The San Francisco call., 1899-07-18
HOLLOWAY WAS
SLAIN By ONE OF
HIS COMRADES
American Marine Officers Ac=
CuSed Of COWardiCe at
Samoa.

came and took off Holloway's body and
the corporal to the flagship.
"All the while the marines were at tn
consulate neither by word nor by deed did
the marine officer, Lieutenant Perkins,
endeavor to encourage the men, but ms
whole conduct tended in every way 10 dls-
hearten them. At night he would crawl
around the veranda and behave in any
thing but soldierly manner. Many IN
stances of his cowardice could be given,
but the following will suffice:
''On March 81 a scouting party of twenty
men under the marine officer and the
junior medical officer made a reconnois-
force. The little party proceeded with a
Colt s automatic gun about three miles
along the beach, where the automatic gun
was placed ready for action, ana as
rallying point, with four marines in charge
The remainder of the party, led by the
young doctor. proceeded along the beach
was returned and then the little force re-
treated to the gun, the marine officer
being an easy first there. After all had
arrived retreat was ordered to the con-
sulate
'On the following day the marine off,
GER, who all the time in moving about as
Sumed a crouching position, deliberately
drove a private away from a cocoanut
tree behind which he was standing and
firing because, as the commander said
il did not afford sufficient cover for both,
and he was the one who, of course, must
have protection. The private made no
secret of this.
sounded the third time, and before the
British recall was given, the marine Of
flcer was hurrytng TO the rear and making
for the beach as fast as his long legs
him was another brave marine, Sergeant
Forsterer, who arrived at the beach just
after him This sergeant was recon-
mended by the commander for gallantly
keeping his position with his men until
surrounded, and only then retreating to
the beach. During the whole of the fight
oil lI5h cd arfin nd
revolver and 200 rounds of ammunition,
never fired a shot This is true also Of
the marine officer, as the revolver of the
latter was perfectly clean when he re-
turned.
THE sergeant did, however, fire a shot
on the 1st of April, but some time after
the marines reached the consulate He
saw poor horse straying outside the wire
fence, walked up to it and shot the ami
NAL with his revolver. This was the only
life he took while he was at the consulate
although the mighty report of his rifle
kept the rest of the guard on tenterhooks
of expectation.
THE woupding of a member of the
guard by a drunken private was the last
straw, and the force was promptly with
drawn to the ship in disgrace. The CEN
sure delivered TO the commander by the
captain of the Philadelphia on the quar-
terdeck was most severe, and richly was
it deserved. If the captain had known all
the facts he would not have stopped at a
"'With all this behavior and the con-
stantly recurring acts of fear on the part
of the marine officer, the guard every day,
morning and afternoon, in the blazing Sa-
moan sun. fell in for physical drill, bayo-
net exercise and extended order move
ments. such as retiring by double time,
etc. The exercises were performed in
blouses and leggings, and every one had
to carry $50 rounds of ammunition. Ali
this was extremely eXhausting. In view
of the nightly nervous excitement to
which the men were subjected the COM
mander of the guard should have permit
ted the men to rest instead of putting
them through the unnecessary exercises.
DO you wonder why the marines feel
so bitter against Lieutenant Perkins?
They all roundly denOunce him for his
treatment and ridtcule his self-glorifica-
ton in the articles on the battle of April
l contributed by him to the Bulletin and
the Examiner. They do not mince words
in charging him with incompetency and
cOWardice. In this connection have
heard that United States Consul Osborn
remarked after declaring the commander
Of the marines to be an unwelcome per-
sonage around the consulate:
" 1 don't know what Captain White Of
the Philadelphia meant by sending such
an incompetent man here, and l would
indeed be glad II he and his men were
back on the ship.
''Seventy-five per cent of the original
marine guard of the Philadelphia have
deserted up to the present time. At every
port at which the flagship has touched
men have applied for transfer to other
vessels or marine barracks. Some of these
have been veterans, The desertonS COM
menced when the ship went to Honolulu
last August to raise the flag. More de-
sertions occurred when the. vessel came
back to San Francisco, and others took
place in Costa Rican waters. While the
Philadelphia was at Apia some of the men
were transferred to the Badger. There
We're several applications for each place,
and the action of the men occasioned sur
prise among the ships officers, as the
Philadelphia was about to return to San
Francisco and it was known that the
door tn q in n W
for an indefinite period. 1t well
known, however, among the crew that the
marines had wearied of their command
ers treatment and were anxious to avoid
any more of it in the future. 1 can as
sure you that we have but little respect
for the marine officer, and his recent con-
! daily ridicule."