The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-02-05

! NNNM A/S
MINISTER EGAN
itself in insulting slurs towards our men as
| they passed the Gillian man-of-war in the
| boats and in the derisive and abusive epithets
with which they greeted every appearance OF
an American sailor of the evening OF the riot.
Capt. Schley reports that boats from the Gillian
| warships several times went out of their course
| TO cross the bows of his boats, compelling them
| 10 backwater. He complained of the discourtesy
| and it was corrected.
| That this feeling was shared by men Of higher
| rank is shown by an incident related by Sur
geOn Stitt, of the Baltimore. After the battle
| Of Placilla, he, with other medical officers Of
the war vessels in the harbor, was giving yOiun-
| tary assistance TO the wounded in the hospitals
| The son of a Chilian army officer of high rank
was under his care and when the father
| discovered it he flew into a passion and
said he would rather have his son die than have
Americans touch him, and at once had him re
moved from the ward. This feeling is not well
concealed in the dispatches of the foreign Office
and had quite open expression in the disre
spectful treatment of the American legation
The Gillian bOatmen in the bay refused,
even for large offers of money, to return
our sailors who crowded the mole to their ship
when they were endeavoring to escape from the
city on the night Of the assault. The market
even quite recently the gig OF Commander Evans,
of the Yorktown, was stoned while waiting for
him at the mole
The evidence of the sailors clearly shows that
the attack was expected by the Chilian people,
that threats had been made against our ISen,
and that in one case somewhat early in the
afternoon the keeper OF one house in which
some of our men had gone closed his establish
ment in anticipation of attack which he ssi-
vised them would be made OF them as darkness
came on.
In a report of Capt Schley 20 the navy depart
ment he says: "Iu the only interview which
had with Judge Foster, who is investigating
the case relative TO the disturbance before he
was aware OF the entire gravity of the
matter, he informed me thBt the assault
upon my men was the outcome OF hatred for
our people among the lower classes because
they thought we had sympathiZed with the Bal
maceda government on account of the Itata
matter, whether with reason or without, he
could OF course not admit, but SUCK he thought,
was the explanation of the assault at that time.
Several OF our men sought secusity from the
mob by such complete or partial changes in
their dress as would conceal the fact OF their
being seamen GS the Baltimore and found ii
then possible 20 walk the streets. without mo-
lestation" These incidents conclusiyely estab-
lish that the attack was upon the uniforms
the nationality s1d not upon the mon
The origin OF vhis feeling was probably found
in the refusal OF this government to give recog-
milton to the congressional party before IL had
established Itself IN the seizure of tihe Itata for
an alleged violation of the neutrality laws, in
the cable inf;deus. and in the charge nat Adm.
Brown conveyed information TO ValaQaEaiso of
the landing ~ Quintero. II is not
my purpose to enter here any defense
OF the action Of this government on
these matters 1t is enough for the present pur
pose TO say that il there was breach;of interna-
tional comfy or 6ty on our part, it should have
been made the subject of official complaint
through diplomatic channels or OF re prisals for
which full responsibility was, assumed.
We cannot consent that these incidents
and these peryerSions of tts truth
shall be used to excite a I7crderous
attack upon our unofending sailors and the
government o. Chilli go acquit OF a response
oility. In fact the conduct Of this g1gernment
during the war in Chilli pursued those lines OF
international duty which We had sa strongly
insisted upon on the part OF other nations
when this country was in the throes OF q civil
conflict. We continued the established diplo-
uIatie relations with the government in power
until il was overthrown, and promptly and
cordially recognized the new gaSernment
when ii was established The good offices of
the government were offered to bring about
peaceful adjustment, and the interposition of
Mr.. Egan TO mitigate seventies and 70 shelter
adherentS to its congressional party were ef-
fective and frequent. The charge against
Adm. Brown IS too base TO gain creAence with
anyone who knows his high personal character.
Recurring TO the evidence Of our sailors, I
think it is shown that there were several dis
tinct assaults and so nearly simultaneous as to
show that they did not spread FROM one point.
4 press summary OF the report fiscal shows that
the evidence of the Chilian officials and others
was in conflict TO the place OF origin. several
places being named by different witnesses as to
-rtlar Tna first
This if correctly reported, shows that there
were several distinct outbreaks and so nearly at
the same time to cause this confusion.
The La Patria on the same issue from which
1 have already quoted after describing the kill
ing of Riggin and the fight which at that point
extended TO the mole, says: AT the same
time in other parts OF the port the Yankee sail
ors fought fiercely with the people OF the town
who believed to see in them incarnate enemies
Of the Chilian navy
The testimony of Capt Jenkins OF the Ameri-
can merchant ship keweenaw who had gone TO
Valparaiso for repairs and who was witness OF
some part OF the assault upon the crew OF the Bal
timore, is strongly ycorroboratve of the testimony
Of our own sailors when he says he
saw Chilian sentries drive back a sea
man seeking shelter from mob
that was pursuing him. The officers and
men OF Capt. Jenkins ship furnish the most
conclusive testimony as 10 the indignities which
were prdCIlceu toward Americans IN alparaaSO
When American sailors, even OF the merchant
ships, can only secure their safety by denying
their nationality, 1t must be time 20 readjust
our relations with government that permits
such demonstrations.
As TO the participation OF the police the evil
dence OF our sailors shows that our men were
struck and beaten by police officers before and
after arrest, and that one at least was dragged
with lasso about his neck by a mounted po-
icenan-
That the death Of Riggin was the result of a
rife shot fired by policeman or soldier on duty
is shown directly by the testimony of johnson
in whose arms he was at the time and by the
evidence OF Charles Lagen, an American sailor
not then member OF the Baltimore's crew, who
stood close by and saw the transaction.
The Chilian authorities do not pretend TO TX
the responsibility Of this shot upon any narticu-
lar person, but avow their inability TO ascertain
who .red it, turthe- than that It was fired from