New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-21
CRITICISED BY CAPTAIN SCHLEY.
DISCUSSING IN DETAIL THE REPORT or THE
pROCURATOR FIsCAL OF YALPARAI.o.

DISCUSSING IN DETAIL THE REPORT or THE
PRoCURATOR FISCAL OF YALPARAf>o.
Vallejo cal. Jan 2o-Captair Schlcy. Of the
cruiser Baltimore. was shown today the report of
the Procurator Fiscal Of Valparaiso, published this
morning He said d" am not at all surprised by this
report Such conclusion We're rendered necessary to
sIl- tain the Chilan contentious In the case
Captain Schlcy then went oyer tho report and dis
cusscd IL in detail. Regarding the rejection by the
prOcurdtor Of Ian rOn and JOhns0n'S Testimony, on
the ground that their stories did not agrrc perfectly
the captain said Those two men were our strongest
witnesses. and tc,tfylng as they did, directly TO the
shooting OF Riggin by the soldiers the court had to
find some plea for rejecting their evidence and hit on
the fact that they appeared not to have known cach
other before the riot occurred. This Is very natural
Laugon wa, not a member Of the lam0rcS crew at
thi, time. He sailor on an American NC>aol
wrecked In Valparaiso llarbOr some DAYS before ana
enlisted on the Baltimore week after the riot ~
for the statement that the men dncd together IN IN
eating house on the day Of the riot. 1t might wen DO
that the two could stay at the same ho'cl WIFI
out meeting each other.
"Ip fact there 4 no possible doubt that Rlggin was
killed by rifle bullet fired by soldiers. johnson was
STOPPING over supporting Higgin on hls lei arm ana
shoulder The soldiers fired at only SIX iec uiS'''c
The bullet pierced the shirt and handhercnei covering
tlc shoulder aud then struck IdgSh III Tie heoh' III
dieting wound the doctors say. that caused instant
cred JOhnson's shirt. This shirt was SHOWN 10 TIE
Valparaiso court and yet the Fiscal states tiat he
rcjccls John,on's testimony because there We're no
blood stains on his sleeve. as there must nave Do'h
if his story were true. The ProcuratoTs statement
that 40 one testified who fired the sho's Is HlSc 'S
both johnson and Langon testified that the soldiers
fired them
Regarding the dispute rs to the weapon rom wmch
the bullet that killed Rlggin was fired Captain Schley
said The day after the riOtlng Valparaiso pager
stated that one Of the Baltlmore's men hred at
policeman missed him. and Killed Riggin. This the
ory vas at once seized upon by the Chians but when
Ricgins's body was examined 1t was found that the
bulley had passed through oyer niue inches OF the
erme,t tissues I'm the human body, passed through
veriebrae shaterng them. then through The shoulder
blade and after all tlds left the body on the other
side with such velocity that the flesh was hardly torn
AT all There IS no pistol In existence that
could nllct such a wound rs this. There Is
no possible doubt the ball came from rifle But was
necessary for the Chans prove that was revolver
vound I'm order 10 exonorac the police and they there
fore called I'm two physicians experts Only one OF
tbc,s men was really a physician. the other being
merely n bo,pital steward and one, who had never
axomined Ricpn,s body testified that the wound was
,s,ctea NV n plstoI bullet. This gave the court an
nse to reject the entire testimony Lieutenant
NcCr,e and Dr. White. OF the baltimore made careinl
80 nv firing pistol and rife balls through shirt
and neekercllef like JoiDsons over plece VI mfiAi-