening personnel, who deal only with prospective and new
employees; store detectives, who concentrate on shoplifters; or general retail investigators,
who become involved with dishonest employees, forgers, and other criminal offenders.
Division of work by purpose, process, or clientele is really a division based on the nature
of the work and consequently is referred to as “functional.” In other words, the grouping of
security personnel to perform work divided by its nature (purpose, process, or clientele) is
called functional organization.
For many organizations, the functional organization constitutes the full division of work.
Security, however, like police and fire services in the public sector, usually has around-the-
clock protective responsibilities. In addition, unlike its cousins in the public sector, it may
have protective responsibilities spread over a wide geographic area.

Time
At first glance, the 24-hour coverage of a given facility may appear relatively simple. It might
be natural to assume there should be three, 8-hour shifts with fixed posts, patrol, and the
communication and alarm center all changing at midnight, 8:00 a.m., and 4:00 p.m.
However, a number of interesting problems surface when a department begins organizing by
time:
• How many security people are necessary on the first shift? If a minimum security staff
takes over at midnight and the facility commences its business day at 7:00 a.m.,
can you operate for 1 hour with the minimum staff or must you increase coverage prior
 Chapter 1 • General principles of organization 5

to 7:00 a.m. and overlap shifts? (There are hundreds of variables to just this type of
problem.)
• If you have two or more functional units, with some personnel assigned to patrol and
others assigned to the communications and alarm center (in another organizational
pyramid altogether), who is in command at 3:00 a.m.? The question of staff supervision
confuses many people. (See Chapter 5 for a detailed discussion of staff supervision.)
• How much supervision is necessary during facility downtime? If the question is not how
much, then how is any supervision exercised at 3:00 a.m.?
• If there are five posts, each critical and necessary, and five persons are scheduled and
one fails to show, how do you handle the situation? Should you schedule six persons for
just that contingency?
These and other problems do arise and are resolved regularly in facilities of every kind.
Organizing by time, a way of life for security operations does create special problems that
demand consideration, especially if this approach to the division of work is a new undertak-
ing for a company.

Geography
Whenever a Security department is obliged to serve a location removed from the head-
quarters facility, and one or more security personnel are assigned to the outlying location,
one major issue must be resolved: To whom does the security personnel report—
to security management back at headquarters or to site management (which is
non-security)?
The real issue is whether or not non-security management should have direct supervision
over a security employee who has technical or semi-technical skills that are beyond the com-
petence or understanding of non-security management personnel.
In defining the type of authority an executive or supervisor exercises, a distinction is
generally made between line and staff authority. Although these terms have many mean-
ings, in its primary sense, line authority implies a direct (or single-line) relationship
between a supervisor and his or her subordinate; the staff function is service or advisory
in nature.
Security personnel should be directly supervised only by security management. Site man-
agement may provide staff supervision, providing suggestions and assistance, but these
should be restricted to such matters as attention to duty, promptness in reporting, and com-
pliance with general rules. Detailed security activities fall outside the jurisdiction of site
management.
Nonsecurity management should not have line authority (direct supervision) over secu-
rity, not only because of the issue of professional competency but also because site manage-
ment should not be beyond the “reach” of security. Site management would indeed be out
of reach if the only internal control, security, was subject to its command. Site management
would be free to engage in any form of mischief, malpractice, or dishonesty without fear of
security’s reporting the activities to company headquarters.
6 Effective Security Management

Clear lines of authority and responsibility

Once the work has been properly divided, the organization takes on the appearance of a
pyramid-like structure, within which are smaller pyramids, as illustrated in Fig. 1 1.
Each part of each pyramid defines, with exactness, a function or responsibility and to
whom that function is responsible. We can easily trace the solid line upward to the secu-
rity director, who is ultimately responsible for every function within the security
organization.
Not only is it important to have this organizational pyramid documented, normally in the
form of an organizational chart, it is also essential that security employees have access to the
chart so they can see exactly where they fit into the organization pattern, to whom they are
responsible, to whom their supervisor is responsible, and so on right up to the top. Failure
to so inform employees causes unnecessary confusion, and confusion is a major contributor
to ineffective job performance.

Director
security and
loss prevention

Security Security manager

manager special services

Warehouse Administration IT Investigation Alarm room

protection building section section manager

Store’s Store’s Asst. alarm

Officers Programmer Investigators
security security manager

First shift Second shift Third shift

Security Shoplifting
Intelligence
audit detail

Security Undercover
Detectives
officers agents

FIGURE 1–1 Repeated pyramidal forms within an organizational structure.

 Chapter 1 • General principles of organization 7

In addition, the organizational chart is a subtle motivator. People can see themselves
moving up in the boxes; for goal-setting to be successful, you must be able to envision your-
self already in possession of your goal.
Finally, the apparent rigidity of boxes and lines in the organizational chart must not
freeze communication. Employees at the lowest layer of the pyramid must feel free to com-
municate directly with the security director without obtaining permission from all the inter-
vening levels of supervision.

Span of control
There is a limit to the number of subordinates who can be supervised effectively by one per-
son, and that limit should not be exceeded. The limit ranges from a maximum of five at the
highest level in the organization to a maximum of twelve at the lowest level. The greater the
degree of sophistication of the interactions between supervisors and subordinates, the nar-
rower the optimal span of control. However, this very important principle is in jeopardy as
we have entered into the twenty-first century because of the growing trend of “flattening” the
organizational pyramid; that is, having fewer supervisors and/or supervisors with expanded
responsibilities. This trend increasingly presents an operational dilemma that must be
addressed by each organization.
Exceeding the limits of span of control is really no different from spreading yourself too
thin in some nonwork environment, such as school. If a student carries a full academic load
of core subjects, becomes involved in student government, goes out for varsity football, is
engaged to be married, belongs to the military reserve, and works 20 hours a week in a con-
venience store, it is likely that some of these activities will not receive the attention they
deserve and few, if any, will be done with excellence.
Slipshod, undisciplined, and poorly executed security work is an almost inevitable conse-
quence of violating the organizational principle of span of control.

Unity of command
The fourth principle, that of unity of command, means that an employee should be under
the direct control of one and only one immediate superior (Fig. 1 2). This principle also

Right Wrong

Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor

Investigator Investigator Investigator

FIGURE 1–2 Unity of command.

8 Effective Security Management

dictates that a task or function requiring the action of two or more people must also be
under the direct control of one supervisor.
Violations of the principle of unity of command are not usually found in the design of the
organization but occur more by accident than design during special events or other nonrou-
tine occasions that bring out more company executives than usual. The security officer or
agent who is given conflicting orders by several superiors becomes confused, inefficient, and
angry.
One person cannot successfully serve two masters. This is discussed further in Chapter 5.

Responsibility, authority, and accountability

The fifth principle of organization is all too frequently violated by the manager or executive
who gives a subordinate the responsibility to do a task but holds back the authority needed
to discharge such responsibility effectively. A prime example of this is the case in which indi-
viduals are given the job of supervising a unit and are told that the unit is their responsibility
and that they will be measured by how well they perform in that assignment. However, the
new supervisors then discover they do not have the right (authority) to select the applicant
of their choice to fill a vacancy; they discover that disciplinary matters are decided by their
superiors (and their subordinates know this). They soon find that their plans, suggestions,
and ideas are replaced with those of their boss, and, thus, they become totally frustrated.
They have a job and yet they do not.
The true art of delegation requires giving responsibility with commensurate authority and
then holding the employee fully accountable for the use of that authority. If, in the previous
example, new supervisors had the authority to hire, discipline, and implement their own
ideas; did so without exercising good judgment; and could not be corrected or trained to use
their authority properly, then they should be stripped not only of the authority but of the
responsibility as well. The employee must be given both responsibility and authority and be
held accountable for both.
Perhaps the major reason why so many managers violate this principle is that they are
unwilling, sometimes subconsciously, to allow subordinates to carry out the responsibilities
delegated to them. The reason for this unwillingness, ironically, is that the manager knows
that he or she is ultimately responsible. The manager knows it is true that you cannot
completely delegate responsibility. This may seem confusing and sound like doubletalk, so let
us approach the problem from a different angle.
• The head of the security pyramid, the security director or chief security officer, is the
only one accountable for the organization, the Security department. The security
director’s reputation grows brighter in the department’s successes and suffers in its
failures. Almost invariably, this manager rose to the top because of his or her proven
ability and track record. In other words, his or her method of doing things has
proven, over the stretch of time, to be successful. That is why the manager has this
position.
 Chapter 1 • General principles of organization 9

• The security director cannot do the entire security job alone and needs people to help
get it done. Depending on the scope of the job, the security director may need anywhere
from two to 300 people. Ideally, if every person on the team thinks and acts exactly as
the security director does, he or she would ensure continued outstanding personal
success.
• The manager understands, however, that no one else thinks and acts exactly as he or she
does. The manager may reason that the next best thing is to do the thinking for all the
key people, make the decisions for them, and have them run the organization in his or
her image. The security director holds the authority, and when things go wrong—and
they will—he or she will probably severely criticize the party who failed. This manager
has not really delegated responsibility and authority. Ironically, when things go wrong the
security director will point out to company management the employee who failed and in
so doing will have someone to share the responsibility with, because ultimately it is the
security director’s responsibility.
• In contrast to the situation previously described, the manager may open up the
organization to other talented people. Within the broad guidelines the security director
sets as a leader, those key people will have genuine responsibility. They will be
accountable, and they will respond positively to that accountability. When things go
wrong—and they will—the party who failed will judge himself or herself critically. This
manager has truly delegated responsibility and authority. Ironically, he or she will take
full responsibility for failure, because it is ultimately and rightfully the manager’s
responsibility.

Coordination to meet organizational goals

Theoretically, if the first five principles just discussed were adhered to, everything would
function smoothly. In practice such total harmony is rare, if not impossible. Human frailties
such as jealousy over assignments and promotions, elitism in some subunits, friction
between supervisors, the historic poor reputation of certain subunits or assignments, and
more tend to compromise efficiency.
How then does management coordinate the efforts of the various subunits and person-
nel? Or better, what can management do to attempt to coordinate all units and personnel
into the harmonious achievement of the department’s goals? The answer is to establish a
sound security training program and good departmental communication.
Both training and communication are dealt with in separate chapters (Chapters 10 and
14, respectively). The emphasis in both cases should be on educating employees about the
organization and its objectives; defining the importance of each subunit’s contribution to the
whole; developing organizational pride and individual security employee self-esteem; creat-
ing a sense of security unity and identification within the company as a whole; and, finally,
developing a climate wherein the individual employee includes organizational goals within
his or her own personal goals.
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The Project Gutenberg eBook of El terror de 1824
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
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Title: El terror de 1824

Author: Benito Pérez Galdós

Release date: October 12, 2023 [eBook #71861]

Language: Spanish

Original publication: Madrid: Obras de Pérez Galdós, 1904

Credits: Ramón Pajares Box. (This file was produced from images
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EL TERROR DE

1824 ***
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Nota de transcripción

Los errores de imprenta han sido corregidos.

La ortografía del texto original ha sido modernizada de acuerdo con las normas
publicadas en 2010 por la Real Academia Española.
Las rayas intrapárrafos han sido espaciadas según los modernos usos
ortotipográficos.
Las notas a pie de página han sido renumeradas y colocadas al final del párrafo en
que se las llama.
 EPISODIOS NACIONALES

EL TERROR DE 1824
 Es propiedad. Queda hecho el depósito
que marca la ley. Serán furtivos los
ejemplares que no lleven el sello del autor
 B. PÉREZ GALDÓS
EPISODIOS NACIONALES
SEGUNDA SERIE

EL TERROR DE 1824

32.000

MA DRID
O B RAS DE P É RE Z G AL DÓ S
132, Hortaleza
1904
EST. TIP. DE LA VIUDA E HIJOS DE TELLO
IMPRESOR DE CÁMARA DE S. M.
C. de San Francisco, 4.
 EL TERROR DE 1824

En la tarde del 2 de octubre de 1823 un anciano bajaba con paso

tan precipitado como inseguro por las afueras de la Puerta de Toledo
en dirección al puente del mismo nombre. Llovía menudamente, sin
cesar, según la usanza del hermoso cielo cuando se enturbia, y la
ronda podía competir en lodos con su vecino Manzanares, el cual
hinchándose como la madera cuando se moja, extendía su saliva
fangosa por gran parte del cauce que le permiten los inviernos. E
anciano transeúnte marchaba con pie resuelto, sin que le causara
estorbo la lluvia, con el pantalón recogido hasta la pantorrilla
chapoteando sin embarazo en el lodo con las destrozadas botas. Iba
estrechamente forrado, como tizona en vaina, en añoso gabán oscuro
cuyo borde y solapa se sujetaba con alfileres allí donde no había
botones, y con los agarrotados dedos en la parte del pecho, como la
más necesitada de defensa contra la humedad y el frío. Hundía la
barba y media cara en el alzacuello, tieso como una pared
cubriéndose con él las orejas y el ala posterior del sombrero, que
destilaba agua como cabeza de tritón en fuente de Reales Sitios. No
llevaba paraguas ni bastón. Mirando sin cesar al suelo, daba unos
suspiros que competían con las ráfagas de aire. ¡Infelicísimo varón
¡Cuán claramente pregonaban su desdichada suerte el roto vestido
las horadadas botas, el casquete húmedo, la aterida cabeza, y aque
continuo suspirar casi al compás de los pasos! Parecía un
desesperado que iba derecho a descargar sobre el río el fardo de una
vida harto enojosa para llevarla más tiempo. No obstante, pasó por e
puente sin mirar al agua, y no se detuvo hasta el parador situado en la
divisoria de los caminos de Toledo y Andalucía.
 Bajo el cobertizo destinado a los alcabaleros y gente del fisco
había hasta dos docenas de hombres de tropa, entre ellos algunos
oficiales de línea y voluntarios realistas de nuevo cuño en tales días
Los paradores cercanos albergaban una fuerza considerable, cuya
misión era guardar aquella principalísima entrada de la corte, ignorante
aún de los sucesos que en el último confín de la Península habían
cambiado el gobierno de constitucional dudoso en absoluto verídico y
puro, poniendo fin entre bombas certeras y falaces manifiestos a los
tres llamados años. En aquel cuerpo de guardia eran examinados los
pasaportes, vigilando con exquisito esmero las entradas y las salidas
mayormente estas últimas, a fin de que no escurriesen el bulto los
sospechosos ni se pusieran en cobro los revolucionarios, cuya última
cuenta se ajustaría pronto en el tremendo Josafat del despotismo.
Acercose el vejete al grupo de oficiales, y reconociendo
prontamente al que sin duda buscaba, que era joven, adusto y
morenote, bastante adelantado en su marcial carrera como
proclamaban las insignias, díjole con mucho respeto:
—Aquí estoy otra vez, señor coronel Garrote. ¿Tiene vuecencia
alguna buena noticia para mí?
—Ni buena ni mala, señor... ¿cómo se llama usted? —repuso e
militar.
—Patricio Sarmiento, para servir a vuecencia y la compañía
Patricio Sarmiento, el mismo que viste y calza, si esto se puede deci
de mi traje y de mis botas. Patricio Sarmiento, el...
—Pase usted adentro —díjole bruscamente el militar, tomándole po
un brazo y llevándole bajo el cobertizo—. Está usted como una sopa.
Un rumor, del cual podía dudarse si era de burla o de lástima, y
quizás provenía de las dos cosas juntamente, acogió la entrada de
infeliz preceptor en la compañía de los militares.
—Sí, señor Garrote —añadió Sarmiento—; soy, como decía, e
hombre más desgraciado de todo el globo terráqueo. Ese cielo que
nos moja no llora más que lloro en estos días, desde que me han
anunciado como probable, como casi cierta, la muerte de mi querido
hijo Lucas, de mi niño adorado, de aquel que era manso cordero en e
hogar paterno y león indómito en los combates... ¡Ah, señores
¡Ustedes no saben lo que es tener un hijo único, y perderlo en una
escaramuza de Andalucía, por descuidos de un general, o po
intrepidez imprudente de un oficialete!... ¿Pero hay esperanzas
todavía de que tan horrible noticia resulte incierta? ¿Se ha sabido
algo? Por Dios, señor Garrote, ¿ha sabido vuecencia si mi idolatrado
unigénito vive aún, o si feneció en esas tremendas batallas?... ¿Hay
algún parte que lo mencione?..., porque Lucas no podía morir como
cualquiera, no: había de morir ruidosa y gloriosísimamente, de una
manera tal, que dé gusto y juego a los historiadores... ¿Ha sabido algo
vuecencia de ayer acá?
—Nada —repuso Garrote fríamente.
—Ha seis días que vengo todas las tardes, y siempre me dice
vuecencia lo mismo —murmuró Sarmiento con angustia—. ¡Nada!
—Desde el primer día manifesté a usted qué nada podía saber.
—Pero a todas horas entran heridos, soldados dispersos, paisanos
correos que vienen de las Andalucías. ¿Se ha olvidado usted de
preguntar?
—No me he olvidado —indicó el coronel con semblante y tono más
compasivos—; pero nadie, absolutamente nadie, tiene noticia de
miliciano Lucas Sarmiento.
—¡Todo sea por Dios! —exclamó el preceptor mirando al cielo—
¡Qué agonía! Unos me dicen que sucumbió, otros que está herido
gravemente... ¿Han entrado hoy muchos milicianos prisioneros?
—Algunos.
—¿No venía Pujitos?
—¿Y quién es Pujitos?
—¡Oh! Vuecencia no conoce a nuestra gente.
—Soy forastero en Madrid.
—¡Oh! Pasaron aquellos tiempos de gloria —exclamó don Patricio
con lágrimas en los ojos, y declamando con cierto énfasis que no
cuadraba mal a su hueca voz y alta figura—. ¡Todo ha caído, todo es
desolación, muerte y ruinas! Aquellos adalides de la libertad, que
arrancaron a la madre España de las garras del despotismo; aquellos
fieros leones matritenses, que con solo un resoplido de su augusta
cólera desbarataron a la Guardia real, ¿qué se hicieron? ¿Qué se hizo
de la elocuencia que relampagueaba tronando en los cafés, con luz y
estruendo sorprendentes? ¿Qué se hizo de aquellas ideas de
emancipación que inundaban de gozo nuestras corazones? Todo cayó
todo se desvaneció en tinieblas, como lumbre extinguida por la
corriente de las aguas. La oleada de fango frailesco ha venido
arrasándolo todo. ¿Quién la detendrá volviéndola a su inmundo
cauce? ¡Estamos perdidos! La patria muere ahogada en lodaza
repugnante y fétido. Los que vimos sus días gloriosos, cuando al son
de patrióticos himnos eran consagradas públicamente las ideas de
libertad y nos hacíamos todos libres, todos igualmente soberanos, los
recordamos como un sueño placentero que no volverá. Despertamos
en la abyección, y el peso y el rechinar de nuestras cadenas nos
indican que vivimos aún. Las iracundas patas del déspota nos
pisotean, y los frailes nos...
—Basta —gritó una formidable voz interrumpiendo bruscamente a
infeliz dómine—. Para sainete basta ya, señor Sarmiento. Si abusa
usted de la benignidad con que se le toleran sus peroratas en atención
al estado de su cabeza, nos veremos obligados a retirarle las licencias
Esto no se puede resistir. Si los desocupados de Madrid le consienten
a usted que vaya de esquina en esquina y de grupo en grupo
divirtiéndoles con sus necedades y reuniendo tras de sí a los chicos
yo no permito que con pretexto de locura o idiotismo se insulte a
orden político que felizmente nos rige...
—¡Ah, señor Garrote, señor Garrote! —dijo Sarmiento moviendo
tristemente la cabeza y sacudiendo menudas gotas de agua sobre los
circunstantes—. Vuecencia me tapa la boca, que es el único desahogo
de mi alma abrasada... Callaré; pero deme vuecencia nuevas de m
hijo, aunque sean nuevas de su muerte.
Garrote encogió los hombros y ofreció una silla al pobre hombre
que, despreciando el asiento, juzgó más eficaz contra la humedad y e
fresco pasearse de un rincón a otro del cobertizo, dando fuertes
patadas y girando rápidamente, como veleta, al dar las vueltas. Los
demás militares y paisanos armados no ocultaban su regocijo ante la
grotesca figura y ditirámbico estilo del anciano, y cada cual imaginaba
un tema de burla con que zaherirle, mortificándole también en su
persona. Este le decía que Su Majestad pensaba nombrarle ministro
de Estado y llavero del reino; aquel que un ejército de carbonarios
venía por la frontera derecho a restablecer la Constitución; uno le
ponía una banqueta delante para que al pasar tropezase y cayese
otro le disparaba con cerbatana un garbanzo haciendo blanco en e
cogote o la nariz. Pero Sarmiento, atento a cosas más graves que
aquel juego importuno, hijo de un sentimiento grosero y vil, no hacía
caso de nada, y solo contestaba con monosílabos, o llevándose la
mano a la parte dolorida.
 Había pasado más de un cuarto de hora en este indigno ejercicio
cuando de la venta salió un hombre pequeño, doblado, de mezquina
arquitectura, semejante a la de esos edificios bajos y sólidos que no
tienen por objeto la gallarda expresión de un ideal, sino simplemente
servir para cualquier objeto terrestre y positivo. Siendo posible la
comparación de las personas con las obras de arquitectura, y
habiendo quien se asemeja a una torre gótica, a un palacio señorial, a
un minarete árabe, puede decirse de aquel hombre que parecía una
cárcel. Con su musculatura de cal y canto se avenía maravillosamente
una como falta de luces, rasgo misterioso o inexplicable de su
semblante, que a pesar de tener cuanto corresponde al humano
frontispicio, parecía una fachada sin ventanas. Y no eran pequeños
sus ojos ciertamente, ni dejaban de ver con claridad cuanto enfrente
tenían; pero ello es que mirándole no se podía menos de decir: «¡Qué
cara tan oscura!».
Su fisonomía no expresaba cosa alguna, como no fuera una calma
torva, una especie de acecho pacienzudo. Y a pesar de esto no era
feo, ni sus correctas facciones habrían formado mal conjunto s
estuvieran de otra manera combinadas. Tales o cuales cejas, boca o
narices más o menos distantes de la perfección, pueden ser de
agradable visualidad o de horrible aspecto, según cual sea la
misteriosa conexión que forma con ellas una cara. La de aquel hombre
que allí se apareció era ferozmente antipática. Siempre que vemos po
primera vez a una persona, tratamos, sin darnos cuenta de nuestra
investigación, de escudriñar su espíritu y conocer por el mirar, por la
actitud, por la palabra, lo que piensa y desea. Rara vez dejamos de
enriquecer nuestro archivo psicológico con una averiguación preciosa
Pero enfrente de aquel sótano humano el observador se aturdía
diciendo: «Está tan lóbrego que no veo nada».
Vestía de paisano con cierto esmero, y todas cuantas armas
portátiles se conocen llevábalas él sobre sí, lo cual indicaba que era
voluntario realista. Fusil sostenido a la espalda con tirante, sable
machete, bayoneta, pistolas en el cinto, hacían de él una armería en
toda regla. Calzaba botas marciales con espuelas, a pesar de no se
de a caballo; mas este accesorio solían adoptarlo cariñosamente todos
los militares improvisados de uno y otro bando. Chupaba un cigarrillo
y a ratos se pasaba la mano por la cara, afeitada como la de un fraile
pero su habitual resabio nervioso (estos resabios son muy comunes en
el organismo humano) consistía en estar casi siempre moviendo las
mandíbulas como si rumiara o mascullase alguna cosa. Su nombre de
pila era Francisco Romo.
Don Patricio, luego que le vio, llegose a él y le dijo:
—¡Ah, señor Romo! ¡Cuánto me alegro de verlo! Aquí estoy po
sexta vez buscando noticias de mi hijo.
—¿Qué sabemos nosotros de tu hijo ni del hijo del Zancarrón?
Papá Sarmiento, tú estás en Babia... No tardarás mucho en ir a
Nuncio de Toledo... Ven acá, estafermo —al decir esto le tomaba po
un brazo y le llevaba al interior de la venta que servía de cuerpo de
guardia—, ven acá y sirve de algo.
—¿En qué puedo servir al señor Romo? Diga lo que quiera con ta
que no me pida nada de que resulte un bien al absolutismo.
—Es cosa mía —dijo Romo hablando en voz baja y retirándose con
Sarmiento a un rincón donde no pudieran ser oídos—. Tú, aunque
loco, eres hombre capaz de llevar un recado y ser discreto.
—Un recado... ¿a quién?
—A Elenita, la hija de don Benigno Cordero, que vive en tu misma
casa, ¿eh? Me parece que no te vendrán mal tres o cuatro reales..
Este saco de huesos está pidiendo carne. ¿Cuántas horas hace que
no has comido?
—Ya he perdido la cuenta —repuso el preceptor con afligidísimo
semblante, mientras un lagrimón como garbanzo corría por su mejilla.
—Pues bien, carcamal: aquí tienes una peseta. Es para ti si llevas a
la señorita doña Elena...
—¿Qué?
—Esta carta —dijo Romo mostrando una esquela doblada en pico.
—¡Una carta amorosa! —exclamó Sarmiento ruborizándose—
Señor Romo de mis pecados, ¿por quién me toma usted?
El tono de dignidad ofendida con que hablara Sarmiento, irritó de ta
modo al voluntario realista que, empujando brutalmente al anciano, le
vituperó de este modo:
—¡Dromedario! ¿Qué tienes que decir?... Sí, una carta amorosa. ¿Y
qué?
—Que usted es un simple si me toma por alcahuete —dijo don
Patricio con severo acento—. Guarde usted su peseta, y yo me
guardaré mi gana de comer. ¡Por vida de la chilindraina! No faltan
almas caritativas que hagan limosnas sin humillarnos...
 Inflamado en vivísima cólera el voluntario, y sin hallar otras razones
para expresarla que un furibundo terno, descargó sobre el pobre
maestro aburrido uno de esos pescozones de catapulta que abaten de
un golpe las más poderosas naturalezas, y dejándole tendido en tierra
magullados y acardenalados el hocico y la frente, salió del cuerpo de
guardia.
A don Patricio le levantaron casi exánime, y su destartalado cuerpo
se fue estirando poco a poco en la postura vertical, restallándole las
coyunturas como clavijas mohosas. Se pasó la mano por la cara, y
dando un gran suspiro y elevando al cielo los ojos llorosos, exclamó
así con dolorido acento:
—¡Indigno abuso de la fuerza bruta, y de la impunidad que protege
a estos capigorrones!... Si otros fueran los tiempos, otras serían las
nueces... Pero los yunques se han vuelto martillos, y los martillos de
ayer son yunques ahora. ¡Rechilindrona! ¡Malditos sean los instantes
que he vivido después que murió aquella preciosa libertad!...
Y sucediendo la rabia al dolor, se aporreó la cabeza y se mordió los
puños. Habíanle abandonado los que antes le prestaran socorro
porque fuera se sentía gran ruido y salieron todos corriendo al camino
Don Patricio, coronándose dignamente con su sombrero, al cual se
empeñó en devolver su primitiva forma, salió también arrastrado por la
curiosidad.
 II

Era que venían por el camino de Andalucía varias carretas

precedidas y seguidas de gente de armas a pie y a caballo, y aunque
no se veían sino confusos bultos a lo lejos, oíase un son a manera de
quejido, el cual, si al principió pareció lamentaciones de seres
humanos, luego se comprendió provenía del eje de un carro que
chillaba por falta de unto. Aquel áspero lamento, unido a la algazara
que hizo de súbito la mucha gente salida de los paradores y ventas
formaba lúgubre concierto, más lúgubre aún a causa de la tristeza de
la noche. Cuando los carros estuvieron cerca, una voz acatarrada y
becerril gritó: «¡Vivan las caenas! ¡Viva el rey absoluto y muera la
nación!». Respondiole un bramido infernal, como si a una rompieran a
gritar todas las cóleras del averno, y al mismo tiempo la luz de las
hachas, prontamente encendidas, permitió ver las terribles figuras que
formaban procesión tan espantosa. Don Patricio, quizás el único
espectador enemigo de semejante espectáculo, sintió los escalofríos
del terror y una angustia mortal que le retuvo inmóvil y casi sin
respiración por algún tiempo.
Los que custodiaban el convoy y los paisanos que le seguían po
entusiasmo absolutista, estaban manchados de fango hasta los ojos
Algunos traían pañizuelo en la cabeza, otros sombrero ancho; muchos
con el desgreñado cabello al aire, roncos, mojados de pies a cabeza
frenéticos, tocados de una borrachera singular que no se sabe si era
de vino o de venganza, brincaban sobre los baches, agitando un girón
con letras, una bota escuálida o un guitarrillo sin cuerdas. Era una
horrenda mezcla de bacanal, entierro y marcha de triunfo. Oíanse
bandurrias desacordes, carcajadas, panderetazos, votos, ternos
kirieleisones, vivas y mueras, todo mezclado con el lenguaje carreteril
con patadas de animales (no todos cuadrúpedos) y con el cascabeleo
de las colleras. Cuando la caravana se detuvo ante el cuerpo de
guardia, aumentó el ruido. La tropa formó al punto, y una nueva
aclamación al rey neto alborotó los caseríos. Salieron mujeres a las
ventanas, candil en mano, y la multitud se precipitó sobre los carros.
Eran estos galeras comunes con cobertizo de cañas y cama hecha
de pellejos y sacos vacíos. En el delantero venían tres hombres, dos
de ellos armados, sanos y alegres, el tercero enfermo y herido
reclinado doloridamente sobre el camastrón, con grillos en los pies y
una larga cadena que, prendida en la cintura y en una de las muñecas
se enroscaba junto al cuerpo como una culebra. Tenía vendada la
cabeza con un lienzo teñido de sangre, y era su rostro amarillo como
vela de entierro. Le temblaban las carnes, a pesar de disfrutar de
abrigo de una manta, y sus ojos extraviados, así como su anhelante
respiración, anunciaban un estado febril y congojoso. Cuando e
coronel Garrote se acercó al carro, y alzando la linterna que en la
mano traía, miró con vivísima curiosidad al preso, este dijo a media
voz:
—¿Estamos ya en Madrid?
Sin hacer caso de la pregunta, Garrote, cuyo semblante expresaba
el goce de una gran curiosidad satisfecha, dijo:
—¿Conque es usted...?
Uno de los hombres armados que custodiaban al preso en el carro
añadió:
—El héroe de las Cabezas.
Y junto al carro sonó este grito de horrible mofa:
—¡Viva Riego!
Garrote se empeñó en apartar a la gente que rodeaba el carro
apiñándose para ver mejor al preso e insultarle más de cerca.
Un hombre alargó el brazo negro, y tocando con su puño cerrado e
cuello del enfermo, gritó:
—¡Ladrón, ahora las pagarás!
El desgraciado general se recostó en su lecho de sacos, y callaba
aunque harto claramente imploraban compasión sus ojos.
—Fuera de aquí. Señores, a un lado —dijo Garrote, aclarando con
suavidad el grupo de curiosos—. Ya tendrán tiempo de verle a sus
anchas...
—Dicen que la horca será la más alta que se ha visto en Madrid —
indicó uno.
 —Y que se venderán los asientos en la plaza, como en la de toros.
—Pero déjennoslo ver..., por amor de Dios. Si no nos lo comemos
señor coronel —gruñó una dama del parador cercano.
—¡Si no puede con su alma...! ¿Y ese hombre ha revuelto medio
mundo? Que me lo vengan a decir...
—¡Qué facha! ¿Y dicen que este es Riego?... ¡Qué bobería!... S
parece un sacristán que se ha caído de la torre cuando estaba tocando
a muerto...
—Este es tan Riego como yo.
—Os digo que es el mismo. Le vi yo en el teatro cantando el himno.
—El mismo es. Tiene el mismo parecido del retrato que paseaban
por Platerías.
Hasta aquí las mortificaciones fueron de palabra. Pero un grupo de
hombres que habían salido al encuentro de los carros, una gavilla
mitad armada, mitad desnuda, desarrapada, borracha, tan llena de
rabia y cieno que parecía creación espantosa del lodo de los caminos
de la hez de las tinajas y de la nauseabunda atmósfera de los
presidios, un pedazo de populacho, de esos que desgarrándose se
separan del cuerpo de la nación soberana para correr solo
manchando y envileciendo cuanto toca, empezó a gritar con el gruñido
de la cobardía que se finge valiente fiando en la impunidad:
—¡Que nos lo den; que nos entreguen a ese pillo, y nosotros le
ajustaremos la cuenta!
—Señores —dijo Garrote con energía—, atrás; atrás todo el mundo
El preso va a entrar en Madrid.
—Nosotros le llevaremos.
—Atrás todo el mundo.
Y los pocos soldados que allí había, auxiliados con tibieza por los
voluntarios realistas, apartaban a la gente.
Unos corrieron a curiosear en los carros que venían detrás, y otros
se metieron en la venta, donde sonaban seguidillas, castañuelas
desaforados gritos y chillidos. Un cuero de vino, roto por los golpes y
patadas que recibiera, dejaba salir el rojo líquido, y el suelo de la venta
parecía inundado de sangre. Algunos carreteros sedientos se habían
arrojado al suelo y bebían en el arroyo tinto; los que llegaron más tarde
apuraban lo que había en los huecos del empedrado, y los chicos
lamían las piedras fuera de la venta, a riesgo de ser atropellados po
las mulas desenganchadas que iban de la calle a la cuadra, o del tiro
al abrevadero. Poco después veíanse hombres que parecían
degollados con vida, carniceros o verdugos que se hubieran bañado
en la sangre de sus víctimas. El vino, mezclado al barro y tiñendo las
ropas que ya no tenían color, acababa de dar al cuadro en cada una
de sus figuras un tono crudo de matadero, horriblemente repulsivo a la
vista.
Y a la luz de las hachas de viento y de las linternas, las caras
aumentaban en ferocidad, dibujándose más claramente en ellas la risa
entre carnavalesca y fúnebre que formaba el sentido, digámoslo así
de tan extraño cuadro. Como no había cesado de llover, el piso
inundado era como un turbio espejo de lodo y basura, en cuyo crista
se reflejaban los hombres rojos, las rojas teas, las bayonetas bruñidas
las ruedas cubiertas de tierra, los carros, las flacas mulas, las
haraposas mujeres, el ir y venir, la oscilación de las linternas y hasta e
barullo, los relinchos de brutos y hombres, la embriaguez inmunda, y
por último, aquella atmósfera encendida, espesa, suciamente
brumosa, formada por los alientos de la venganza, de la rusticidad y
de la miseria.
En el segundo carro estaban presos también y heridos los
compañeros de Riego, a saber: el capitán don Mariano Bayo, e
teniente coronel piamontés Virginio Vicenti y el inglés Jorge Matías
Don Patricio Sarmiento, que no se atrevió a acercarse al primer carro
se detuvo breve rato junto al segundo, pasó indiferente por el tercero
donde solo venían sacos y un guerrillero con su mujer, y se dirigió a
cuarto, llamado por una voz débil que claramente dijo:
—Señor don Patricio de mi alma... ¡Bendito sea Dios que me
permite verle!
—¡Pujitos!... ¡Pujitos mío!... —exclamó Sarmiento extendiendo sus
brazos dentro del carro—. ¿Eres tú?... Sí, tú mismo... Dime, ¿estás
herido? Por lo visto, también vienes preso.
—Sí señor —repuso el maestro de obra prima—; herido y preso
estoy... Diga usted, ¿nos ahorcarán?
—¿Pues eso quién lo duda?
—¡Infeliz de mí!... Vea usted los lodos en que han venido a para
aquellos polvos. Bien me lo decía mi mujer... Señor don Patricio, al que
está como yo medio muerto de un bayonetazo en la barriga, deberían
dejarle en manos de Dios para que se lo llevase cuando a su Divina
Majestad le diese la gana, ¿no es verdad?