The morning call., 1892-06-14
THE CHILEAN OUTRAGES.
Status Of the Claims of the Bal.
timOre's Sailors.
They Demand in All Over $4,000 600 The
Government Moving Very Slowly
in the Matter

On Sunday night F. AlIeyne Orr, the at
torney and counselor, Of this city, who has
charge of the cases of number Of the sail
ors of the cruiser Baltimore, who were i'm
prlsoned and otherwise maltreated In Chile
during The late rebellion In that country,
returned from Washington City, where he
went 10 consult with the officials of the
State and Navy departments of the Govern
ment regarding the claims OF his clients.
MIR. Orr is of Scotch Irish descent, and
has made international law careful study.
When seen yesterday he said:
my trip East. so far as the particular
business which called me there is con-
cerned. was a most pleasant one, otherwise
1t was one Of experiences of climatic
changes which | certainly hope never to be
called upon to endure again.
81 went to Washington, something over .
month ago. TO look after the eases of some
of the men who were on the Baltimore and
we're abused by the Chilean Government.
In al there are SO cases for indemnity for
outrages perpetrated pending against the
Government of Chile. OF these 81 are
brought by sailors on board the cruiser
Baltimore and two by men aboard the Ke-
weeuaw. Among these is the case of Patrick
Shields, which was mentioned by President
Harrison in his message TO Congress on the
subject as a fair specimen of the indignities
10 which the American sailors were sub
jeeted by the Chileans.
II had interviews with all the officials Of
the State aud Navy departments and found
them interested in the matter. but inclined
to move with the utmost caution.
The outTages for which indemnities are
claimed were committed on October IA,
1891, and up TO the present time the Govern
ment has done nothing in the matter. so you
can see they propose to make no mistakes
through undue haste.
Il was informed that the State Depart
ment would make no demand upon the
Chilean Government in the matter before
November next The Chilean Congress is
main sitting until January next.
''lt Is now certain that the claims as origin
ally presented by the men will be greatly
reduced by our Government. and that in
stead OF presenting each claim separately
the United States will demand lump
sum, which will be afterward divided
among ths men. The Washington Post
says the total of the claims will be reduced
in the demand by our Government TO be-
tween S400,00U and 100000. The total Of
the claims presented reaches over s., 50O, coo.
The reduction, If the figures of the Post are
correct, seems TO me TO be unjustly great
Taking the cases cited in the history OF in
demnity claims, IL seems almost unjust
England made China pay S45O. COO for Mar
gary's death alone. and the United States
made China pay S31, 800 for Edwards i'm
prisonmeBt of less than "a hours when he
was liberated with profuse apologies. Oar
men were not only imprisoned but some of
them shamefully abused and others were
killed, yet the claim of the relatives of
Riggn, one of the men killed, is only for
100000.
''At any rate. talk about the claims being
reduced at this time is premature. The
State Department will do nothing in that d.
rection until the arrival of Minister Patrick
Egan at Washington, which will not be un-
til September or October. In Egan the ad-
ministration has the greatest confidence.
and upon his report much will depend as to
the size of the indemnify. Egan just now
Is waging a warfare against the Chilean
Government trying to collect the claims of
Americans interested in the Peruvian inter
beds.
when the indemnity Is recovered it is
probable that 1t will never go into the Court
of Claims for distribution. but will most
likely be distributed as in the Virginius
affair under Grants administration, VIZ: by
direction of the President, who will, with
the State Department, divide the sum
among the claimants. There are AZ or 43