The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-27
ACCUSED OF COVhRDICB,
Minister Conger's Serious Charge
Against Captain Hall.
The officer Second in Command of
the Marines in PeIxin Declared to
Have Failed to Do All He Could in
Protecting Foreieners-An Inyesti-
CATION OF the Matter to BE Made.

Serious charges against Capt. Newt t.
Hall of the United States Marine Corps,
who was second in command of the marine
guard of the American Legation in Pekin
during the two months siege of that place,
| Conger.
| Minister Conger filed the charges with
Major General Chaffee when the latter
reached Pekin with the international relief
force. He alleged that Captain Hall had
not properly attended to his duties in con-
neetion with the defence of the legation
and reelected on Captain Halls courage
and soidierly conduct. General ChafTee
made an enquiry into the charges and in
J his report on the subject, received by the
! War Department a few days ago, he recon-
mended that no further proceedings be
taken. virtual acquittaI of the marine
| officer.
| The War Department sent the papers
| in the case to the Navy Department.
which has declined to let the matter rest
with General Chafee's report Yesterday
i the Assistant Secretary of the Navy re-
! ferred the case to Brigadier General
Haywood, Commandant of the Marine
| Corps. with instructions to make full
investigation This action was taken in
order that all the circumstances connect
| ed with Captain Halls alleged conduct
may be placed on record and the officer
| cleared of the charges or brought to trial
| 1t is understood that Captain Hall has
asked for court Of enquiry.
| Minister Conger virtually charged Cap
| tain Hall with cowardice, and his allie
! cations show that there were dissensions
in the Pekin legations during their siege
| that added TO the peril of the situation in
which the foreigners were placed
Mr. Conger. according to his own state
! ment, alleged that he had requested Cap
| tain Hall to hold portion OF the wall
near the American Legation, a strong
strategic position, and that Captain Hall
declined to do so and withdrew his men,
although it was demonstrated that the
wall could be held against the Chinese.
Another allegation is that Captain Hall
declined to do other military duty in the
! defence Of the legations en- the ground
| that it was impossible to do it and that
Russian troops then undertook the ser
vice and performed it successfully. Mr.
| Conger makes an additional charge that
| Captain Hall refused TO 4et two of his ma
rines, who volunteered for the duty, to
| ascertain some valuable military informa-
tion.
| While the report OF General Chaffee is
not obtainable il is inferred from the nat
ure Of his recommendation that he was
! OF the opinion that Mr.. Conger's charges
we're not justified
| Captain Hall entered the Marine Corps
| in September. 1891, through the Naval
Academy. and became captain on the in
crease of the corps in 1899. He was born
| in Texas and was appointed from that
State He went to the naval station at
| Cavite. in December. 1883, on the expira-
tion of a sea cruise and was sent in the
Newark early last summer to Taku. When
the foreign ministers in Pekin called for
guards for their legations, Captain Hall
went to the Chinese capital with the ma
rine detachment of ffty-six men under
command of Capt. John T. Myers Captain
Myers was wounded in the defence of Pc
kin and then attacked with typhoid fever
Captain Hall succeeded him in command
of the American marines and served
through the siege of Pekin.
On account of the Illness of Captain Ny
ers he has not been able to make report
concerning the case Of Captain Hall A
report has been received at the Navy De-
partmenL however, from the accused Off
Ger, but it is Of a routine character. In it
Captain Hall says that he and his men
are indebted for many kindnesses to Min
ister Conger.