Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-20
CHILE's INDEMNITY.
What She Oners in Compensation for the
Killing OF the Baltimore Sailors.

"no1 Sne Ouen In Compensation Tor the
Killing OF the Baltimore Sailors.
The government Of Chile has notified the
Secretary Of State that the sum Of $4,000 in
gold is rendered as indemnity for the killing
and injuring Of certain sailors OF the United
States cruiser Baltimore by q Chilean mob ut
Valparaiso October 16, 1891. The United States
government has accepted the offer and con-
siders it q fair and generous settlement.
The Department of State has not yet decided
upon what basis the money will be distributed
among the men for whom it is intended, and it
is not known whether the President will divide
it or it viii be given attention by Congress.
PROBABLE MODE OF DISTRIBUTION.
The larger sums, Of course, will be given to
the families of the two men who we're killed
and the remainder will be divided among some
forty seamen, who suffered more or less from
the violence Of the mob. The pro rata for the
latter may be fixed BY the nature and extent Of
the injuries which the men received. which
facts can be ascertained from the ships sur
geon. The extravagant claims made by the
seamen through their attorneys will cut no
figure at all in the distribution.
THE NEGOTIATIONS.
Negotiations in the matter of the settlement
were resumed upon the entrance into the
Chilean cabinet of the.present minister offGeign
affairs Senior Errazuriz, last month, when he
communicated to Mr.. Egan the disposition Of
the Chilean government to come to an adjust
ment Of the Baltimore indemnity. On July
Mr.. Egan was informed by Secretary Foster
that the President was much gratified at the in
dication received of the disposition of the
Chilean government, and that he did not doubt
that it would be ready to make liberal indem-
nifty to the families Of the deceased and to the
wounded survivors, and Mr.. Egan was in
structed to ascertain the views of the minister
Of foreign affairs on the subject.
Under date of the 18th instant Senior Errazu-
riz addressed Mr. Egan note placing at the
disposal Of the latter the sum of S75 900 in gold
asking him to cause it to be distributed among
the families Of the two seamen who lost their
lives and to the surviving members of the crew
wounded in the affair of October 16.
On the 18th instant Mr.. Egan replied, cor
daily accepting the offer of the Chilean govern
ment as a frank. friendly and satisfactory set
Element Of the deplorsble occurrences at Valpa-
raise.
NOT DIPLOMATIC PRECEDENT.
The Baltimore indemnity finds nc exact
precedent in the diplomatic history Of this
country. Probably the case nearest in point is
that of the Virginius, seized on the high seas by
a Spanish gunboat and taken into a Cuban port,
where O number Of the crew and passengers
were summarily shot on the charge Of being en-
gagged in an insurrectionary movement. Some
Of the sufferers were citizens of the United
States and some British subjects. The Spanish
government paid to the United States for each
sailor and citizen killed about $4,000. The
British government received for each colored
subject shot 81 500 and s2,500 for each white
subject
In the recent instance of the italian prison.
ers killed by the mob at New Orleans the
United States paid to Italy the lump sum of
$4,000. 1t was claimed that four of the pris-
oners killed were unquestionably Italian sub
jects and that five others could not legally have
become citizens. which would make the in
demnity about S2,75O per capita.
CASES OF ACCIDENTAL KILLING.
In cases Of accidental killing by negligence
there are several instances where the govern
ment in fault has reached an approximate valu-
alton Of human life in rendering indemnity.
In 1884 two French subjects we're killed and
four seriously wounded by shotted gun fired
by saluting American frigate at Toulon, and
the United States paid to France $1,000,
about 81, 500 for each man killed, besides the
wounded. In 1887 four Japanese were killed
and seven crippled by the explosion Of a shell
which had been fired against Japanese island
by the Omaha in target practice and the United
States paid to Japan s14. 900 for the families of
the sufferers-about 81. 600 for each man killed
and 81 900 for each wounded.
81 200 was voluntarily paid to the Turkish gov
eminent for the family of the Ottoman subject
killed at Smyrna by sailor of q war vessel Of
the United States
As regards indemnity for injury and i'm
prisonment the United States accepted from
Spain $3.50 for each Virginius sailor detained or
injured.