Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-26

grapnlcaliy set before US Dy Cnllean tes-
timony. The American sailors who,
after so long an examination, had not
been found guilty of any breach OF the
peace, so far as the Chilean authorities
are able to discover, unarmed and de-
fenseless, are fleeing for their lives, pur-
sued by an overwhelming num-
Der. and fighting only to effect
their own escape from death,
or succor some mate whose life is In
greater peril. Eighteen of them are
brutally stabbed and beaten, while one
Chilean seems from the report to have
suffered some injury, but how serious,
or by what character of weapon, or
whether by missile thrown by our
men or by some of his fellow rioters, is
unascertained. The pretense that our
men were fighting with stones, clubs
and bright arms, in view of these facts,
is incredible. 1t is further refuted by
the fact that our prisoners, when
searched, were absolutely without arms,
only seven pen-knives being found in
the possession of the men are steel,
while there we're received by our men
more than thirty stab wounds, every
one OF which was inflicted in the back,
and almost every confused wound on
the back or back of the head. The evi-
dence Of the ships officer OF the day is
that even the jack-knives of the men
were taken from the men before leaving
the ship.
As to the brutal nature of the treat
ment received by our men, the president
quoted an extract from the account
given of the affair by La Patria, a news.
paper which, he says, cannot be re-.
garded as too friendly. 1t tells how our
men were pursued with stones and mis-
slles and beaten down, as has already
been told many times. The message
continues: No amount of evasion or
subterfuse is able to cloud our clear
vision of this brutal work. 1t should be
noticed in this connection that the
| American sailors arrested, after exam
ination, we're, during four days follow
ing the arrest, every one discharged, no
charge of any breach OF peace or other
criminal conduct having been sustained
against single one of them. Judge of
Crimes Foster, in a note to the in
tendente, under date October 23d, be-
fore the dispatch from this government
of the following day, which aroused
the authorities of Chile to better
sense of the gravity of the affair,
says: Having presided temporarily
over this court in regard to the seamen
of the Baltimore, who have been tried
on account OF the deplorable conduct
which took place. etc." A noticeable
point here il that our sailors had been
tried before the 22d of the month, and
the trial resulted in their acquittal and
return to their vessel. 1t is quite re-
markable and quite characteristic OF the
management OF this affair by the Chilean
,<ls ina l,af trr
be advised that Seaman Davidson of
the Baltimore had been included in the
Indictment, his offense being, so far as 1
have been able to ascertain, that he at
tempted to defend shipmate against
assault, and who was peing struck with
a knife. Perfect vindication of our men
| ia furnished by this report: One only is
| found to have been guilty OF criminal
fault, and that for an act OF gallantry.
AS to the part taken by the police in
the affair, the case made by Chile is also
far from satisfactory. The point where
| Riggin was killed is only three minutes
walk from the police station, and not
more than twice that distance from the
intendencia; and yet, according to their
official report a full half hour passed
after the assault began before the police
| were upon the ground. 1t has been
stated that all but two OF our men said
the police did their duty. The evidence
taken at Mare island shows that if such
statement were procured from our men,
it was accomplished by requiring them
to sign writing in language they did
not understand. BY their representa-
| tion it was mere declaration that they
had taken no part in the disturbance.
Lieutenant McCrea, who acted as inter-
prefer, avs in his evidence, when the
sailors were examined before the court
the subject OF the conduct of the police
was carefully avoided. He reported the
fact TO Captain Schley on his return to
| the vessel. The evidence in existence
OF the animosity toward our sailors in
the minds of the sailors of the Chilean
| navy and the populace OF Valparaiso Is
so abundant and various as to leave no
doubt in the mind of anyone who will
examine the papers submitted.
1t manifested itself in threaten
ing and insulting gestures toward
our men as they passed Chilean
man-of-war in their boats, and in deri-
sve and abusive epithets with which
they greeted every appearance OF an
American sailor on the evening of the
riot. Captain Schley reports that boats
lIOL Ollilcdu WdIoHlpS oCYOldi bAihCo
went out of their course to cross the
bow of his boat, compelling them to
back water. He complained of the dis
courtesy, and it was corrected. That
this feeling was shared by men of higher
rank, is shown by an incident related by
Surgeon Stitt, of the Baltimore. After
the battle of Placilla, he, with other
medical officers of the war vessels in the
harbor, were giving voluntary assistance
to the wounded in the hospitals. A son
of a Chilean army officer of rank was
under his care, and when his father dis
covered it he flew into a passion, and
said he would rather his son should die
than have an American touch him, and at
once had him removed from the ward.
This feeling was not well concealed in
dispatches of the foreign office, and had
quite an open expression in the disre-
spectful treatment of the American lega-
tion. Chilean boatmen in the bay re-
fused even tor large offers of money to
return our sailors, who were crowded to
the mole, to their ship when they were
endeavoring to escape from the city on
the night of the assault. The market
boat of the Baltimore was threatened,
and even quite recently the gig of Com
mander Evans, of the York town, was
stoned while waiting for him at the
mole.
The evidence of our sailors clearly