Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-26

slooxy vork has been suggested sAss nat IL had
its 1sixz IN aes Eslify these nes as ssi.srs OF
tns Uni.ed States. wearing ths uniform Of tAsir
gsvsrznscI and Ess n <ay individual ses sf
DerssaAs Aaxnossty
We nzys ssw received from the Gillian gov
ernzens "a asssract Of the eonclpsisns Of ths
cseAl ssasrsl lpoa ne testimony taken oy Tia
lzdss Of crimes In IN Investigation which wxs
asSAs 70 extsad over nearly three mosrhs 1
very much regret - oe CON pelled TO
ssy that this report does not enabls
me 20 modify the conclusion announced in my
annual message. l am still os the opinion
hat our sailors we're assaulted. beaten. sEAboea
ana killed. not for anything they or any one Of
them nad done, bat for what the government Of
tne united States had done. or was charged
with having done. By its civil of,cers and naval
commanders IL this be the true aspect Of tAs
case ne injury was 10 ths government Of the
were assaulted - . manner 50 brutal and 50
COW Ardly
Before attempting 20 give an outline Of TIE
facts Upon which this conclusion rests think
IL right 20 say word or two upon the ieyal
aspect Of ths case The Baltimore Was In the
azrbor OF Valparaiso b5 virtue Of that general
Invitation which nations are held TO ex-
tend % the war vessels OF other pow
e-s with which they have friendly
relations This invitation. I think. must be
held ordinarily 10 embrace the privilege Of
such communication with the shore as is rea-
sonsEie. necessary and proper for the comfort
and convenience Of the oficers and men of such
vessels Capt Sehiey testines that when his
vessel returned 70 Valparaiso on September "a,
the city ofzcers, as Is customary, extended the
hospitatie. OF the city to mis- officers and crew.
IL Is rot claimed that every personal collision
or injury In which . sailor or onhcer OF such
naval vessel visiting the shore may be involved
saiseS al International question but am clearly
--lc oi,.1.-ts. ..l.-s saI
scrs are assaulted by q resident populace, ant
ns,ed by hostility to Sne government whose
.-iforrns these sailors and ofieers wear and
In resentment OF acts done by their government,
not by them. this nation must take notice OF the
event as one involving an infracton OF its
rights and dignity; not in q secondary way, as
where q citizen is injured and presents his claim
through his own government. and in a primary
way precisely as II is minister or consul or the
fag itself had been the object OF the same cf.lr-
acter Of assault The officers and sailors of the
Baltimore were in the harbor OF Valparaiso
der the orders of their government, not by their
own choice. They were upon the shore by the
implied invitation OF the government of Chill
and with the approval Of their commanding enl-
Ger; and 10 does not distinguish their case from
that OF q coaSul that his stay is more
permanent or that he holds the express invita-
tion OF the local government to justify his long
resistance Nor does II affect the question that
the injury was the act OF mob II there had
been no participation by the police or military
In this cruel work and no neglect on their part
to extend protection. the case would stil be one.
in my opinion, when its extent and character
are considered. involving International rights
The incidents of the affair are, briefly, as fol-
lows:
On the 18th OF October last Capt Schley. com
manding the United States steamship halti-
more, gave shore leave TO III petty officers an6
sailors OF his ship. These men left the ship
about DO p. m No incident OF violence
surred: none OF our men were arrested. no com
plant was lodged against them, nor did any col.
lision or outbreak occur until about O'Clock p
m Capt Schley states that he was himself on
shore and about the streets OF the city until 30
p m; that he met very many OF his men who
were upon leave; that they were sober and
were conducting themselves with propriety,
salutiIs Gillian and other officers as they met
them. Other oficers of the ship and Capt.
Jenkins, of the merchant ship keweenaw. cor
rooorate Capt Schiey as TO the general sobrietY
and good behavior o. our men. The Sisters OF
Charity at the hospital TO which our wounded
men were taken. when inquired Of. stated that
they were sober when received. II tho
situation had been otherwise, we must
believe that the Chi.ian police au-
thori,ies would have made arrests About
8 D. m. the assault began, and 1t is remarkable
that the investigation by the judge Of crimes,
though SO protracted. does not enable him TO give
any more satisfactory account OF its origin than
is found In the statement that IL began between
drunken sailors. Repeatedly in the correspond
ence 10 is asserted that IL was impossible 10
learn the precise cause Of the riot. The
minister OF foreign affairs. Malta, in his
telegram to Mr. Montt. Under date Decem-
h.r eta hat eha AAtx~
two sailors IN a tavern and WAS continued in
the strectpersons who we're passing joining in IT,
The testimony OF Talbot. an apprentice who
was with Risgin, Is that the outbreak in which
they were involved began by q Chiian sailor
splitting in the face OF r. Talbot, which was re
sented BY knock down. IL appears
that Rggin and Talbot were at the time uaac,
companied by any others OF their shipmates
These two men were Immediately bcset by
crowd of Chilan citizens and sailors. through
which they broke their way 10 a street car and
entered IL for safety. They were pursued
driven from the car, and Rggn was so serious
iy beaten that he fell in the street apparently
dead There Is nothing in the report OF the
Gillian invest.gl alton made 10 rs that seriously
impeaches this testimony. II appears from
Chilian sources that almost instantly, with
suddenness that strongly implies meditation and
preparation. mob, stated by the police author
ities At one tae TO number eco. and at anothe,
time .Ooc wss engaged in the assault upon oui
sailors who ere represented as resisting with
stones. CLUES and bright arms The report OF
the intcndente OF October 10 states that tbs
fight began ~ p N in three streets which
are named. that information was re
ceivcd at the intendencia at 6I5, and
that the police arrived on the scene ai
$50, full halt hour after the assault began. AZ
that time he says that mob Of 1900 men had
collected, ard that for several squares there
was the appearance OF q real battlefield
The scene At this point Is very graphically sci
before us by tie Gillian testimony. IRE
American sailors. wso, after so lon2
sn examination. have not been found
guslty OF any breach OF the peace
cover, unarmed and de- useless, are fleeing
for their lives. pursued by overwhelm
fng numbers. and fg~ing only TO aid
their own escape from death or 10 sue
cor some mate whose life Is in greater
peril. Eighteen % them arc hrutalIy stabbed
and beaten. while one Gillian seems, from the
report, 20 have suffered some Injury. but how
serious. OF with vhs; character OF weapon or
whether by missile thrown by cur men or by
some Of his fellow rioters. Is unAsccrtain-d
TIE preteDse that our men were fighting
with stones. clubs. and bright arms" is IN
view % these facts, Incredible IL Is further re-
fnted ~ the fact that our prisoners, when
searched. were absolutely without arms. only
seven psusnives being found in the possession
of the men arrested. while thers were received
by our men nsore than thirty stab wounds
every one o; which was infi.ted In the back
and almost every confused wound vas in the
back or back 81 the head. The evidence OF the
ships offcer of the day II that even the Jack
knives Of The men we're taken from them before
leaving the ship
As 70 the brutal nature Of the treatment re-
crsred by our rseu. the following extract
from the account river cf the affair bv
the Ia PatriA newspaper. Of Valparaiso, OF
October T. caBaot be regarded
too friendly, The Yankees "a soon "a Their
pursoers gave chase. went ~ vas o. the Gale
DE- ArScnsi toward the city ear sfasi0n. In the