The scene at this point is very graphically set before us by the Chilean
testimony. The American sailors, who after so long an examination have
not been found guilty of any breach of the peace so far as the Chilean
authorities are able to discover, unarmed and defenseless, 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 life is in
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 a missile thrown
by our men or by some of his fellow-rioters, is unascertained.

The pretense that our men were fighting "with stones, clubs, and bright
arms" is in view of these facts incredible. It 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 back, and almost every contused wound was
in the back or back of the head; The evidence of the ship's officer of
the day is that even the jackknives of the men were taken from them
before leaving the ship.

As to the brutal nature of the treatment received by our men, the
following extract from the account given of the affair by the La Patria
newspaper, of Valparaiso, of October 17, can not be regarded as too
friendly:

The Yankees, as soon as their pursuers gave chase, went by way of the
Calle 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 Chileans threw at them. It was believed 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 circumstances and without
any cessation of the howling and throwing of stones at the North
Americans, 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 the car, in the midst of a hail of stones, the said
conductor received a stone blow on the head. One of the Yankee sailors
managed