New-York tribune., 1901-01-17
CASE OF CAPTAIN HALL.
OFFICERS DEFEND HIM FROM CHARGES
OF COWARDICE AT PEKING-SOME
INSIDE HISTORY OF THE SIEGE.
rnY rrLrGnApH TO ruE rRIBUxE.l

Washington. Jan 1.-THE case of Captain Newt
Hall Of The Marine Corps. which is now before
OF Inquiry at Cavite. on the demand of that
officer who took that method of meeting the
calumnies against him circulated in Peling, is
revived as the subject Of animated speculation
IN Army and Navy circles through letters just re-
ceived from the East. and because a cable dis
patch may within. a few days give the result OF
the Official investigation into that officers con-
duct Of the crucial defence of the position on the
wall above the Legations before relief came. The
Tribune six weeks ago. in dispassonate review
Of the case. published official records showing
that no official cognizance had ever been taken in
Picking elsewhere OF Captain Halls case, and
that all Government reports uniformly compll-
mented that young officer, the same time
futinG with documents every specification against
him which had been made in the Christmas
Der OF one of the popular magazines which
sisted OF mere repettons Of the gossip retailed by
irresponsible writer's from Peking last September
impugnius Halls courage.
Secretary Long has received a personal let
ter. dated at Cavte. from Captain b F. McCalla,
who took the marines to Peking last May. and
who was afterward severely wounded in the first
relief expedition. OF which the following paragraph
made public:
I am greatly interested in Captain Hall. [. S NJ
G., who has been so unJustly accused of cowardice
tions in Peking As I have said in an. official
pereSee With captan % Ha durn hoy @hGses s ex
from my knowledge OF him that there is any
real IOunudt4OH IoE SuCA CndISe
A prominent naval officer in Washington has also
received the following letter from a brother officer
at Cavite dated November 2S which discloses some
more startling details of the remarkable state of
affairs that existed inside of Peking last summer
yca have read with Indignation M the charge of
| '9s.iiI2t 'ag'f'li ri1tlL y = VI - IN
that believe ii is without the slightest foundation
Luzon last winter that he is both coo W and braTe
under fire. or when expecting 10 be fired I con-
M car lAY Gf f-1taY, tlx-
press my indignation that after having heen
secretly incurred into by the officers of the Army
as To covardce wbe9 that ArTnS " r,ai 'e az my my
United States or in the Philippines. the major
the opportunity to confront his by order
ing court Of inquiry as Han requested AS the
Army courts can compel civilians 10 appear wit
nesses. as understand. the opportunity TO get at
You may not know that Hall was actually in
command after July 5, the date which Myers
been interfered with BY members of the Legation
more or less often in what he considered his mill
would no longer submit TO Myers retaining the
abed and in the Russian Legation after the date of
his wound. Myers then said, Hall, you are right
It is a fine trait in Halls character that while he
actually held the command, he. out of loyalty to
Myers, permitted the latter TO exercise the nominal
Before Captain McCaIla left Peling. on June :. he
him no orders, SO that he might always exercise
his own Judgment but that under no circumstances
our Minister in Peking. who had authority to
give MN orders believe the charges grew out of
hats to the wife Of the First Secretary There was
much feeling on the part of the marines (non-con-
mssioned officers and privatesl against both the
First Secretary and his wife-and justly, In my
opinion. " '
It seems that the Chinese steward of Mr. Conser
told our marines that there had been row be-
tween Mrs. Conger and the wife of the First Sec
rotary. because Mrs Conger wanted 10 send TO the
marines on the wall some of the canned goods
which the marines had themselves captured and
turned into the general store in the British Lega-
ton Mrs. First Secretary refused 10 send the
things and so; according 10 the Chinese steward
marines thus got the impression that Mrs Conger
was their friend and that the wife of the First Sec
retary was not. And the marines used TO stand 81
attention when Mrs Conger passed in al the