The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-01-20
The PrOcuratOr FiscaI's Version
OF the Baltimore Affair.
CONFLICT OF TESTIMONY
The Trouble Began by Two American Sailors
Resenting Splitting in Their Faces-FlnaI
Findings and Recommendations.

ne undertook to transfer them to any de-
parting steamer, an6 neither could the gov
eminent prevent any steamer on which
they took passage from being
SEARCHED IN ANY GILLIAN PORT
at which the vessel might touch while on
her way north. There was no change of
mind on the part of the CHILEAN authorities
IN regard to the refugees. In proof of this
1t is only necessary to look at the facts by
the following statement from
nigh authority: at is claimed
the government is powerless in the
premises. The government of Chila has
no right under the constitution of the
country 10 interfere with the courts or
public prosecutors, and could not prevent
Tue seizure OF the refugees in any port of
Chln they touched at on their way in any
direction to neutral portn
ms plain and direct statement of the
law and facts should put at rest the notion
II any such exists, that the surrender of
Inc refugees to the American authorities
naQ stout tight string attached TO it.
The report of the procurator fiscal TO
tne Judge OF crimes III the Baltimore affair
mas Deen given the public and there has
Deen time to examine 1t. This document
contains about eight thousand words. 1t
says efforts were directed from the first to
ASCERTAIN THE ORIGIN OF THE TROUBLE,
but were unavailing. Several different &C
counts were received. The commandment of
police states the row began in some I'M
known cavern In one part of the city. An
other witness says it began by American
sailors beating a Gillian sailor in an alto
gether different part of the town. The
police say it began with fight between a
the dnH
can, and last of all, the incident is reported
to have commended by some Chilians spit
ting in the faces of
TWO AMERICAN SAILORS
on the street. A crowd near by was
waiting to attack them should they resent
the insult, so it was said at the time The
Baltlmore's men refused TO get off a tram
car, but the crowd stopped the car and
hauled the men out, beating them with
sticks and stones and knitting them. The
procurator fiscal has accepted the story that
the trouble began with the resenting by
the Americans of the splitting in their
faces.
For all that, my information leads me to
believe the attack broke out Simultaneous
~ In different parts of the city as charged
IN President Harrisen's message This is
denied by the ChiIians and the procurator
sorting the fight owes its origin to two
drunken Baltimore sailors striking q Chill
Ian sailor. He then recounts the list of
injured and says it has only been possible
to establish
THE CULPABILITY OF FOUR MEN.
The testimony of James johnson and
Charles Langln, two of the Raltlmore's
crew, whose testimony was taken here.
in ia fOl cuip
"How is it if, as Johnson deposes. thew
left the house together and went together
to the scene of the occurrence! It. results
they did not know each other. Had they
spoken to each other until they met at the
scene of Boatswains Mate higgins deatha
How is it that before knowing Langin
johnson deposes that on the day of the
occurrence they were dining together in a
boarding house! Johnson also says that on
the day of the occurrence he dined to-
gether with Langin in an eating house on
Cochraue street. Moreover, is it possible
that the act of raising wounded man and
knowing If he walks or not could pass un-
observed under such or any other circum-
stances! The conclusion drawn is that
persons who indulge in such inconsistent
cies are
NOT WORTHY OF BELIEF"
He says further their testimony is contra
dicted by that of numerous witnesses
which fully proves this. 1t is not possible
to attribute Higgins death to the police.
but it was the work of some unknown per-
son thus far undetected. 81 will add the
testimony IF those numerous witnesses is
as full of inconsistencies as that of John
son and Langin. Further, their testimony
confirms much OF Johnson's and Langin's
such as the raising of Riggin, calling for
liquor, holding Higgins head on Johnson's
shoulder, hearing shots, etc, but no one
testifies who fired the shot. Langin's tes-
timony substantiates this.
"When Riggin rose the first time two
policemen came up. They drew short
swords and
KNOCKED HIM DOWN AGAIN
then stood back and let the crowd beat him,
Afterwards squad of soldiers approached
and marched by. 1t was under command of
mounted officer. They marched to with
in six feet of where Johnson was holding
Riggin in his arms. There they halted and
the first two soldiers leveled their rifles
and fired at the two American sailors.
II was about fifteen feet off on one side"
continued Langin. mo one was between
me and them, the crowd being back of the
soldiers at that moment. No other shots
were fired by any one. l distinctly saw
the
at the Baltimore's men and fire. The
crowd had drawn back when the soldiers
came up, leaving clear passage between
Riggin and the soldiers. After the frat
shot was fired the soldiers pressed forward
little and l could not see the second man
who fired, but rm sure it was one of the
leading soldiers who fired"
AS many witnesses exist who are ready
to say the shot was fired by the police as
there are that deny it. Then follows the
report of an expert on bullet holes. He
says:
Opinion is divided on this point among
doctors still, and while they assert the
opinion 1t was
CAUSED By 4 RIFLE BULLET,
it is rejected because they gave no reason
for their opinion"
Drs. Cavello and Calderon maintain they
cannot tell if a bullet caused Higgins
death, and give as reason they saw the
| body the day after death. This is accepted.
Two Gillian experts express the opinion
I the holes in the shirt may have been made
bya large sized revolver, but can give no
opinion as to what caused the holes in the
neckerchief Lieutenant McCree expresses
! the same opinion, but says the hole in the
shirt was caused by rifle bullet He
made strong point of the fact the report
of fire arms was so slight, Notwithstanding
the evidence there was great tumult in
| the street.
THE EVIDENCE IS CONFLICTING
as to whether one or two shots were fired.
The procurator tries to make strong point
| in the following language in order to dem
onstrate the falsity Of the assertion of