Mr. McCreery to Mr. Blaine.
Valparaiso, November 8, 1891.
Capt. Schley returned with the Baltimore from Mollendo, Peru, September 14, and the usual courtesy and hospitality of the city was tendered to the officers and the crew by the captain of the port, as is customary. On October 16, the excitement having subsided, Capt. Schley granted leave for twenty-four hours to about 100 of the crew, exactly the same as was being done by all of the foreign men-of-war in the harbor. He assures me that at 5:30 p.m. of that date his men were orderly, sober, and well-behaved to everybody they were meeting in the streets. This is corroborated by many others. The disturbance appears to have originated about 6 p.m. in a saloon between one of the crew of the Baltimore and a Chilean, who spit in the face of one of the crew of the Baltimore who entered at the moment. The Baltimore man knocked down Chilean. Then crowd rushed in from the street upon these two men, who escaped, taking refuge on a passing street car, from which they were forced, and both of them were dangerously wounded, Riggin so seriously that he was left to die in the street, and the other, Talbot, escaped and subsequently was arrested. Several others were seriously wounded.
The assault on the Baltimore men lasted about one hour. Seems not to have been confined to one locality of the city, but occurred in several, widely separated. Thirty-six of the Baltimore men were arrested, five were taken to the hospital, the remainder to prison. These men complained of harsh treatment; several instances at the hands of the police after arrest, and that catgut nippers were placed around wrists and, in one case, lasso was used to take them to jail. One of the Baltimore men who had taken Riggin in his arms from the pavement while he was wounded declared that then he was shot by one of a squad of police coming on the scene. The disturbance occurring towards dark, and the men strangers, it is difficult to identify perpetrators of the outrage. Civilians who witnessed the affair fear to testify lest they be thrown out of employment or lose their lives.
Capt. Schley visited the governor on October 18 and asked for immediate investigation of all the facts and the circumstances connected with the affair, requesting representation at the examination. The governor replied that all he could do was to advise the captain to make application to the judge of the criminal court. Application was made to the judge for representation, and denied on the ground that the proceedings were secret. Capt. Schley appointed a board to investigate the circumstances connected with the affair. Synopsis of report telegraphed by him to the Secretary of the Navy. The men in jail were examined secretly, and before their discharge were required to sign a paper in Spanish which was explained to be merely a matter of form [Page 221] stating that signer took no part in the affair. Turnbull, one of the wounded, died October 25 from injuries received. The court has asked for the appearance of several of the wounded of the crew of the Baltimore to identify the parties in custody of the court. The men not able yet to appear.
Consul.