Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-16
The Evidence Shows that the Sailors
We're Not to Blame.
Public Feeling SO High that the Asssil-
ants Cannot be Brought into
Court-Particulars of the
Bloody Array.
Associated Press Dispatches.

Gay, ana were fulIy lQent1peQ ab tue
persons who committed the assault on
the sailors from the Charleston yester-
day.
The evidence produced by the prose-
cutting attorney shows that the sailors
were on their way to the ship at the
time the assault was made upon them,
having already secured boatman to
ferry them over. -
Deputy Webb, one of the assaulting
party, has not been found. tits surmised
that he and Gillespie, a bystander who
assisted the deputies, have crossed the
Mexican line.
The inquest is being held in the su.
perior court room, which was crowded
today. The prisoners were not brought
strong against them that trouble was
will be reached tomorrow.
Popular feeling runs high against the
officers who took part in the tragedy.
Crowds gathered on the streets un til
midnight, last night, but no violence
was done.
The wounded sailors, five in mum Der,
are improving. One whose life was des-
paired OF, will recover. The autopsy
on the body of the dead sailor, Joseph
Brown revealed the fact that death was
caused by his being beat over the head
with club or some other instrument
producing concussion of the brain.
MISLEADING STATEMENT.
A portion of the news from San
Diego concerning the riot is misleading.
The statement that the arresting officers
were deputy United States marshals is
unquestionably a mistake. All the
federal officers in this city deny that
Marshal Gard, or any one acting with
authority deputed by him, had any
thing to do with the affair. The mar
shall himself emphatically stated to q
HERALD representative, Tuesday night,
that he knew nothing whatever OF the
matter, and that he deputized nc. one to
make the arrests. His only authorized
deputy at San Diego is Chief of Police
Crawford. Deputy Tarble of this city
is there temporarily, but neither he
nor Captain Crawford are accused of
having hand in the disgraceful doings.
When the matter is sifted to the bot
tom 1t will be found that Breedlove and
his assistants had no authority except
as citizens. As such they had right
to take the men, if deserters, and claim
the reward, but this fact will hardly
excuse their brutal assault on the sail-
ors with deadly weapons.
PARTICULARS OF THE FIGHT.
The San Diego Union, in its account Of
the melee, gives the following particu-
lars, also making the erroneous state
ment that the assailants were deputy
United States marshals:
"a number of the Charleston's sailors
had overstayed their time on shore and
reward of $40 each was offered for their
return. This amount is deducted from
the mems pay, and they are denied their
liberty on shore for ninety days as fur
ther punishment. A description of the
men was sent to the chief of police but
he refused to have anything to do with
the case as the men were behaving
ordinance and the mayor had ex-
anything to do With it. United
States Marshal Gard was here at the
time and Chief Crawford turned over the
list to him. The marshal then depu-
tized Breedlove and w. W. Webb to
take the men aboard and receive the $40
reward for each arrest as their pay.
These officers, armed with the authority
of the United States, started out to cor
raj the blue jackets, who were enjoying
themselves on shore after two and
three months stay on ship board. Mon
day afternoon they found four of them
in a Fifth-street saloon and attempted
to escort them on board. The men,
however, were averse to going, and Dep
uty Marshal Breedlove came up town
for help. While he was gone the sail
ors went down to the Santa Fe
wharf, procured. a boat and went
aboard their ship. They were
followed by Deputy Webb, who
claimed the reward, but failed to
get it. Yesterday morning there were
eight or ten of the blue jackets re-
ported on shore over time, and the Off
GERS again started out to earn the reward
and found two OF the men in saloon on
Fifth street, betweet l and ] streets.
They attempted to take the men, who
resisted, and in few moments a lively
fight was in progress, in which the Off
GERS used their clubs freely. A half
dazen blue Jackets came running up to
the relief of their shipmates, and Officer
Breedlove again left the field to secure
reinforcements. He soon returned with
posse composed of Tell Grether, Teter
Gurrie, Charles Wilson, Dan Menden-
hall and A. M. Coats. These men had
been armed with clubs, and on their ar
rival they found the blue jackets in pos
session of the field and not at all dis
posed to retreat.
At IL clock (noon) the officers charged
in full force, and what followed cannot
be well described. The air was full OF
clubs, and it was first the officers and then
the sailors, and vice versa, until the COM
batants mutually separated from ex-
haustion. The sailors had captured the
majority OF the officers clubs, several
pairs Of handouts, and, it is said, one or
two revolvers. They retired to the Silver