Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-01-28

the ground by stone. Managing 10 raise him
self from the ground where he lay he staggered
in an opposition direction from the station In
front 81 the house OF Sig. MaZzini he was again
wounded, falling then senselcss and breath
less"
No amount OF evasion or subterfrge is able 70
cloud our clear vision OF this brutal work 1t
should be noticed, in this connection, that the
American sailors arrested for an extradit!on.
were, during the four days following the ar
rest, everyone discharged, no charge of any
breach OF the peace or other criminal
conduct having been sustained against a single
one OF them The judge OF crimes, Foster. in
note to the Intendente, under date OF October
22-before the dispatch from this government
OF the following day, which aroused the author
tiles Of Chilli TO better sense of the gravity OF
the afiair-says Having presided temporarily
over this court in regard to the seamen OF the
United States cruiser Baltimore, who have been
tried on account Of the deplorable conduct
which took place, etc. The noticeable point
here Is that our sailors had been tried before
the 22nd OF October, and that the trial resulted
in their aequittal and return 70 their vessel 1t
is quite remarkable and quite characteristic Of
the management of this affair by the Gillian
police authorities that we should now be adj
vised that Seaman Davidson, of the Baltimore,
has been included in the Indictment, his offense
being, so far as | have been able 10 ascertain.
that he attempted to defend a ship-mate against
an assailant who was striking at him with
knife. The perfect yindication OF our men is
furnished by this report: one only IS found To
have been guilty of criminal fault, and that for
an act clearly lustifable.
As 10 the part taken by the police in the affair
the case made by Chilli is also far from salts
factory. The point where Riggin was killed is
only three minutes walk from the police sta
ton and not more than twice that distance from
the Intendenca; and yet according TO their Of
fetal report, full half hour elapsed after
the assault began before the police
were upon the ground II 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 a statement was pro-
cured from our men it was accomplished
by requiring them TO sign writing Id
a language they did not understand and
by the representation that il was a mere decla-
ration that they had taken no part in the dis
turbance. Lieut.. McCrea, who acted as inter
prefer, says in his evidence that when our sailors
were examined before the court the subject of the
conduct of the police was carefully avoided
that he reported the fact TO Capt. Schley on his
return to the vessel The evidence of the ex-
istence of animosity towards our sail
ors in the minds OF sailors OF the Chill
ian navy and OF the populace of Valparaiso
are so abundant and various as TO leave no
doubt in the mind of anyone who viii examine
the paper submitted. 1t manifested itself in
threatening and insulting gestures toward our
men as they passed the Chilian man OF war in
their boats and in the derisive and abusive cpl
thets with which they greeted every appearance
Of an American sailor on the evening OF the riot.
Capt Schley reports that boats from the CHILEAN
warships several times went out of their course
TO cross the bows of his boats, compelling them
to back water. He complained of the
discourtcsy, and il was corrected. That
this feeling was shared by men Of
higher rank is shown by an incident related by
Surgeon Stitt OF the Baltimore. After the bat
tie Of Placilla he, with other medical officers OF
the war vessels in the harbor, was giving volun-
tary assistance to the wounded in the hospitals.
The son OF a Gillian army onicer Of high rank
was under his care, and when the father discov-
cred 1t, he few into passion and said he would
rather have his son die than have Americans
touch him, and at once had him removed from
the ward. This feeling is not well concealed in
the dispatches OF the foreign Office and had
quite open expression in the disrespectful
treatment of the American legation The
Gillian boatmen in the bay refused. even for
large offers of money, to return our sailors,
who crowded the Mole. to their
ship when they were endeavoring
TO escape from the city on the night
OF the assault. The market boats OF the Balti-
more were threatened, and even quite recently
the gig of Commander Evans of the Yorktown
was stoned while waiting for him at the Mole.
The evidenceof our sailors clearly shows that the
attack was expected by the CHILEAN people, that
threats had been made against our men, and in
one case sonew hat early in the afternoon the
keeper Of one house, into which some Of our men
had gone, closed his establishment IN anticipa
ton Of the attack, which he advised them
would be made upon them when darkness cams
on. In report Of Capt Schley % the navy
department, he says: In the only interview
that ] had with Judge Foster, who is inyesti-
eating the case relative TO the disturbances, be-
fore he was aware Of the entire gravity Of the
matter, he informed me that the assault npou
my men was the outcome Of hatred for our peo-
pie, among the lower classes, be-
cause they thought we had sympathized
with the Gillian government on ac-
count Of the Itata matter. Several OF our men
sought security from the mob by such complete
or partial changes in their dress would con
ceal the fact of their being seamen Of the Balti-
more and found it then possible to walk the
streets without molestation. These incidents
conclusively establish that the attack was upon
the uniform-the natiOnalty-and not upon the
men The origin Of this feeling is probably
founp in the refusal Of this government to give
recognition to the cong1 essional party before il
had established itself in the seizure Of the Itata
for an alleged violation OF the neutrality law in
the cable incident, and in the charge that Adj
miral Brown conveyed information TO Valpa-
raiso of the landing at Quintero. 1t is not my
purpose to enter here any defense Of the action
Of this government in these matters.
II is enough for the present purpose to say
that If there was any breach OF international
comfy or duty on our part 1t should have teen
made the subject OF official complaint through
diplomatic channels or Of reprsals for which
full responsibility was assumed. We cannot
consent that these incidents and these per-
versions Of the truths shall be used 10
excite murderous attack upon our unoffend-
ing sailors and the government OF Chilli go ac-
quilted Of responsibility. In fact, the conduct
OF this government during the war in Chilli pur-
sued those lines Of international duty which
had so strongly insisted upon the part
Of other nations when this country was
in the throes Of active conflict. We continued
the established diplomatic relations with the
government in power until it ives over
thrown AID promptly and cordially recognized
the new government when IL was established
The good Offices OF this government were
offered TO bring about peaceful. adjustment, and
the interpostion OF Mr.. Egan 70 mitigate seyeri
ties and to shelter adherents Of the congress
,s{onal party were effective and frequent The
charge against Admiral Brown IS TOO base to
gain credence with anyone who knows his high
personal and professional character
Referring 10 the evidence OF our sailors,
thlnk it is shown that there were several dis
tt1ct assaults and 50 nearly simultaneous as 10
snow that they did not .urcad from one Yoiut