Serious Charge Against Four Marine Privates Peiping, Aug. 16.
United States Marine officers to-day spread a dragnet for four privates who have been absent without leave from here since August 13, when they committed an assault on a sentry on guard on the city wall adjacent to the American Embassy.
has been established that the four men Pes. Edward 0, Kirby, Earnest R. Jameson, P. wilt son, and Stephen A. Redding, also were responsible for' the raising, of a red flag above the American Bmassy here at 3 am. on the morning of August 11. 'The incident, at first regarded as a prank, now is viewed with great seriousness by Marine ficers." The four Marines were believed to have feared exposure for the flag incident, and, thinking' that Private Barrett knew' of their guilt, attempted to ill him, Barrett's 45 revolver was taken during the 'A careful search of Peiping failed 40 locate the missing Marines, and officials at Tientsin, Nanking, Shang-hal, and Chinwangiao were ' warned to be on the alert for them. 'They were arrested late to-day, a patrol taking them into custody' us" they were returning from the Western Hills, The men are being held under guard in the U. S. Embassy compound, awaiting action by the authorities. No statement or explanation, the ease had been made public at the Embassy up to a late hour night, and it, was understood that officers of the guard had not yet questioned the quartette—Unitea
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.