Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-29
THE CHILEAN MASSACRE.
A NEW VERSION OF THE vALPA-
RAISo OUTRAGE.
A Graphic Account of the Assault on the
Baltimore's Men-Police Aided in and
Allotted the Whole Affair-The Blue
Jackets Brutally Murdered.

CHICAGO, Nov. 2S.-Probably the most
intelligent account yet received in this
country regarding the Chilean massacre
of the United States steamer Baltimore's g
men, reached here today in letter from
one of her officers, B. W. Wells, to his
father. Writing under date of October
Goth from Valparaiso, he told Of excit-
ing occurrences; he said the men had
no liberty since the middle of August
until the day of the massacre, and were
only granted it then after the captain
requested the police tc protect the men
in case Of any trouble on shore. The
men went ashore and strolled about
quietly and orderly. About O'Clock
the boatswain's mate, Riggin, one of the
best men in the crew, had words with a
Chilean sailor. Another of the Balti-
more's men came up and said some
thing, when the Chilean spat in his face
and was promptly knocked down. This
started row, and soon the two
men were surrounded by crowd
of Chilean sailors, ronghs and boatmen,
outnumbering them forty to one. Rig
gin was stabbed in the neck and sunk
to the ground. The other man, fearing
like fate, started to run, but was pur-
sued and stabbed in the back seven
times. Another man came along and
picked Riggin up to carry him away,
when squad of police fired. A bullet
passed through the shirt of the man
holding Riggin, and piercing the latter's
neck, lodged under the shoulder blade.
The other man, seeing the brutes load
ing agoin, dropped Riggin and ran.
The next heard, Riggin was seen in a
cart dying, while crowd of Chileans
applied epithets to him. He died in a
| short time. The Baltimore's officers
found people who could identify. the
| policemen who did the shooting.
About p. m. another man was
brought off, stabbed twice in the back,
one wound penetrating the lung. All
night bowling mob was after the Bal.
timore's sailors, caught them singly and
brutally beat and stabbed them. There
were a number in the hospital badly
wounded, when the letter was written
and the number who escaped with cuts
and bruises was large. In fact, as the
young officer says, the sick list the day
after the affair was bad enough for 9
regular battle. He expresses the ut
most indignation, saying the affair was
brutal and cowardly. He is sure oul
boys were set upon without warnings ,anc
says. "Don't lose sight of the fact tha
Riggin was shot by a policeman while
dying from stab wound"
Several other men. while running tx
save their lives, were cut a. by officer
with swords. Men were held up an(
robbed in broad daylight in the streets
of Valparaiso, and one Of the Baltimore''
officers walking down to the landing
was spit at. Besides all these there
were dozen other things, such as spit
ting at the flags of the Baltimore's boa
while at the landing, kicking the mel
in the boats, etc. The night OF th'
fight one man was so hard pressed tina
he jumped of the landing, and stone
were thrown at him while he was in th'
water. A boat from an American mer
chant ship tried to pick him up, bu
was driven back.
The young officer adds that from al
reports the police abetted the Who'll
affair.