The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-26
Its civil officers and naval commanders.

and so cowardly.
The Baltimore was in the harbor Of
Valparaiso by virtue of that general in
vitation which nations are held to extend
to the war vessels of other powers with
which they have friendly relations.
This invitation, think, must be held
ordinarily to embrace the privilege Of
such communication with the shore as
is reasonable, necessary and proper for
the comfort and convenience of the Off
GERS and men OF such vessels.
Captain schiey's Testimony.
Captain Schley testifies that when his
vessel returned to Valparaiso on Sept.
IA, the city officers, as is customary,
extended the hospitalities of the city to
his officers and crew.
1t is not claimed that every personal
collision or injury in which sailor OF
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
volving 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
ment to justify his longer residence.
Nor does it affect the question that the
injury was the act of mob.
Cause of the Attack.
The president then reviews the incl
dents of the affair, asserting that the
sailors who We're 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 a
knoclsdown. These two men were i'm
mediately beset by 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 impeaches this
testimony.
at the Mercy OF the Mob.
m
almost instantly, with a suddenness that
strongly implies meditation and prepar-
alton, mob, stated by the police au-
thorities at one time to number 1000
and at another 200, 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 al G D. m.
and that the police arrived on the scene
at $3.50, full half huai after the assault
began.
AT that time he SAYS that mob of
1000 men had collected and that for
several squares there was the appear
ance of "a real battlefield"
The scene at this point is very graphi-
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 tho
peace, so far as the Chilean authorities
are able to discover, unarmed and de-
fenselcss arc 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 We're un-
armed, and quotes from Chilean news
paper to prove chat they were at the
mercy oil mob, @ld says Of the alleged
charges against them:
Our Sailors Not Guilty.
No amount of evasion or subterfuge
ID able to cloud our clear vision OF tins
brutal work.
1t should be noticed in this connection
thai he American sailors arrested after
an examination We're, 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 intendcnte, 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 i'll regard to the seamen of the
United States cruiser Baltimore, who
have been tried on account OF deplorable
conduct which took place." etc.
HE noticeable QpinI here ia hat o11r
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
fense being, so far as l have been able to
ascertain, that he attempted to defend a
shiPmate against an assailant who was
striking at him with knife. The per-
feet vindieltion Of our men is furnished
Dy this report One only is fonnd to