Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-25
CHILE MUST APOLOGIZE


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be involved raises an international question;
but am clearly of the opinion that where such
sailors or orhcers are assaulted by a resident
populace, animated by hostility to the Govern
ment whose uniform these sailors and officers
wear and in resentment Of acts done by their
Government, not by them their nation
must take notice of the event as one in
volving an infraction Of its rights and dignity
not IN a secondary way, as where a citizen is in
lured and presents his claim through his own
Government, but in a primary way precisely
as II Its minister or consul the flag itself had
been the object of the same character of as
sauit. The officers and sailors of the Balti-
more were in the harbor of Valparaiso under
the orders OF their Government, not by their
own choice. They were upon the shore by the
implied invitation of the Government of Chile
and with the approval of their commanding
oihcer. and it does not distinguish their case
from that OF consul that his stay is me re per-
manent or that he holds the express invitation
OF the local government to justify his longer
residence. Nor does it affect the question that
the injury was the act of a mob. II there had
been no participation by the police or military
IN this cruel work and no neglect on their part
to extend protection. the case would still be
one IN my opinion. when its extent and char
acter are considered, involving international
rights.
THE INCIDENTS OF THE AFFAIR.
The incidents of the affair are, briefly, as
follows:
On the 10th Of October last Capt Schley,
commanding TIE U s. s. Baltimore, gave shore
leave to ono hundred and seventeen petty Off
GERS and sailors Of his snip. These men left
the ship about 1:30 p. n. No incident of violence
occurred none of orr men were arrested; no
complaint was lodged against them; nor did
any collision or outbreak occur until about 6
O'Clock pm 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
w louy hot HOY
sober and were conducting themselves with
propriety, salutng Chilean and other officers
as they met them. Other officers of the ship
and Capt Jenkins of the merchant ship Kewee-
nav, corroborate Capt Schley as to the general
sobriety and good behavior oil our
men. The Sisters of Charity at
the hospital to which our wounded men
were taken, when inquired of, stated that they
were sober when received. Ii the situation
had been otherwise. we must believe that the
Chilean police authorities would have made nr-
rests. About pm. the assault began, and it
Is remarkable that the investigation by the
Judge OF crimes, though SO protracted, does
net enable him TO give any more satisfactory
account OF its origin than Is found in the state
ment that 1t began between drunken sailors
Repeatedly IN the correspondence it is asserted
that 1t was impossible TO learn the precise cause
OF the riot The minister of foreign affairs
Malta, in his telegram to Mr.. Mont, under
date December 81, states that the quarrel be-
gan Ott"teu Two baliOEb III tavern anu was
continued in the street, persons who were pass
ing joining in it.
The testimony of Talbot, an apprentice who
was with Riggm, is that the outbreak in which
they were involved began by a Chilean sailor
splitting In the face of Talbot, which was re-
scented by knock down. 1t appears that Rig
gin and Talbot were at the time unaccom-
panied by any others of their shipmates These
two men were Immediately beset by a crowd of
Chilean citizens and sailors, through which
they broke their way to a street car and en-
tered it for safety. They pursued, driven
from the car, and Riggin was seriously
beaten that he fell Ill the street apparently
dead. There is nothing in the report OF the
Chilean investigation made to us that
seriously impeaches this testimony. 1t appears
from Chilean sources that almost instantly,
with suddenness that strongly implies medita-
ton and preparation mob, stated by the
police authorities at one time to number 1000
and at another 1000, was engaged in the as
sault upon our sailors, who are represented as
resisting with stones, clubs and bright arms"
The report OF the intendente of October 30
states that the fight began at 6 pm. in three
streets which are named, that information was
received at the lntendencia at els, and that the
police arrived on the scene at ESQ, full half
hour after the assault began At that time he
says that a mob of 2,00Q men had collected. and
that for several squares there was the appear
ance of a real battlefield"
The scene at this point is very graphically set
before us by the Chilean testimony. The Amer
lean sailors. who, after SO long an examination
have not been found guilty of any breach of
the peace, SO far the Chilean authorities are
able to discover. unarmed and dcfenseless are
fleeing for their lives pursued by overwhelming
numbers. and fighting only to aid their own
escape from death or to succor some mate
whose lie 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 IL missile
thrown by our men or by some Of his fellow
rioters, is unascertained.
AN INCREDIBLE PRErENsE.
The pretense that our men we're fighting
with ''stones. clubs and bright arms is, in
view of these facts. incredible. 1t is further
refuted by the fact that our prisoners, when
searched. were absolutely without arms. only
seven penknives being found In the possession
OF the men arrested, while there were received
by our men more than thirty stab wounds
every one Of which was inflicted in the buck
and almost every confused wound was in the
back or back of the head. The evidence of the
ships officer OF the day Is that even the jack
knives of the men were taken from them be-
fore leaving the ship.
As to the brutal nature of the treatment re-
ceived by our men, the following extract from
the account given OF the affair by the La Pat
ria newspaper, OF Valparaiso, of October II,
1.-The Yankees, AS soon as their pursuers gave
chase, went by way Of the Gale del Arsenal
toward 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 to escape from the stones
which the Chieans threw at them. 1t was be-
lIeveG for an instant that the North Americans
had saved themselves from popular fury, but
such was not the case. Scarcely had the car
begun to move. when a crowd gathered around
and stopped its progress. Under these circum-
stances and without any cessation of the howl
ing ard throwing of stones at the North Ameri-
cans, the conductor entered the car and, seeing
the risk OF the situation to the vehicle ordered
them to get out. At the instant the sailors left
tho Car, In tie midst of q hail of stones, the
head. One of the Yankee sailors managed to
escape Ill the direction of the Plaza Wheel
riSht, but the other was felled to the ground
by stone. Managing to raise himself from
the ground where he lay he staggered in an op-
posite direction from the station. In front of
the house of Senior Mazzini he was again
wounded, falling then senseless and breath
less"
THE BRUTAL WORK.
No amount of evasion or subterfuge is able
to cloud our clear vision of this brutal work.
1t should be noticed in this connection that
the American sailors arrested, after an ex-
animation, were, during tho four days follow
Ing the arrest, every one discharged, no charge
OF any breach of the peace u other criminal
conduct having been sustained against a SIM lc