The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-26
the popular feeling that at one tirno 90
threatened the legation as to require Egan
ATTACK ON AMERICAN SAILORS
Tho Most Serious of Series Of Annoying
Insults.

ATTACK ON AMERICAN SAILORS
Tho Most Serious of Series OF Annoying
Insults.
But the most serious incident discloscd
by the correspondence was that Of the at
tack ON the sailors OF the Baltimore in trA
port Of Valparaiso O.t. 18. In my annuM
| message, speaking upon information tLlA
in my possession, said so far as ! hal
| been able to learn no other explanation OF
| this bloody work had been suggested than
that it had its origin In hostility to theso
men as sailors OF the United States, wear
not in any individual act or personal AMI
mostly. We have now received from the
| Chilian government an abstract from tho
conclusions of the fiscal general upon the
testimony taken by the judge OF crimes in
an investigation, and which extended over
nearly three months. very much
regret to be compelled to say that this re-
| port does not enable me to modify the
conclusion announced in my annual meg
sage. am still OF the opinion that our
and killed, not for anything they or any
ono OF them had done, but for what the
government of the United States had done,
or was charged with having done, by it's
civil officers and naval commanders. IL
that be the true aspect of the case. tho in
jury was to the government of tho United
States, not these poor sailors who were as
saulted in manner 80 brutal and COW
ardly.
/ Before attempting to give an outl inc Of
think it right to say word or two upon
the legal aspect of the cnRe. The Ralti-
more was in tho harbor. Of Valparaiso BY
virtue of the general invitation which
other powers with which they have friendly
relations This invitation, think, must be
held ordinarily to embrace the privilege Of
such communication with the shore Us is
reasonably necessary and proper for the
comfort and convenience of the officers ard
men of such vessels. Captain Schley tes-
titles that when his vessel returned to Val
paraiso, Sept. II. the city officers, as 10
customary. extended the hospitalites of
city to his officers and crew. 1t is
lision or injury in which the sailors
or officers of such naval vessels visiting the
shore may be involved, raises an intarna.
tional question: but am clearly OF opinion
that where such sailors or officers are as
saulted BY a resident populace animated By
hostility to the government whose uniform
these sailors and officers wear, and in re-
sentiment of acts done BY their government,
not by them, their nation must take notice
of the event as one involving an infraction
of it's rights and dignity. not in secondary
way, as where citizen is injured and pre-
sents his claim through his own govern
ment, but in primary way, precisely as II
its minister or the consular flag itself had
been the object Of the same character Of
assault. 5s
The officers and sailors Of the Baltimore
were in the harbor Of Valparaiso under
4 orders OF their government, not by their
own choice. They we're upon shore by the
implied invitation of the government Of
Chilli. with the approval OF their COM
manding officers, and it does not distinguish
their case from that of the consul that his
stay is more permanent or that he holds
the express invitation of the local govern
does it affect the question that the injury
was the act Of a mob. II there had been
no participation of the police or militia in
this cruel work. and no neglect on their
part to extend protection, the case would
still be one. i'll my opinion. when it's extent
and character are considered, involving
international rights.
The president then tells the story of the
attack on the sailors of the Baltimore as
related in the testimony of Capt. Schley
and Others at the investigation. showing
that the sailors were sober and behaving
themselves, evidenced further by the fact
that the Chilian police made no arrests,
and says the remarkably protracted invest
igation of the judge of crimes did not en-
able him to assign any more satisfactory
quarrel between drunken sailors. He then
quotes the testimony of Apprentice Talbot
that the trouble originated in Chilian
sailor splitting in Talbott's face. for which
a general attack on Talbot and Kiggjn,
with results already known.
1 The president continues: There is moth
ing in the report of the Chilian investiga-
tion made to us that seriously impeachea
this testimony. 1t appears from Chilian
i sources that almost immediately, with q
4 suddenness that strongly implies medita-
i tion and preparation Il mob, stated by the
police authorities at one time that it num-
bered 1000, and at another 1000, engaged
in an assault upon the Sailors who are rep-
resented as replying with stones, clubs and
firearms The report of the intendente of
Oct. so, states that the fight began at 6 p.
m. in three streets, which are named; that
this information was received at the inten-
| dencia at GIG. and that the police arrived
the assault began. At that time, he says,
mob of 1000 men had collected, and
that for several squares there was
the appearance of battlefield. The
scene at the poinG is very graphically set
i before us by Chilian testimony. American
sailots. who, after 80 long an examination
have not been found guilty of any breach
of the peace, SO far as Chilian authorities
were able to discover, unarmed and de-
fenceless are fleeing for their lives, pur-
sued by overwhelming numbers anu light
/ ing only to gain their own escape from
death or succor some mate whose life is in
greater peril. Eighteen of them were bru-
tally stabbed and beaten, while one Chilian
seems, from the repo1t. to have suffered
some injury, but how serious or with what
character of weapon, or whether by missile
thrown by our men or by some Of his fell
low rioters, is unascertnined.
4 WITHOUT ARMS. s
The Baltimore's Men Had No weapons--
HRRN.s