Mr. Egan to Mr. Gresham.
Santiago, April 12, 1893. (Received April 13.)
Mr. Egan, in reply to Mr. Gresham’s telegram, says that while, on account of the refugees’ participation’ in the occurrences of the 8th of January and 11th of December preceding, by which an overthrow of the Government was attempted, and solely on that account, there was objection to giving them a safe conduct; their surrender has not been demanded of the legation. He states that the indictment of the refugees is for their participation in the December uprising and gives the substance of the report of Señor Padilla, the public prosecutor or Fiscal, dated February 7. The offense charged against them is described in article 4 of said report as sedition or mutiny, presented as the material crime in the case, irrespective of the object, which is shown by the evidence to make a counter revolution by taking possession of the capital and thus constitute a new government and control the republic. Article 7 of the same report recommends that the accused, Fuentes, Blanlot-Holley, and others, be sentenced to death. This report, however, is only to be taken as the opinion of the Fiscal expressed in an advisory capacity before the case comes before the court. There has been, so far, neither any trial inaugurated before, or sentence passed by any court. He adds that large rewards had been offered for the apprehension of the refugees, and that if asylum had been refused, almost certain death would have been the consequence under the prevailing excitement, the police being, according to positive information, under orders to shoot if the refugees made the slightest offer to resist arrest. He states that the President, upon whom he waited, with the secretary of legation, on Sunday morning, expressed his satisfaction at the refugees having avoided capture, and that the minister of foreign affairs admitted that the circumstances allowed of no other course than that taken by the legation; that both manifested an earnest desire that the refugees would shortly leave the country; that it was only after a cabinet meeting, which took place subsequently, that he received from the minister of foreign affairs a request that the whole question be submitted to the Government of the United States, the most friendly spirit marking the entire negotiation. He adds that the Government of Chile has promised every security against threats that have been publicly made to burn and attack the legation in order to reach the refugees, the information to that effect being given him by the Government itself.