Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-01-26
STORY OF THE ASSAULTS.
The incidents of the affair are briefly as


The incidents of the affair are briefly as
follows:
On the 10th of October last Captain
Schley, commanding the United States
Baltimore gave shore leave to lit petty
officers and sailors of his ship. Thes-
men left the ship about 80 p. m No in
cident of violence occurred; none of our
men were arrested; no complaint was
lodged against them, nor did any collision
or outbreak occur until about O'Clock
p. IN.
Captain Schley states that he was him
self on shore and about tie streets of the
city until $50 p. m; that he met very
many of his men who were upon the
leave; that they We sober and were conduct
ing themselves with prupriety, saluting
Chilian and other officers as they met them.
Other officers of the ship and Captain
Jenkins of the merchant ship Kevee
nau, corroborste Captain Schley as to the
general sobristy and good behavior Of our
men. The sisters of charity at the hospi-
tai to which our wounded men were taken,
when inquired of, stated that they were
sober when received If the situation had
been otherwise we must believe that the
Chilian police authorities would have made
arrests. About 6 D. m the assault began
and it is remarkable that the investigation
tracted, does not enable him to give any
more satisfactory account OF its origin
than is found in the statement that 1t be-
gan between drunken sailors. Repeatedly
in the correspondence it is asserted that ii
WAS impossible to learn the precise cause
of the riot. The minister of foreign af-
fairs, Malta, in his telegram to Mr.. Moutt,
under date of December 81, states that the
quarrel began between two sailors in
tavern and was continued in the street,
persons who were passing joining in 1t.
The testimony OF Talbot, an apprentice
who was with Riggin, is that the outbreak
in which they were involved began by =
Chilian sailor splitting in the face of Tai
bot, which was resented by knock down.
1t appears that Riggin and Talbot were at
the time unsccompanied by any others of
of their shipmates.
The two men were Immediately beset by
a crowd of Chilian citizens and sailors,
through which they broke their way to a
street car and entered it for safety. They
were pursued, driven from the car and
Riggin was so seriously beaten tina. he fell
in the street apparently dead. There is
nothing in the report of Chilisn investigs-
ton made to US that seriously impeaches
| this testimony. 1t appears from Chilisn
sources that almost instantly, with q sud
| tion and preparation, a mob, stated by the
police authorities at one time to number
1000 and at another 200, was engaged
| in the assault upon our ss lors, who are
| represented as resisting with stones,
\ clubs and bright arms" The re-
port of the intendente of October 80
/ states that the fight began at 8 p. MIN
three streets, which are named; that intor-
nation was received at the intendencia at
n H..
| scene at $50, a full half hour after the
assault began. At that time he says that a
mob of 1000 men had collected and that
for several squares there was the appear
ance of ga real battle field"
The scene at this point is very graphical
/ ly set before US by the Chilian testimony.
/ The American sailors. who, after 80 long
an examination, have not been found
guilty of any breach of the peace, SO far
| as the Chilian authorities are able to dis
cover, unarmed, and defenseless, are fee
ing for their lives, pursued by over
| whelming numbers, and fighting only to
aid their own escape from death or to sue
/ cor some msts whose life is in greater per
IL. Eighteen of them are bruially stabbed
and beaten, while one Chilian seems,
from the report, to have suffered some in
Jury, but how serious, or with what char
| acter of weapon, or whether by a missile
thrown by our men or by some of his fel-
low-rioters, is unascertained. Thepretense
that our men were fighting with stones,
clubs and bright arms" is, in view of These
facts, incredible; it is further refuted by
the fact that our prisoners when searched,
| were absolutely without arms, only seven
| peuknives being found in the possession
of the men arrested, while there were re-
ceiyed by our men more than thirty stab
| wounds every one of which was inflicted
in the back, and almost every confused
wound was in the back or back of the
head. The evidence of the ships officer OF
the day is that even the iackknives of the
men were taken from them before leaving
the ship.
| CHILEAN HATRED or AMERICANS.
Captain Schley reports that boats from
the Chilian warships several times went
out of their course to cross their bows,
compelling them to back water. He com
plsined of the discourtesy and 1t was cor
rected. That this feeling was shared by
men of higher rank is shown by an Incl.
dent related by Surgeon Stitt of the Bald'
more. After the battle of Placilla, he,
with other medical officers of the war YES
sells in the hsrbor, was giving voluntary
assistance to the wounded in the hospitals
The son of q Chilisn army officer of higt
rank was under his care, and when thu
| father discovered it he few into a passion
, and said he would rather have his son di'
than have Americans touch him, and q
, once had him removed from the ward
This feeling 10 not well concealed in tn,
dispatches of the foreign Office, and haS
; quite open expression in the disrespeotfu
, treatment of the American legation tn
Chilian boatmen in the bay refused evel
! large offers of money TO return our sail
) ors, who crowded the Mole, to their shi
: when they were endeayoring to escsp
from the city on the night Of the assault