The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-11-29
COWARDLY ATTACK
Story Of the Assault on the Balti.
mOre's Sailors.
ONE OF THE OFFICERS TELLS 1T
Riggin Was Strolling Along the Streets, When
Gillian Picked Quarrel With Him
He Was Stabbed Seven Times.

r CHICAGO, Nov. 2S.-Probably the most
intelligent and consecutive account yet re-
ceived in this country regarding the Chilli
an massacre of the United States steam
ship Baltimore's men reached here to-day
in letter from one of her officers, B. w.
Wells, to his father, writing under date OF
October 20, from Valparaiso
HE TOLD OF THE EXCITING OCCURRENCES.
He said the men had had no liberty since the
middle of August until the day of the mas
sacre and were only granted it then after
the captain requested the police
to protect the men in case of any
trouble on shore The men went
ashore and strolled about quiet and order
ly. About o'clock Boatswains Mate Rig
gen, one OF The best men in the crew, had
words with a Gillian sailor. Another of
the Baltimores mon came up and said
something when the CHILEAN spat in his
face and he was promptly knocked down.
This started row and soon the two men
were surrounded by crowd of Gillian
sailors, roughs and boatmen, outnumber
ing them forty to one. higgins was
stabbed and sank to the ground. The
other man, fearing like fate started to
run DuL was pursued ana
STABBED IN THE BACK SEVEN TIMES.
Another man came along and picked Rig
gin up TO carry HIM away, when squad Of
police fired and bullet passed through the
shirt of the man holding Riggin and, pierre
ing the latter's neck lodged under the
shoulder blade. The other man, seeing the
brutes loading again, dropped Riggin and
ran. The next heard of Riggin he was
seen in cart, dying, while tue crowd of
Chilians applied epithets He died in a
short time The Baltimores officers found
people who could identify the policeman
who did the shooting.
About z p. N. another man was brought
off, stabbed twice in the back, one wound
penetrating the lung. All night the howl
ing mob were after the Baltimore's sailors,
caught them singly and brutally beat and
stabbed them. There were a number in
the hospital badly wounded when the let
ter was written and a number who escaped
with slight cuts and bruises. In fact. as
the young officer said, the sick list the day
after was
BAD ENOUGH FOR 4 REGULAR BATTLE.
He expressed the utmost indignatiops say
ing the affair was brutal and cowardly.
He is sure our boys were set upon without
warning, and says Don't lose sight OF
the fact that Riggin was shot by police.
man while dying from stab wound"
Several other men while running to save
their lives were cut at by officers with
swords. Men were held up and robbed in
broad day light in the streets of Valparaiso,
and one of the Baltimore's officers walking
down to the landing was spat at. Besides
all this there are dozen other things, such
as splitting at the flags of the Baltimore's
Doat while it was at the landing, kicking
the men in the boats, etc. The night OF
the fight one man was SO hard pressed he
jumped off the landing and stones were
thrown at him while he was in the water
When boat from an American merchant
ship tried to pick him up it was driver
all reports the police abetted the whole
affair