Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-10
A BURDENSOME TASK
For Chile to Explain an Apparent
Disparity in Two Reports That
Have Been Made About
THE VEXED BALTIMORE AFFAIR,
Bering Sea Negotiations Not Proceeding as
Smoothly as They Should in
Order to Be Successful.
HITCH IN CHOICE OF ARBITRAT0RS.
THE vEXED BALTIMORE AFFAIR.
HITCH IN CHOICE OF ARBITRATORs.
Little if Any New Work Rivers and HarbOrs to Be
Undertaken for Awhile.

be no doubt of the fact that the administra-
ton received with disappointment the dis
patch yesterday from Senor Pereira, the
Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs, through
Minister Montt. 1t was a recapitulatiou of
the findings of the Chilean judicial officer
corresponding with the district attorney in
our legal practice, instead of statement
that might be regarded as an apology for
the attack on the crew of the Baltimore.
The length to which the proceedings have
dragged along in Chile, and the statement
made TO Secretary Blaine by Minister
NontJ that other links remain to be added
to the long chain of legal formalities in the
shape OF trial before the Judge of Grimes
upon the Indictment, naturally had an irri-
1atlng effect upon the administration, which
had postponed further communication with
Congress upon the subject in the hope that
a satisfactory understanding would be
reached in short time.
Cne Tangible enhancement Made.
Upon further consideration, however, it
appears that the dispatch marks a tangible
advancement toward the desired object. In
the first place, the tone of the dispatch is
much more friendly and ccnciliatory than
that which characterized some of the pre-
cedlng communications from the Chilean
Government. Minister Malta, provision
ally in charge of the foreign affairs
of Chile, in his reply to Minister Egan
October % last, spoke of the attack on the
Baltimore as an affair and as ''the dis
orders in Valparaiso" Senior Pereira, the
present Minister, regretfully speaks of ''the
deplorablc incident" and "the unfortunate
incident"
As the proceedings so far in Valparaiso
have resulted only in indictments against
oifenders it is hardly TO be presumed that
the Chilean Government, after the stand it
has taken, can be expected to make an
apology ard promise reparation to the
United States till the trial shall have taken
place and the prisoners are convicted of the
murderous assault
= Reasonable Time to Wait.
Minister Mout:'s statements warrant the
assumption that the trial is to begin i'm
mediateiv and if it is clearly apparent that
the processes of Chilean law are being gearried
forward with proper expedition, and that
there is fair ground 10 expect an apology
the United States will doubtless continue
TO await the result for a reasonable length
Of time.
Minister Montt characterizes as absurd
the statement coming from Vallejo, Cal,
that Davidson, the Baltimore's sailor, was
tried and convicted in Chile without his
knowledge or that of the officers of the
vessel Minister Pereira's dispatch of yes-
terday supports Minister Months statement
on this point, for it shows that Davidson
was indicted, but that he had not been tried. |
II is entirely improbable that he ever will |
be tried ii Chile for rioting, as it is not to
be supposed that he would be surrendered
10 the legal authorities of that country,
even should they be so presumptuous as to
demand his surrender.
Disparity to BE Explained.
a grave disparity is to be noted between
the findings of the Chilean District Attor-
ney and the testimony collected from the
Baltimore people concerning the attack on
them. The reports of the medical officers
Of the vessel have reached the NAVY De-
partment Medical Inspector Cole, report
ing on Riggan's death, says:
After receiving several wounds not neces-
sarily fatal, he was wounded by rifle bali
which in its course wounded the iuguIaI |
vein. Some of the wounds were inflicted |
post morteu. There is good evidence ac-
cording to reliable testimony, that the lib
eTtN party from this ship, consisting OF liz |
men, was assaulted in at least six different
localities nearly simultaneously. The attack
was apparently premeditated.
In the case of Coal HEAVIER Turnbull the
Inspector savs:
He died from pyanlia following an incised
wound penetrating. the left lung. He WAS
first knocked down by blow on the head
with stone, and cut while lying uncon-
SciOus. He was arrested and taken uncon-
sciOus TO a prison ward. The wound pene-
trated the pieura and lung. He received Is
or 20 other wounds in the back. 1t WAS i'm
possible for the medical officers of the ship to
secure proper attention for him, and attend
ance was entirely lacking at night. The
police, though appealed to- would not per-
INIT him 20 be removed to another ward
Finally, when it was represented that Turn
bull would probably die, he and four others
were taken aboard the ship Turnbull died
October .. This attack was apparently pre-
inedltateil AID inspired by hostility which
portion OF the Chilean people retain toward
Americans.
Two Reports That Don't Fit.
The disparity referred to is evident.
when 1t is noted that Minister Pereira's
dispatch says that 'only one isolated shot
VAS fred; it was from revolver The police
AIRY Columbian carbines. The medical
,thcer'S report says Riggan was killed by
ltie ball; that other men received
'ayonet wounds; that Turnbull was IS or 20
lines stabbed in the back while lying un- /
conscious on his face, and that Risgan's
body was stabbed after death. To reconcile |
heSe statements with those made bv the
chilean Minister will be difficult task, but !
possibly the investigation now being con-
'ucted by Judge Advocate General Remey
i San Francisco will throw clearer light
lpoa the matter.
Important Testimony at Vallejo.
A telegram from Vallejo, Cal, saws: !
To-day was the third of the investigation
nto the attack on the sailors of the
5aIumore. Judge Advocate Remy presided
lone, District Attorney Garter being 7
.bsent Nearly all the crew have now
esthed, and Monday the officers will prob
bly, take the stand. The case of the z
nlted States, as stated by President Har-
lson IN ms message, has been fully made out.
Ihere can no longer be any doubt that the
mob was organized beforehand Nearly l.
very sailor was warned by at least one j.
'erson that the Baltimore's men would be A
ttaeked at dark. The clerk of the bank Z
there they changed their money warned
ONE OF them. An English sea captain .
topped others on the street and warned q
hem, ana many others in all classes of So J,
lety also gave warning. As a result, MANY Il
the sailors remained away from the low G
art OF town and went to the fashionable E
esIdenee and business part, only to be fol- F
,wed ana attacked there by the mob. = !,
Attacks at Four Places. a
There were at least four different local p
les, some of them over a mile anart where e
tacks on the sailors were made s;mu1ta- p
sously. The part played by the Val
araisO police aud soldiers becomes more "a
ID more evident daily. Nearly every wit =,
sss was abused and insulted by them III
hile the evidence that it was thew who l.,
ot and killed Riggin is conclusive. M