Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-26

that the quarrel began between two sail
ora IN A tavern and was continued in the
street. persons who were passing joining
in 1t.
rAIHor's NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
The testimony of Talbot. an apprentice.
who was with Riggin. is thai the outbreak
in which tbev were involved began Dy
Chilean sailor splitting in the face OF Talbot
which was resented bya knock-down. IL
sppears tbat.Riggin and Talbot were at the
time uraccompanied bv any other OF tbeir
shipmates. These men were immed'ateiy
beset by a crowd Of Chilean citizens ana
sailors, through which they broke their
way fQ.a street-car ana entered IL loI
safety. They we're pursued. driven from
the car. and Riggin was so seriously beaten
that ne fell in the street apparently dead.
There is nothing in the report OF the
Chilean investigation made to us that seri-
ously impeaches this testimony.
CHILEAN EVIDENCE.
II appears from Chelean. sources tnat
almost instantly. with suddenness that
STRONGLY implies generalization and
preparation. a mob, stated by the police
Authorities at one time 10 number 2,0UO
aud at another 1000, was engaged In the
assault upon our sailors. who are repre-
scnted with resisting with stones, cups
and BRIGHT arms The report of the In
tende Of October Both states that tne ngn.
began az + p. NJ. IN three streets, which
are named. that the information OF 1t was
received at the Intendencla at G:15 ana
that the Dolice arrived on the scene at
go a full half-hour after the assault be-
pan. Az that time he says that mob or
30 4, mon had collected. and teat for seve-
rai squares there was the appearance OF
o real battlefield.
GRAPHIC PIcrUHE OF THE FIGHT.
The scene at this point is very graphi-
cally set before us by the Chilean testimo-
ny. The American sailors who. after so
long an examination, have not been found
guilty Of anv breach OF the peace. so far
a. the Chilean authorities are able TO dis
cover. unarmed and defenceless. are fee
ing for their lives. pursued by oyerwhelm-
inc numbers. and fighting only TO aid their
own escape from death or to succor some
mate whose life is III greater peril:
Eighteen of them are brutally stabbed
and beaten. while one Chilean seems from
the report to have suffered some injury,
but how serious, or with what character
.of weapon. or whether by missile thrown
by our men or by some of his fellow-riot-
ers. is unascertalned.
OUR MEN WITHOUT ARMS.
The pretence that our men were fighting
with stones. clubs and bright weapons
is, in view of these facts. incredible. IL is
further refuted by the tact that our pri-
soners. when searched. were absolutely
without arms only seven pen-knives being
found IA the possession of the men arrest
ed. while there were received by our men
more than thirty stab-wounds. every one
OF which was inflicted In the back. and
almost every confused wound was in the
back or the back of the head. The eyi-
dence Of the ships officer of the day Is
that even the jack-knives OF the men were
taken from them before their leaving the
ship.
BRUTAL TREATMENT OF THE YANKEES
As to the brutal natul Of the treatment
received by our men, the following ex-
tract from the account gwen OF the affair
by the La Pairid newspaper. OF Valparaiso.
of October 18th, cannot be regarded as too
friendly THE Yankees. rs soon es thor
pursuers gave chase, went by way OF the
Gale del Arsenal towards 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 10 escape from tEe
stones which the Chieans threw at them.
IL was believed for an instant that the
North Americans had saved themselves
from the popular fury, but such was not
the case. Scarcely had the car begun 10
move when a crowd gathered around
and stopped its progress. Under these
circumstances and without any ces.
sation of the howllng and throwing OF
stones 40 the North Americans the con-
duetor entered the car. and seeing the risk
of the situation TO the vehicle ordered
them to get out. At the instant the sail
ors left the car, in the midst OF q hail OF
stones, the said conductor received stone
blow on the head. One of the Yankee sail
ors managed to escape IN the direction OF
the Plaza Wheelright, but the other was
felled to the ground by a stone. Managing
to raise himself from the grounl where he
Law he staggered in an opposite erection
from the station. In front of tn house
of Senior Mazzini he was again wounded,
falling then se1seless and breathlVss.
THE ARREsTID sKAsiEy DIscBlgGED.
No amount of evasion or subterfuge is
able 10 cloud our clear vision of this brutal
work. IL should be noticed in this con-
nection that the American sailors arrested
after an examination were, during the
four days following the arrest, every one
discharged. no charge of any breach of
the peace or other criminal con-
duet having been sustained against q
single one of them. The Judge of Grimes
(Foster) in note TO the lntendente. under
date of October 22d. before the dispatch
from this Government of the following
day. which aroused the authorities Of
Chile to better sense of the gravity Of
the affair. was received. says: Having
presided temporarily over this court In
regard TO the seamen OF the United States
cruiser Baltimore, tct0 hare been tried on
account of the deplora5le conduct
which took place." etc. The noticeable
point here is that our sailors had been
tried before the Odd Of October and that
the trial resulted in their acquittal and
return TO their vessel. IL Is quite remark
able and quite characteristic of the man
arement OF this affair by the Chilean po-
lice authorities that we should now be adj
vised that Seaman Davidson, of the Balti-
more. has been included in the indict-
ment, his offence being, so far as l have
been able TO ascertain, that he attempted
to defend shIpmate against an assailant
who was striking at him with knife. The
perfect vlndication of our men Is furnish
ed by this report; one only Is found 10
have been guilty of criminal fault, and
that for an act clearly justltable."
PART OF THE CHILEAN POLICE.
As TO the part taken by the police in the
affair. the case made by Chile IL also far
from satisfactory. The point where Rig
Gin was killed is only three minutes walk
from the police. station and not more than
twice that distance from the Intendencia,
and~yet, according to their official report.
a full half hour elapsed after the assault
began before the police were upon the
ground. 1t has been stated that all but
two of our men have said that the police
did their duty. The evidence taken
at Mare Island shows that if such q
statement was procured from our men
IT was accomplished by requiring them to
sign writing in language they did not
understand and by the representation that
il was q mere declaration that they had
taken no part in the disturbance. Liei-
tenant McCrea, who acted as interpreter,
saws in his evidence that when our sailors
were examined before the court the sub
iect of the conduct of the police was 40
carefully avoided that he reported the fact
to Captain Schley on his return to the
vessel.
ANIMOSITY EVIDENT.
The evidences of the existence OF AMI
mostly towards our sailors in the minds OF
the sailors of the Chilean navy and OF the
populacs of Valparaiso are so abundant
and various as 10 leave no doubt IN the
mind of any one who will examine the
papers submitted. IL manifested itself IN
threatening and insulting gestures towards
our men as they passed the Chilean men,
ofwar IN their boats and in the derIsiye
and abusive epithets with which they