The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-01-29
Captaip sChIey's Testimon,

=
the comfort and convenience of the off
GERS and men of such vessels.
Captain schIey's Testimony.
Captain Schley testifes that when his
vessel returned to Valparaiso ON Sept.
IA, the city officers, as is customary,
extended the Inequalities of the city to
his officers and crew.
1t is not claimed that every personal
collision or injury in which sailor or
officer Of such naval vessel visiting the
shore may be involved raises an inter
national question.
But am clearly of the opinion that
where such sailors or officers are as
saulted by resident populace, animated
by hostility to the government whose
uniform these sailors and officers wear,
and in resentment of acts done by their
government, not by them, their nation
must take notice of the event as one in
volying an infractiOn of its rights and
dignity.
The officers and sailors of the Balti-
more were in the harbor Of Valparaiso
under the orders Of their government,
not by their own choice.
They were upon the shore by the inn
piled invitation of the government Of
Chile, and with the approval of their
commanding officer.
And it does not distinguish their case
from that of a consul that his stay is
more permanent or that he holds the
express invitation of the local govern
rneht to Justify his longer residence
Nor does it affect the question that the
injury was the act of mob.
Cause Of the Attack.
/
dents of the affair, asserting that the
sailors who were attacked were sober
and well behaved, which was verified by
the Sisters of Charity at the hospital
whence they were taken He proceeds:
The testimony of Talbot, an appren-
tice who was with Riggin, is that the
outbreak in which they were involved
began by Chilean sailor splitting in the
face of Talbot, which was resented by q
Touchdown. These two men were i'm
med1ately beset by a crowd of Chilean
citizens and sailors, through which they
broke their way to a street car and en-
tered it for safety. They were pursued,
driven from the car, and Riggin was so
seriously beaten that he fell IN the street
apparently dead. There is nothing in
the report of the Chilean investigation
made to us that seriously impeachos this
testimony.
At the Mercy OF the Mob.
1t appears from Chilean sources that
almost instantly, with suddenness that
strongly implies meditation and prepar-
alton, a mob, stated by the police au-
thorities at one time to number 1905
and at another 1 900, was engaged in the
assault upon our sailors, who are rep
resented as resisting with stones, clubs
and bright arms"
The report of the intendente of Oct.
30 states that the fight began at p. IN.
and that the police arrived on the scene
at $50, full half hour after the assault |
began.
AT that time he says that mob of |
1900 men had collected and that for
several squares there was the appear
ance of "a real battlefield
The scene at this point is very graph
cally set before us by the Chilean testi-
mony. The American sailors, who, !
after so long an examination, have not /
been found guilty of any breach of the |
peace, so far as the Chilean authorizes
are able to discover, unarmed and de- |
fenseless, are fleeing for their lives, pur-
sued by overwhelming numbers and |
fighting only to aid their own escape |
from death or to succor some mate |
whose life is in greater peril. Eighteen |
of them are brutally stabbed and beaten,
while one Chilean seems, from the re-
port, to have suffered some injury.
The president then refers to the evil
dence to prove that our sailors were I'M
armed, and quotes from a Chilean news
paper to prove that they were at the
mercy of mob, and says of the alleged
charges against them:
Our Sailors Not Guilty.
No amount of evasion or subterfuge
is able to cloud our clear vision of this
brutal work.
1t should be noticed in this connection
that the American sailors arrested after
an examination were, during the four
days following the arrest, every one dis
charged, no charge of any breach of the
peace or other criminal conduct having
been sustained against single one OF
them.
The judge of crimes, Foster, in note
to the intendente, under date of Oct. %
before the dispatch from this govern
ment of the following day, which
aroused the authorities OF Chile to bet
ter sense of the gravity of the affair
says:
having presided temporarily. over
this court in regard to the seamen of the
United States cruiser Baltimore, who
have been tried on account of depIorable
conduct which took place. etc.
The noticeable point here is that our
sailors had been tried before the 22d OF
October, and that the trial resulted in
their acquittal and return to their vessel.
1t is quite remarkable and quite char
acteristic of the management of this af
fair by the Chilean police authorities
that we should now be advised that Sea
man Davidson, of the Baltimore, has
heen included in the Indictment, his of
Tense being, so far as | have been able to
ascertain, that he attempted to defend
shipmate against an assailant who was
striking at him with knife The per-
feet vindication of our men is furnished
by this report. One only is found to
have been guilty of original fault, and
that for an act clearly justifable
AS to the part taken by the police in
the affair the case made by Chile is also
for froy,, cot icfo Tho ,,n;yt 1,,ba~.