The record-union., 1892-01-09
snecial 10 the RrcoRn.us1or.

Special TO the RECoRD-USIoN.
VALLEJO, Jan. S-The investigation
into the assault on the Baltimore's sailors
was continued to-day. Facts adduced to-
day, regarding the murder of Riggin
also brought forth more strongly than
ever the fact that the assault had been
planned. At the time Riggin was lying on
the pavement, while two policemen idly
watched the mob plunging knives into
his back, two negro coalheavers in dis
tant part of the city were flying before a
mob of Chilean n-of-warsmen, who
finally overlook them, stabbed one and
robbed the other
Another man in a third part was
chased and thrown into the bay and es-
capped drowning only through protection
given him by a French naval officer.
The only thing toehe credit of the Chile
ans so far, is thai I. : lad of their army
officers escorted flo or six Baltimore
sailors to the wharf and sent them aboard
ship. The claim Ma by the Procurator
Fiscal of Valparaiso, that all but two wit
nesses testified that the police had done
their duty, has been completely de-
moIshed. OF seven witnesses so far ex-
amlned, five state they testified to eX-
actly the contrary before the Chilean
court.
1t is becoming evident that the Balti-
more's men were really sober when on
shore that afternoon. Not only do they
assert this, but the statements of their
officers and the characters Of the men
prove ii. Captain Schley says that he
saw number Of them only twenty min
utes before the row began, and was
astonished to see how sober and we'll
behaved they We're. Forty-three of the
men who were ashore were petty officers,
and all were men who received special
privileges on account of long continued
good conduct, and all had regulations to
| lose Petty officers are men promoted
to that rank for efficiency, long service
sobrlety and general good conduct, and
are not accustomed to get drunk and lose
what they have attained.
Charles Iangen, seaman, test fed that
he enlisted on the Baltimore in Val
paraiso a week after the assault on the
sailors. Ten days before he was in the
International Hotel with Johnson. and
left the hotel few minutes before John
son and witnessed the assault on Riggin
and Talbot
The crowd was armed with knives.
They knocked Riggin down. Langen
pulled them off and Riggin rose and ran,
but was followed and again knocked
down. and while on the ground Langen
saw man stab Riggin twice in the back
with knife.
The whole crowd jumped on him and
struck him. The man who stabbed Rig
gin first wore the uniform of a Chilean
man-of-war's man. The crowd consisted
OF about forty men, including fifteen
Chilean sailors. No police were present
at first, but after Riggin rose the first
time two policemen came up, drew short
swords and knocked him down again.
They then stood back and let the crowd
stab and maui him. Riggin seemed to
be asking protection of the police when
they knocked him down.
After this Langen fed and the crowd
| stoned him. He met some of the Balti-
more's sailors and warned them to flee.
| The crowd came up and stoned them,
knocking Hamilton unconscious into the
! gutter. About half an hour after Riggin
| was stabbed he went back to the place
and saw squad of soldiers approaching.
! They were marching by twoS, with a
mounted officer. They wore the regular
Chilean army uniform, consisting of red
! pants, blue coat and red cap. The officer
was entirely in blue.
! They marched right up to within six
| feet from where Johnson was holding
Riggin in his arms. There they halted
and the first two soldiers leveled their
rifles and fired at the two sailors. Wit
ness was about fifteen feet off to one side.
H..
crowd being back of the soldiers at that
moment. No other shots were fired by
any one.
He saw the soldiers distinctly level
| their rifles at the Baltimore men and fire
! The crowd had drawn back when the
| soldiers came up, leaving clear passage
| between Riggin and the soldiers. After
the first shot was fired the soldiers then
| pressed forward little and he could not
see the second rifle fired, but he was
sure that it was the other leading soldier
that fired. At this time it was close to 6
o'clock.
J. B. Larsen, seaman, swore that he
had lived in Valparaiso two months be-
fore enlisting on the Baltimore in May
last. In October he went ashore with a
1-o'clock party. Near the wharf he met
| a friend named George Smith of Valpa-
raise, who warned him not to remain out
after dark, as the Chileans were prepar-
ing to mob the Baltimore men.
After wandering about town awhile he
met about 6 o'clock p. Johnson and
other Baltimore sailors, who told him a
fight was going on down town. and adj
vised him not to go down there. Wit
ness disguised himself, however, in citi-
zen's coat and hat and went to the plaza.
On the way he passed a squad of soldiers
with a mounted officer.
He thought this was about twenty min
utes before Rlggin was shot. Some time
after he went to the drugstore where Rig
gins body lay, but was not admitted Two
policemen We're guarding the body. the
mob being still outside, shouting and
exulting. The mob stayed there till
O'clock.
Larsen remained in house across the
Plaza until the next morning, when he
started for the ship. On the way he was
attacked by three Chilean sailors with
knives, but escaped. Shortly afterward
mob of sailors and citizens attacked
him with stones. Just then several Chill
can army officers came up with some
other Baltimore sailors, and protected
and took all TO the landing and sent them
to the ship. Larsen maintained that he
was perfectly sober and had not seen
any sailors of the Baltimore that were
not.
John H. Davidson of the Baltimore,s
crew testified that lie went ashore at I
o'clock; was warned by the boatman on
the wharf that the Chileans were preDar-
ing to mob the sailors. After WANDERING
around the city he went with Talbot
Riggin and others to the Shakespeare
Saloon. The bartender warned him to
leave the place, as there was going to be
trouble between the GhiIeans and the
Baltimore men.
I'VE then went to the True Blue Saloon
where we found Other Baltimore men.
who all left the place before / did. When
went out / saw Talbot running from n
mob, and Riggin was lying in the street.
When / tried to raise him they attacked
me and drove me away. i saw Chilean
on the corner chasing Hamilton, Balti-