Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-12
THE VALLEJO INQUIRY.
A Most Damning Case Made Against the
Chileana.


Chileans.
VALLEJO, CAL, Jan. 11.-Nothing very
new was elected at the Baltimore ex-
animation today, the evidence being
chiefly directed to corroborating that
already taken. and to showing the per-
nicious activity of the Valparaiso police
on the day of the riot. Some score OF
witnesses were examined. All of them
were arrested by the police and confined
for from four to five days. The great
majority of these did not even know
there had been riot until they were ar
rested and taken to Jail where they
found their bruised and bleeding ship
mates. Several witnesses testified that
the police first made known their desire
to arrest them by attacking them from
behind, striking them with the butts of
their guns or cutlasses. None of these
men made any resistance, although two
or three, startled by the sudden assault,
tried to run away. In such cases they
were chased by mounted officers,
knocked down and beaten. One was
stabbed by a policeman with fixed
bayonet, and did not recover from the
wound for twenty-six days.
The search for the men who expressed
to the Valparaiso court their approval of
the action of the police during the riot,
as claimed by the procurator fiscal in
his report, is becoming almost as hope
less as the inquiry for the "man that
struck Billy Patterson Although
nearly fifty sailors, including all that
were arrested in Valparaiso, have been
examined, not one admits that he made
such a statement, while a, least two
thirds of them tell tales of brutality at
the hands Of either police or soldiers.
The remainder of the day was taken
up with testimony as to the sobriey of
Riggin and Turnbull, the two men who
were murdered. The universal testi-
mony is that they were both sober very
shortly before being attacked. No one
witnessed the attack ON Turnbull, or
knows the circumstances. He ia the
one who received eighteen knife wounds
in the back and died in few days from
the effects. He made dying statement,
which will probably be put in evidence
tomorrow.
The first witness today was James M.
Tllley, colored. He testified that three
or four days before the riot at Valparaiso
he was warned by young man on the
mole that mob of Chileans were pre-
pairing to mob the crew of the Baltimore
as soon as they came ashore. He was
not ashore on the 10Th.
ID. McWilliams saw no riot. He was
arrested in front of hotel on Cochran
street. He did not then know of apv
disturbance. He lodged the police and
fed, and was followed by mounted
policeman, who lassoed him, caught him
and struck him with the fat of a sabre.
The police put nippers on McWilliams
and dragged him roughly to Jail. On
the way one of the soldiers called him
insulting names and struck him. He
never expressed approval of the action
of the police; he was unarmed and
sober.
John Rooney spent the afternoon in
the upper part of town. About dark he
started to the Hotel Americana to spend
the night. While walking on the street
the police seized him and put nippers
on his wrist. He said be wanted to 90
on board ship and policeman struck
him with the butt of his gun, inficting
wound that laid him up for three
days. He was not resisting; he never
expressed approval of the action of the
police; he was unarmed and sober.
Warren Brown, a fireman on the Bal
timore, saw no rioting; he was on Es-
meralda street with j. w. Friez OF the
Baltimore. Both were sober and walk
ing quietly to the mole, when six SOL
diers and policeman came up una
wares behind them and began beating
them with cutlasses and guns. The po-
lice then tied witness hands behind his
back, and when thus helpless one struck
him in the face with his fist. He was
not resisting in any way. Witness never
expressed approval Of the action of the
police.
John w. Friez, a fireman, told the same
story as Brown. Soldiers came up with
out any warning from behind and
struck them down. This was his first
intimation Of the presence OF soldiers.
They then put nippers on his wrist,
mangling it, and took him to Jail. He
was stunned by blows and hardly knew
ltt