New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-26


Judge of Crimes, Foster, in a note to the IN j.
dente. under date OF October 22-bef1i" the us
patch from this Government OF the i0lio"l"I way
which aroused the authorities Of Chlll to a ptl,rl
sens, of the gravity of the alair-says: HaNIn-
presided temporarily over tins court IN regai" !"
the seamcn Of the United States cruiS'r Baltimore;
who have been tried On accoun' T0c
deporablc conduct which took place. etc., lnc
noticeable point here is that our sailors h3d .rr
tried before the 22d of October and that the llat
resulted in their acQtttal and return 10 thclr VS.
sell 1t s quite remarkable and quite charactrrieuo
Of the mana cement Of this affair by The mia
police authorities that we should now DE aoEls
that seaman Davidson Of the Baltimore, PAS pecn
included in the Indictment, his offence beng 80
far as | have been able to ascertain, thhb nv at
tempted TO defend shipmate against an itss'I,ilu
who was striking at him with knife. me PIT
feet yindcaf10n of our men is furnished by TINS
rerort: one only is found 10 have been guilty. OF
criminal fault and that for an act clearly J'S'ia
CONDUCT OF THE POLICE.
As to the part taken by the police in the aiialr'
the case made by Chill is also far from satisfactory
The point where Riggin was killed Is only three
minutes walk from the police station, ana noo
more than twice that distance from the lntendehca
and yet, according to their Official report, luii
half-hour elapsed after the assault began before
the police were upon the ground. IL mas pce"
stated that all but two of cur men have said that
the police did their duty. The evidence taken at
Mare Island shows that if such statement WIS
procured from our men II was accomplished y! re-
duirng them to sign writing in language tneE
did NOT understand and by the representation thab
il was mere declaration that they had taken no
part in the disturbance: -
in his evidence that when our sailors were
examined before the court. the SUBJECT 81
the conduct of the police was SO carefully nNoiei
that he reported the fact to Captain SchIey OH his
return to the vessel
ANIMOSITY TOWARD AMERICANS.
The evidences Of the existence of amnesty
toward our sailors in the minds of the sailors OF
the Chilian navy and of the popuace OF Nalpa-
raiso are so abundant and various as TO leave
no doubt in the mind Of any one who will examine
the papers submitted 1t manifested itself IN
threatening and insulting gestures toward our men
as they passed the CHILEAN men-ofwar in their
boats, and in the dcrisive and abusive cpthcts
with which they greeted every appearance of an
American sailor on tie evening of
the riot Captain Schley reports that boats
from the CHILEAN ships several lines
went out Of their course TO cross the BOWS oil MS
boats, compelling them TO back water lie com
planned OF the discourtesy and it was corrected
That this feeling was shared by men OF higher
| rank is shown by an incident related by surgeon
Ittt Of the Baltimore After the battle OF Placilla
in the harbor, giving voluntary assistance
To the wounded in the hospitals; The son OF "a
Gillian army officer of high rank was under MS
care and when the father discovered it, he flew
into passion and said he would rather have ms
son die than have Americans touch him. ana al
once had him removed from The ward. This
feeling Il not well concealed in the dispatches of
the Foreign Office and had quite open expression
in the disrespectful treatment of the American
Legation. The Gillian boatmen in the bay re-
fused, even for large offers Of money, to return
our sailors, who crowded the Mole. 10 their ship
when they were endeavoring TO escape from INC
city on the night of the assault The market
boats of the Baltimore threatened, and even
quite recently the gig of Commander Evans, of
the Yorktown, was stoned while waiting for hiiu
at the Mole.
The evidence Of our sailors clearly shows that
the attack was expected by the Gillian people,
that threats had been made against our men. and
that in one case somewhat carly in tho afternoon
the keeper OF one hous'. into which some of orr
men had gone, closed his establishment in antlCl
patton Of attack which lie advised them would
be made upon them darkness came on.
In report Of Captain Schley to the Navy De-
partment he says -.
:" In the only interview that had with jude
Foster, who is investigating the case relative 10
tie disturbance, before lie was aware OF The entire
gravity Of the matter, he informed me that the
assault upon my men was the outcome OF hatreu
for our people among the lower classes, because
they thought had sympathized with the
| Baln,aceda Government on account OF the ltata
| matter, whether with reason or without he could.
of course. not admit: but such he thought was the
| explanation Of the assault at that time
| Several Of our men sought security from The
mob by such complete or partial changes In their
dress as would conceal the fact Of their being
seamen Of the Baltimore and found il then pos
sbe to walk the streets without molesta'ion.
attack was upon the uniform-thc nationality
and not upon the men.
ATTITUDE OF THIS GOVERNMENT DURING THE
CHrTIAN WAR.
The origin Of this feeling is probably found in
the refusal Of this Government 10 give recognition
to the Congressional party before It had c-tab-
| lished itself in the seizure Of the ltata for an
alleged violation of the neutrality law. in the
| cable incident. and in the charge that Admiral
Brown conveyed information to Valparaiso Of the
landing at Qunteros 1t is not my purpose TO
enter here any defence Of the action Of this Gov
eminent in these matters. 1t is enough for the
present purpose 10 say that If there was any
breach of international comfy duty on our
part, it should have been made the subject OF
official complaint through diplomatic channels
or of reprisals for which a full responsibility was
assumed. We cannot consent that these incidents
and these pervcrsions OF the truth snail be used
to excite murdcrous attack upon our unoiicndlng
sailors and the Government or Chill 20 acqut
of a responsibility. In fact. the conduct Of this
Government during the war in Chill pursued those
lines Of international duty which We had 80
strongly insisted upon the part of other nations
when this country was in the tlroes OF n civil
conflict. We continued the established diplomatic
relations with tn Government in power until IL
was overthrown. and promptly ana cordially recog-
nized the new Government when 1t was cstaD-
| lished The good offices Of this Government were
| offered TO bring about peaceful adjustment, and
the interpositon OF Mr. Egan u mitigate seventies
and TO shelter adhercnts of the Congressional party
were effective and frequent. Tie charge against
| Admiral Brown Is too base to gain crcdcnce with
any who knows his high PisOhal anu pro-
| fessonal character.
PLAN OF THE BALTIMORE OUTRAGE.
| Recurring 70 the evidence Of our sailors. think
| it is shown that there were several distinct as
saults. and so nearly simultaneous as 10 show That
they did not spread from one point press sum
mary Of the report of the Fiscal shows that the
evidence Of the CHILEAN OFFICIALS and others was
in conflict az to the place of origin, several places
being named by different witnesses as the locality
where the first outbreak occurred This, if cor
rectly reported, shows that there were several
distinct outbreaks, and nearly ~ the same time
| as to cause this confusion.
The La Patra," in the same issue from which
| al tnL Of 10 the kllnr