The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-14
snecial to the REcoRp.ur1or.

Was Subjected To.
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoS.
VALLEJO, Jan. 13.-The Baltimore in
quiry was completed late this afternoon.
1t has lasted six days, and every aspect
of the affair has been fully investigated.
The first four days were taken up with
the testimony Of the men, who related
their individual experiences during the
riot. BY this facts were clearly brought
out that the attack was premeditated, and
that the police and soldiers aided the mob
in their deadly work The fifth day the
medical officers of the ship testified as to
wounds received by the Baltimore's men,
and as to the criminal neglect Of the
wounded sailors in the Valparaiso Hos
pital, the authorities refusing to treat the
men themselves or allow the Baltimore's
surgeons to do it.
To-day several senior officers testified
as to the legal proceedings in Valparaiso,
bringing out clearly the utter failure of
the Valparaiso court to establish any
thing to the detriment Of the sailors, and
the care which the court exercised in
avoiding any questions that might bring
forth reflections on the Valparaiso police.
Then Captain Schley took the stand and
proceeded to give resume OF the whole
history of the ship since first reaching
Valparaiso. He spoke over an hour,
clearly and forcibly, and was listened to
with great attention by the audience that
crowded the courtroom. He showed
forth plainly the inception and growth Of
the anti-American feeling among the
Chileans, and beside the many discourte-
sizes he was subjected TO. He saw over
seventy of his men on shore shortly
before the riots began, and they were all
sober; but even if they had not been, he
cav no reason why they should have
been visited with capital punishment for
being drunk.
TIE TESTIMONY.
The first witness in the Baltimore in
vestigation this morning was Lieutenant
Uriel Sebree, u. S. N, Executive officer
of the Baltimore. He testified as follows:
On October 18th III men were granted
twenty-four hours liberty. At that time
there were also English, German and
French men-Of-war in port, and their
men were granted liberty on shore from
time to time. One German sailor had
been attacked and beaten by some Chile
ans prior TO October 10th, and it was re-
ported the latter excused themselves by
saying they they thought the man was an
American. | went ashore October 10th at
$50 with Captain Schley, and remained
until about $50. | saw during the after
noon thirty or forty of our sailors who
were ashore. / remarked at the time to
the Captain that the men We're behaving
very well. l saw not more than three
who showed any signs of having been
drinking, and they were not misbehav-
ing. / do not remember the names of
these men. Among these / saw on shore,
and who were perfectly sober, were j.
Hamilton, carpenters mate, and Jerry
Anderson, coalheaYer. Both of these
men were seriously wounded in the riot
! also saw Jerry Anderson again about
s P. NJ, when he came aboard ship badly
injured. He was not under the influence
OF liquor.
DR.. Stitt was recalled, and stated that
when he first visited the hospital Octo-
Der 18th, to look after Turnbull, Talbot,
Davidson, Hamilton and Painter, he care
fully asked the Sister of Charity in
charge or the room whether these men
were drunk when they were brought to
the hospital the night before. The Sister
replied that they were sober.
James II. Sears, a Lieutenant attached
to the Baltimore, testified: On October
18th the commanding officer sent me
ashore TO call upon the Intendente and
arrange about the funeral of Riggin, and
also to endeavor to obtain the release of
our men in jail and at the hospital.
found thirUy-one men in Jail and five in
the hospital. The Chief of Police assured
me that number OF the men would be
released that evening, as there were no
charges against them. Later in the day
procured the release of twenty of the
men. The Judge of Crimes offered to re-
lease the rest if [ would guarantee their
return if wanted by the Chilean court
declined to give a guarantee, and eleven
men were retained in jail. The Judge
stated that there were no charges against
the twenty released, but the eleven re-
tanned showed wounds, and appeared to
have been implicated in the disturbance,
and might be wanted in the investigation
of the affair. While | was collecting men
TO return to the ship, a clerk appeared
with paper which he asked the men to
sign. l told them to stop signing, and
asked the man what the paper was. He
replied that It was mere formality, stat
ing that the men were not engaged in any
disturbance ashore. The paper was in
Spanish. On the clerks statement per-
mitted the men to sign. | did not read
the paper. was only slightly familiar
with Spanish. The next day | returned
to the jail, to attend to the comfort of the
men and secure their release, if possible.
/ pressed the Judge to hurry the investi-
CATION, but the only reply L could get was
'Mdnand." Monday, october 10th, saw
Higgins burial, and tried to have the
men in the hospital released. The Judge
refused, as the men had not been exam
ined. The next day, October Goth, l was
Z sent by Captain Schley to attend the ex-
animation of the eleven men. | was
present when few preliminary ques-
tons were asked by the Clerk of the
court, but when they were taken before the
Judge / was not permitted to be present,
on the ground that the examination was
secret one. In the evening the men
were released. Captain Schley had given
rrlla Tafa 10 no pf of than
that might be wanted by the court. I
was informed by some Of the men several
days later that at this examination they
were required to sign paper, written in
Spanish, which they were told was a
mere formality, and which stated that
they had taken no part in the riot of the
10th of October. 1t becoming known
that the men had signed an eXoneration
Of the police, | asked them whether they
had done so. They all stated that they
had not, so far as they knew. When /
first, on October 18th, saw articles al
legged to have been taken from our men
by the police, there was among them
several peck knives, a small revolver,
two sheath knives and an iron pestle four
inches long. Later, on October 10th,
was again shown these articles. They
consisted of seven pocket-knives and an
iron pestle. and I was told that those were
all the weapons it was charged had been
found on our men. None of these knives
could properly be called weapons. The
men were searched before l arrived at the
prison.
Recess taken till l o'clock.
After recess Henry McCrae, Lieutenant
United States Navy, attached to the Bal
tiInore testified as follows: ION October
18th / went to the station and saw the
Judge of Grimes, and asked why ou1
men were arrested, and if they could not
be released He replied that they could