Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-01-28

primary way, precisely as II It's minister or con
sui or the nag itself had been the object OF the
same character Of assault The officers and
sailors Of the Baltimore were in tho hafbor Of
Valparaiso under the orders Of their govern
ment, not by their own choice
They were upon the shore by the implied In.
vitation Of the government Of Chill and with the
approval Of their commanding onnceri and II
docs not distinguish their case from that OF q
consul that his stav Is more permanent or that
he holds the express invitation Of the local gov
eminent 10 Justify his long residence. Nor does
IL AFFECT the question that the injury was tho
act Of mob. II there had been no participa'
ton by the police or military in ihis cruel work
and no neglect on their part to extend protec-
! ton the case would still be, In my opinion,
when its extent and character are considered
involving international rights. The incidents OF
the AFFAIR arc briefly as follows;
On the 18th Of October last Capt Schley,
commanding the United States steamer Dalu.
more, gave shore leave TO III petty offlcers and
sailors OF his ship. These men left the ship
about ii00 p, m. No incident Of violence &C.
cured none Of our men were arrested; no com
plant was lodged against them nor did sny
collision or outbreak occur until about o'clock
p m Capt. Schlcy states that he was the nrst
on shore and on the streets OF the city until
$50 p m that he met very many Of his men
who were on leavei that they were sober and
were conducting themselves with propricty,
saluting Chilian and other officers as they met
them.
Other ofncers Of the ship and Capt. jenkins,
Of the merchant ship ifewccnaw, corroboraio
Capt. schley a. to the general sobrcty and
good behavior Of our men. The sisters OF char
ity at the hospital to which our wounded men
were taken, when inquired OF. state they were
sober when received. II the situation had been
otherwise We must believe that tho
Gillian police authorities would have made or.
rests. At6p. m. the assault begun and IL IL re.
morkabc that the investigation by the judge
Of crimes, though so protractcd, does not en-
able him TO give any more satisfactory account
Of its origin than Ia found IN the statement thnt
Il began between drunken sailors. Repeatedly
in tho correspondence, II Is asserted that II was
impossible 10 learn tho precise cause Of the
riot. The minister Of foreign Affairs, Malta, IN
his telegram TO Mont under date December
~, states that tho quarrel began he
tween two suilors in o tavern and was
continued IN the street, persons who were pass.
ing joining IN H. The testimony OF Talbot, an
apprentice, who was with Riggin, il that tho
outbreak In which they were involved began by
Gillian sailor splitting In tho f'rc Of Talbot,
which was resented by u knock down, II ap.
pears that Rrgin and Talbot were at the time
unaccomponied by others Of their shipmatcs
These two men were Immediately besot by
crowd OF Chilian citizens and sailors, through
which they broke their way 10 q street car and
entered II for safety. They were pursued driven
from tho car, and RgRin was so seriously
beaten that he fell In tho street apparently dead,
There IL nothing In the reports Of Gillian In.
vcstgatiOn made to us that seriously i'm
peaches this testimony. IL appears from chill
ian sourcea that almost instantly, with sud
donnees that strongly implies meditation and
preparation, mob, stated by the police au.
thorites at one time to number 1900 AMI Mt
another, 1000 was engaged In the assault upon
Our sailors, who are represented ns resisting
with stones, clubs and bright arms Tho re-
port Of the intendento Of October states that
tho fight began at q y. m. IN three streets which
named that infnrfnutin m urna received "A tho
intendencia at 6:lb, and that the police arrived
on the scene Mt $50 q full half hour after tho as
Hault began. AZ that time he says that q mob
of2-oo0 men had collected and that for several
squares there was the appearance Of real
battlefield"
The scene at this point Is very graphically set
before us by the Chilinn testimony The Amer
lean sailors who after so long an oxamnatio
hive not been found guilty Of any breach of the
peace, so far ~ the Gillian authorities are able
to discover, unarmed aud defenseless, are flee
Ing for their lives, pursued by overwhelming
numbers and fighting only TO aid their own
escape from death or TO succor some man whose
life Is in greater peril
Eighteen Of them are brutality stabbed and
beaten while ono CHILEAN seems, from the re-
port, TO have suffered some INJURY but how
serious or with what character OF weapon, or
whether by u missile thrown by our men or by
some Of his fellow rioters, Is unascertained
The pretense that our men were lighting
WIN Ntonctt Cluus DrlRht arms IN view OF
these facts IL incredible. II IN further refutcd
by the fact that our prisoners when
searched were absolutely without arms, only
seven penkniyes being found In the posses.
sion OF the men arrested, while there were re-
coived by our men more than thirty stab
wounds every one Of which were inflicted IN
tho back and almost every confused wound was
in the back or back Of the head. The evidence
Of the ships ofncer Of the day is that even the
laokknives Of the men were taken before leaving
tho ship.
As to the brutal nature Of the treatment re.
eeived by our men the following extract from
the account given of the affair by the Ia patrlA
newspaper Of Valparaiso OF October II, cannot
be regarded too gravely.
THE Yankees, as soon an their pursuers gave
chase, went by way OF the Gala del Arsenal
towards the city car station. In the presence
OF an ordinary number OF citizens, among
whom were some sailors, the North Amer.
leans took seats In the street car 10 escape
from the stones which the Chilians throw AT
them II Was believed for on instont that the
North Americans had saved themselves from
popular fury, but such was not the case
Scarcely had the car begun 10 move when q
crowd gathered around to stop Us progress
Under these circumstances and without any
cessation Of the bowling and throwing of
stones at the North Americans, the conductor
entered the car and, seeing the risk Of the sit.
uation 20 tho vehicle, told them 10 got out At
the instant the sailors left the car came a
shower Of stones, the conductor receiving n
stone blow on the head, One Of the Yankee
sailors managed to escape in the direction Of
the Plaza Helrght, but the other was fclled TO
the ground by stone Managing TO raise him.
self from the ground where he lay be staggered
In an opposite direction from the station. In
front OF the house Of Senior Mazzlni he was again
wounded"
No amount Of evasion or subtcriugc is able 10
cloud our vision Of this brutal work II should
be noticed In this connection, that the Ameri-
can sailors arrested, after Rn examination,
were, during the four days following the arrests,
every one discharged, no charge or any breach
OF the peace or other criminal conduct hay
ing been sustained against single one Of
them The Judge OF crimes, Foster, In n note to
the iniendente under date OF October -, before
the dispatch from this government NJ the follow.
ing day aroused the authorities OF Chill to q bet.
ter sense OF the gravity Of the AFFAIR, says:
Having presided temporarily over this court
In regard TO tho seamen OF the United States
, cruiser Baltimore who have been tried on ne.
count Of doploiAble conduct which took place,
etc.
Tho noticeable points here nre that every
sailor had been tried before the ed Of October
and that the trial resulted IN the acquitial and
return to their vessel II is quite rema rlSablo
and quite Characteristic OF the management OF
this a1air by the Gillian police authorities that
We should now be advised that Seaman David.
son, Of the Baltimore, had been included IN tho
indictment his offonse being, so far as have
been able to ascertain, that he attempted TO dc.
fend a shipmate against an assailant who was
striking him with a knife, The perfect vindica-
ton Of our men IA furnished by this report; one
only is found 10 have been guilty Of criminal
, fault, and that for an oct clearly iustihable
As 70 the part taken by the police in tho
; anair the case made by Chit Is also far from