The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-01-10
Testimony Showing the Valparaiso Out
rage Was the Result of a Conspiracy.
Many of the BaltimOre's Men We're Warned the
Attack Would Be Made-Ths Mob As
sisted by Police and Soldiers.
IRRITATING DELAY.


Statements That Do Not Consist.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.-There can be no
doubt of the fact that the administra-
tion received with disappointment the
dispatch yesterday from Senior Pereira.
the CHILEAN Minister of Foreign At
fairs, through Minister Montt. 1t
was q recapitulation of the findings of
the ChIlisn judicial officer. CORE
spending with the district attorney
in our legal practice. instead of q
statement that might be regarded as an
apology for the attack on the crew of the
Baltimore. The length to which the pro-
ceedings have dragged along in Chilli. and
the statement made to Secretary Blaine
by Minister Montt that other links remain
to be added to the long chain of
legal formalities in the shape
of trial before the judge of
crimes upon the indictment. naturally had
an irritating effect upon the admnistra-
tion, which had postponed further COM
municatlon with Congress upon the subject
in the hope that a satisfactory understand
ing would be reached in short time. Upon
further consideration. however. it appears
that the dispatch marks q tangible ad.
vancemenJ towards the desired object. In
the first place the tone of the dispatch is
much more friendly and cOnciliatory than
that which characterized come of the pre-
ceding communications from tho Chllian
government. Minister Malta, provision
ally In charge of the foreign affairs of
Chill, In his reply to Minister Egan. of the
of the Baltimore "as an affair" and as 1.-The
disorders in Valparaiso" Senior Pereira.
the present Minister. Iegretfully speaks of
the deplorable incident and the "un-
fortunate incident"
AS the proceedings SO far taken in VAL
paraisO have resulted only in indictments
against offenders, il is hardly to be pre-
sumed that the CHILEAN government. after
the stand 1t has taken. can be expected to
make an apology and promise reparatlOn TO
the United States until the trial shall have
taken place and the prisoners are convicted
OF the murderOus assault. Minister Months
statements warrant the assumption that
the trial is to begin Immediately and If it is
clearly apparent that the regular processes
of CHILEAN law are being carried forward
with proper expedition and that there is
fair ground to expect an apology, the
United States government will. doubtless,
continue to await the result for reason
able 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 Chilli without his
knowledge or that of the officers of the
vessel. Minister Pereira's dispatch of yes
terday supports Minister Months statement
on this i point for PIT IT shows . that Davidson
tried. 1t is entirely improbable that he
ever will be tried in Chilli for rioring. as it
IS not TO be supposed that he would be
surrendered to the legal authorities of that
country, even should they be presump-
tuOus as TO demand his surrender.
A grave disparity is to be noted between
the findings of the CHILEAN district attor-
ney and the testimony collected from the
Baltimore sailors concerning the attack on
them. The reports of the medical officers
Of the vessel have reached the Navy De-
partment. Medical Inspector Cooke re-
porting on higgins death, says: After
receiving several wounds. not necessarily
fatal. he was struck by a rife ball which.
IN Its course, wounded the jugular vein.
Some of the wounds were inflicted post
norton. There Is good evidence,
according to reliable testimony, that the
liberty party from this ship, consisting of
III men, were assaulted in at least six diff
serent localities nearly simultaneously.
The attack was apparently premeditated."
In the case of cSai-heaver Tnrnbull the
inspector says: He died from py anna fol-
lowing an lncised wound penetrating the
left lung. He was taken to the hos
pital, He was first knocked down by
blow on the head with q stone and cut
while lying unconscious He was arrested
and taken unconscious to a prison ward.
The wound penetrated the pleura and
lung. He received eighteen or twenty
other stab wounds in the posterior. 1t was
impossible for the medical officers of the
ship to secure proper attention for him,
and attendance was entirely lacking at
night The police. though appealed to,
would not permit him to be removed to an
other ward. Finally, when it was reDre-
scented that Turnbull would probably die,
he and four others of our wounded men
were liberated and were taken aboard the
ship. Turnout died Oct %.
This attack was apparently premeditated
and inspired by hostility, which portion
of the CHILEAN people entertain toward
Americans"
The disparity referred to is evident when
it is noted that Minister Peraire's dispatch
says that only one isolated shot was
fired. 1t was from revolver.
The police carried Columbian rifles"
The medical officers report says
that Riggin was killed by rihe-ball and
that other men received bayonet wounds.
Turnbull was eighteen twenty times
stabbed In the back while lying uncon-
scIous on his face and Riggins's body was
stabbed after death. To reconcile these
statements with those made by the CHILEAN
minister will be a difficult task. but posi-
bly, the investigation now being conducted
by Judge Advoc ate-g general Remey at San
Francisco will throw O clearer light upon
the matter.