The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-01-27


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 10 ex'
tend protection, the case would still be one, In
my opinion, when its extent and character are
considered, involving international rights. The
incidents OF the affair are briefly as follows;
On the 10th OF October last, Capt Schley,
commanding the United States steamer Balti'
more, gave shore leave TO one hundred and sew.
enteen petty officers and sailors OF his ship
These men left the ship about 80 p. m No Incl
dent 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 D IN. Capt Schley states that
he was himself on shore and about the streets OF
the city until $50 p, m; that he met very many
Of his men who were upon leaves that
they were sober and were conducting them.
selves with propriety, saluting Chilean and
other officers as they met them Other of1cers
OF the ship aud Capt, Jenkins, Of the merchant
ship Keweenaw, cOrr0borated Capt Schley as
TO the general sobriety and good behavior OF
our men The sisters OF charity OF the hospital
TO which our wounded men were taken, when
inquired Of, stated thai they were sober when
received. II the situation had been otherwise
we must believe that the Chilean police author
tiles would have made arrests About o p. m.
the assault began, and II Is remarkable that the
investigation by the judge OF crimes, though so
protracted does not enable him TO give any
more satisfactory account OF It's origin that 1s
found In the statement that II began between
drunken suilors Repeatedly In the correspond
ence II Is asserted tnlt II was impossible tc
learn the precise cause OF the riot The minis
ter OF foreign affairs, Matta in his telegram tc
Mr.. Montt, under date Of December ~, states
that the quarrel began between two sailors in a
tavern and was continued In the street, persons
who were passing joining In IL,
The testimony OF Talbot, an apprentice who
was with Riggin, is that the outbreak in which
they were involved began by Chilean sailors
splitting In the face of Talbot, which was re
sented by a Rnock'down. II appears thai
Dtsrortn nd al kunr uf
companied by any others OF their shipmates.
These two men were Immediately beset by
crowd OF Chilean citizen, and sailors, through
which they broke their way TO street car ane
entered 1t for safety. They were pursued
driven from the car and Riggin was so seriously
beaten that he fell in the street apparently dead
There Is nothing in the report OF the chilean IN
vestgation made TO us that seriously lmpeaches
this testimony. II appears from ChileaI
sources that almost instantly with suddennesi
that strongly implies meditation and prepar
alton, mob, stated by the police authorities a.
one time 10 number 1000 and at another l,OOO
was engaged in the assault upon our sailors whs
are represented as resisting with stones, club
and bright arms The report OF the intendent
|. OF October 30 states that the fight began at6p
m. In three streets which are named; that infor
nation was received at the intendencia at 6:l5
and that the police arrived on the scene AZ 6:3O
full half hour after the assault began. AT tina
time he says that a mob OF 1000 men had col
lected and that for several squares there wal
The scene at this point is very graphically Sc,
before us by the Chilean testimony. Tn
American sailors who, after so long an examlna
tion, have not been found guilty OF any breacf
OF peace, so far as the Chilean authorities art
able to discover, unarmed and defenceless, ar,
fleeing for their lives, pursued by overwhelming
numbers, and fighting only 10 aid their own es
cape from death or 10 succor some mate whose
life Is in greater peril. Eighteen OF them art
orutaliy stabbed and beaten, while one Chilean
seems, from the report, TO have suffered som,
injury; but how serious or with what character
Of weapon or whether by missile thrown b!
our men or by some OF his fellow rioters, is un
AscertAined.
The pretense that our men were fighting with
stones, clubs and bright arms IL, In view o.
these facts, incredible. II IL further refuted b.
the fact that our prisoners, when searched, were
absolutely without arms, only seven penknivei
being found In the possession OF the men arrested
while there were received by our men more thar
thirty stab wounds, every one OF which was In
ficted in the back, and almost every confused
wound was In the back or back OF the head. The
evidence OF the ships oficer OF the day is thai
even the iackknivos OF the mon were taken from
them before leaving the ship.
As TO the brutal nature OF the Eeatment re
ceived by our men, the following extract from
the account given OF the affair by the La Patris
newspaper OF Valparaiso OF October II can moi
be regarded as too friendly: "The Yankees, as
soon as their pursuers gave chase, went by way
OF the Gale del Arsenal toAards the city car
station. In the presence OF an ordinary number
OF citizens, among whom were some sailors, the
North Americans took seats In the street car u
escape from the stones which the Chileans
threw Of them II was believed for an instant
that the North Americans had saved themselves
from popular fury, but such was not the case
Slowly had the car begun 10 move when crowo
gathered around and stopped its progress. I'm
der these circumstances and without any
cessation of the bowling and throwing
OF stones at the North Americans the
conductor entered the car ana seeing
the risk Of the situation TO the vehicle,
ordered them 10 get out At the instant the
sailors left the car, in the midst OF hail OF
stones the said conductor received a stone blow
on the head. One Of the Yankee sailors man
aged 10 escape In the direction OF the Plaz9
Wheelrght, but the other was felled 10 the
ground by o stone. Managing 10 raise himself
from the ground where he lay he staggered In an
opposite direction from the station In front Of
the house OF Senior Mazzini he was again wound
ed, falling then senseless and breathless.
No amount OF evasion or subterfuge is able e
cloud our clear vision OF this brutal work. II
should be noticed, In this connection, that the
American sailors arrested, for an examination,
were, during the four days following the arrest
every one discharged no charge OF any breach
OF the peace or other criminal conduct having
been sustained against single one OF them
The Judge OF crimes, Foster, In note TO the In
tendente, under date OF Oct 2s-before the dis
patch from this government OF the following
day, which aroused the authorities OF Chile 70
better sense OF the gnvlty OF the anair-says:
Having presided temporarily over this
court in regard 70 the seamen Of
the United States cruiser Baltimore irhc
hare been tried on account OF the deplorabh
conduct which took place" etc The notice
able point here II that our sailors had bees
tried before the I'D OF October, and that the
trial resulted In their acQuttal and return to
their vessel It quite remarkable and quite
characteristic OF the management OF this AFFAIR
by the Chilean police authorities, that we should
now be advised that Seaman Davidson, OF the
Aa.. lsaI d. Nha Ind
his ofense being, so far as have been able TO
ascertain that he attempted 10 defend ship
mate against an assailant who was striking AZ
him with knife, The perfect yindicatlon Of
our men is furnished by this report: one only Is
found TO have been guilty OF criminal fault and
that for an act clearly justiiiable.
As 10 the part taken by the police In the az
fair the case made by Chile Is also far from
satisfactory. The point where Riggln was
killed Is only three minutes walk from the police
station and not m 1rc than twice that distance
from the intcndoncia; and yet according 10
their oiiicial report. full half hour elapsed az
ter the assault bggIn before the police were
upon the ground II has been stated that oil but
two OF our men have said that the police did
their duty. The evidence taken NJ Mare
Island shows that II such statement was
procured from our men II was accomplished by
requiring them to sign writ In q language
they did not understand and by the representa-
tlon that Il was u mere declaration that they
had taken no part In the disturbance. Lieut.,
McCrea, who acted as Interpreter, says in his
evidence that when our sailors were examined
before the court the subject OF the
conduct OF the police was 30 carefully avoided
that he reported the fact 10 Capt Schley on his
return 10 the vessel. The evidence OF the exist
ence OF animoslty toward our sailors In the
minds OF sailors OF the Chilean navy and OF the
populace OF Valparaiso are so abundant
and various as 10 leave no doubt In the
minds OF any one who Will examine
the papers submitted IL manifested itself
In threatening and insulting gestures TO-
ward our men rs they passed the Chilean
men-of.war In their boats and In the derlsive
and abusive eplthets with which they greeted
every appearance OF On American sailor on the
evening OF the riot Capt Schley reports that
boats from the Chilean warships several times