Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-12
CHILEAN BRUTALITY.
Horrible Treatmeut OF m American Sailor
BY Police Omciais.

OF AMERIcASs-srA-EMESrs ooRRoBoRATED.
The Attorney General has received a report
from U. S. District Attorney Carter at San
Francisco transmitting transcript Of record
Of the examination conducted by him Of the
officers and crew of the American steamer
keweenaw. one Of whom, Patrick Shields, was
cruelty treated by Chilean officials while the
ship was in the harbor at Valparaiso in the su-
tumu. In the light Of the pending controversy
with Chile about the treatment of the crew Of
the u s. S. Baltimore this testimony is consid-
cred intensely interesting, as showing that the
statements of the crew of the man of war con-
corning the feeling Of Chile against the United
States have not been exaggerated in the least
AN AMERICAN SEAMAN ARRESTED.
The keweenaw is a steel steamer belonging
to the Saginaw Steel Steamship Company of New
Jersey. managed by James Jerome OF Saginaw,
Mich. She carries the American flag She Law
IN the harbor of Valparaiso in the latter part OF
last October, on her way from New York TO
San Francisco. and Patrick Shields, a fireman.
was given liberty and while ashore was arrested
by Chilean policemen and jailed, without
being accused of any misdemeanor. The story
| OF his cruel, almost inhuman treatment was
| told by himself to the district attorney under
| oath and corroborated by the entire ships
u
paisied and at times partially demented-
SHIELDS STATEMENT.
When Shields was arrested, he claims he was
| perfectly sober, and on leaving barber shop
he was accosted by two policemen, who asked
for money. He refused to give and was ar
rested and locked in jail. In the morning he
was discharged. and after purchasing a new cap
to replace one that had been stolen from him
in jail he was again arrested. This a
Sunday morning. and the man was kept n
prisoner for nine days without the least charge
having been made against him. His name was
not registered at the Jail He was made to
work in the streets and was treated brutally by
the officers in charge of the gang Of prisoners,
being beaten or kicked whenever he stopped
for moment to rest In the yard at the Jail
the prisoners were made to clean the horses Of
the government.
PAINFULLY MALTREATED.
On the streets and in the yard Shields we
fearful!y maltreated. He was beaten from the
back of his head down the back. His back was
as black as q hat and he was severely cut on
the temples. This abuse was kept up for nine
days. He was struck with heavy stick and
with tho handle of n heavy street bro pm sew
eral times day, being frequently knocked
down by the officers in charge. His body was
terribly bruised, and when he went back to his
ship he was unable to lift his hands or arms or
turn over in his bed.
When asked by the district attorney what ex-
cuse was given for this treatment Shields
answered that the only reason was that he was
an American. There was no complaint about
his not working. The other prisoners, except
a fellow sailor named Mckinstry. who escaped,
were native Chileans, and therefore were not
mistreated Shields had no trial or examina-
ton whatever. Bernard Flanagan. a member
OF the crew OF the keweenaw, went to the jail
with an interpreter to ask for him, but the Off
GERS denied his presence.
TURNED LOOSE AFTER NINE DAYS BRUTAL TREAT
MENT.
After nine days of the most brutal treatment.
series of kicks, cuffs and knock downs, Shields
was turned into the streets one nigh: and told
to go away. He wen. with difficulty to the
dock, but had no money to hire a boat to go
out to his ship. He found the Office of the
American consul but il was locked, and Shields
had to go out of town to the rocks of the cliffs
in order to pass the night in security from the
police.
ARRESTED A THIRD TIME.
Early the next morning -Wednesday-he
went down into town again and at the first
street encountered a policeman. who arrested
and locked him up. Again there was no charge
made against him. The policemen knew no
English. Shields was placed at work upon the
streets and, to use his words, Il was beaten so
that l will remember it all the days ofmy life. 7"
he tried to follow the example Of q couple OF
natives who escaped, but he was captured
| about half a mile from the prison by two
policemen, who beat him for the entire dis
| lance on the way back. One Of them carried
a bar Of iron yard long, with which he con-
tinually threatened to brain him. The other
had stick Of wood the same length tied to his
wrist with a thong, and Shields was beaten
ceaselessly over the back and shoulders.
HOW THEY BEAT HIM.
In ia faa ~ 1daao
me into the yard another policeman pulled me
round and beat me with this stick with the
leather upon it until was quite stupid.
stood there for a couple Of minutes. / got a
drink Of water. They started me to work
again. One policeman, with side whiskers,
came up and hit me two bats on the head with
a long broom. He knocked me down and
again and hit me in the back Of the head and
on the back near my kidneys. After that
don't know anything at all About an hour
after that was picked up and carried over
to a place to rest After l came to myself
1 looked round and see a young fellow
standing alongside and I asked him to
get me a drink. He got it for me.
l came to my senses, and I got up and heaved
off lot of blood suppose about q quart of
blood. 1t was running out of my nose and ears
/ heayed up quart of thick blood out of my
body. They wanted me to go and carry hay
then. couldn't do that was not fit to move
/ did not know anything at all. couldnt tell
my own name at the time. Then they put me
to work to scour bride bits for the horses
There were over 200 horses. They put me to
scour them sitting down. I secured them on
up to 5 o'clock. Then was let in about $50
and kept there until Saturday and treated all
the same. II stood Up for half q minute
was hit
MORE BRUTAL TREATMENT.
He was compelled to carry an iron bedstead,
weighing $50 pounds, on his shoulders for
three or four miles. He did not know why he
was mado to do this. He was SO weak that he
had to lie down a hundred times before he
reached his destination. after that" con-
tinued Shields, Il was beaten all the time. In
fact, could not tell you when was beaten
and when not, because l was beaten all
the time was in there, except the last two
days, until became silly Rs child. They
did not beat me on Sunday and Monday, so as
to let my scars get well before they let me
out"
Shields says that he saw the other prisoners
going before the magistrate, but the Chileans
would not allow him q trial. They made no
accusation against him. He asked q hundred
times to &C and see the consul, but the Chill
cans laughed and pointed their swords at him.
He slept in q place about q foot from the
ground, made OF stones and cement, with no
bedding. although the natives had bedding.
Finally the officer in charge released Shields,
telling him he could 60 away.
HARDLY ABLE TO WALK.
Tn reply to n question about hia condition