The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-26
DOCTOR WOULDA' SAY.
Bed Cross Physician Declines To
Criticize Government.
WAS ASKED REGARDING MEDICA /,
SUPPLIES ON CONUHO.

A Former Portland Clergyman Testifies
DIR. Cyrus Edison Testifies Regarding
Montauk.
New York, November 25. The first
witness before the war Investigating COM
mittes today was David McKever of this
city. He said that his son, Percy Mo
Keyer of Co. K, list regiment, died at
Mount Sana hospital, New York, on Au-
gust 81 of typhoid fever, contracted in
Cuba, and that it was the opinion Of the
witness that his death was due to. lack OF
attention to Camp Wikoff.
The Rev. Dwight Galloupe of Jersey
City who went to the front as chaplain
of the 9th U. S. infantry. told Of the
condition eff the regiment at Tampa, OF
the voyage to Cuba and Of. the work OF
the regiment at the front.
"Col. Roosevelt" he said, testified
4hats his regiment had some difficulty in
finding transport to Santiago and that
great confusion prevailed at Tampa.
saw no confusion, and the only delay to
my regiment was one of an hour and a
half caused by the jamming of gang
plank All of our men landed In CUBA
in splendid condition.
Mr.. Galloupe declared there was no
hardship in sleeping in the open air IN
Cuba The air was warm and the ground
was dry sand. He slept several nights
in the open air from choice and he heard
no complaints from any of the men,
DIR. Common asked Mr.. Galloupe as to
the behavior OF the medical men and MIR.
Galloups spoke of them il terms of
ncf- ior 10 M "A n n
medical supplies.
James +. Holmes, who served with the
list New York regiment, was examined.
He was taken sick In Santiago and is still
in poor health. He was allowed to lie
on couch while giving his testimony.
He told of his experiences with the regi-
ment and complained that no attention
was paid to the sick on the transport
Grand Duchess. Holmes said the volun-
teerS were treated with far less considera-
ton than the regulars.
His regiment was especially badly treat
ed.
REPLYING to questions by Gen. Beaver,
Holmes said he did not blame the govern
ment SO muoh as he blamed the ineffio-
iency, carelessness and selishness of the
regimental officers.
Mrs. Mary Hatch Willard, who was
stationed at Camp Wikof with the Red
Cross auxiliary relief association, saw
Everything at the camp in its brightest
lights.
EsIn not one Instance, said Mrs. Will
| lard "did ] know OF any abuse which
was not rectified as soon as 1t was brought
| to the attention Of the proper officers. =
Joseph b. Gleason, who served with the
l69th Regiments in Tampa and at Camp in
Huntsville, Ala, and was discharged
October 10, at his own request testified
L that he was detailed to the kitchen of
| Co. g. He complained that be was forced
| to cut off the best OF the meat for the
| officers and that no division was made OF
the company's fund or OF the canteen
| fund.
when we were at Huntsville each
company had $500 to divide. - e.
Louis l.. Krauss, private Co. g, 9th
New York volunteers, complained that
| he was not treated properly by the doc
| tors at the Chiokamauga camp. Over ex-
ertion at drill brought on a nervous
affection on June II. He appealed to the
regimental surgeon, DR.. Hubbard, and
the doctor said he was shamming.
Later WAS examined by another doc
| tor, and he said / had the st Vitus
DANCE continued Krauss. He said
he had no medicines for mo and gave me
prescription to get filed in town. l
had no money and went without the
medicine.
hTH. TuZhDGbu bIOSithn "a tsOLSOSuc4t
Mass, whose brother was private in
the 9th Massachusetts and died of typhoid
fever in hospital at Egmont. KY, testi-
| fed that the conditions at Camp Alger
were unsanitary. She offered letter
from a nurse in jacksonville regarding
the treatment her brother received, but
| the commission declined to accept let
tor as testimony.
J. Husssy Of Brooklyn, a private of the
| Goth regiment corrob2rated the statement
made by Joseph X. Gleason that the best
oF all the food supplied by the govern
eslt was confiscated for the use of the
i 9tsears.
Lf Monae Lesser, who was in Cuba
| in medical charge for the ked Cross So
ciety was the first witness at the after
nooa session. He told of the arrival or
the Red Cross in Cuba and OF the offers
of supplies made By him at the instance
of Miss Barton.
| Were these offers refused?"
81 cannot say they were refused. l
acted as spokesman for our party and l
was informed that there were plenty OF
government supplies on hand. | offered
| d. LaGarde at the Siboney hospital tne
services of the Red Cross nurses ana ne
said ne had nurses enough, but ne lacked
| cots. In no instance was treated With
anything but the most extreme courtesy.
| DIR. Lesser said tho wounded were
| OApuly anu SCicAtluCdhy "
and that the surgeons generally acted
| splendidly. None of the fever cases was
without shelter.
| HAs far as know said DR.. Lesser,
"None of the sick at Siboney suffered
from lack of medicine, There was
| scarcity of food for the sick l believe
There We're no supplies of sick food except
those OF the Rel Cross society"
The transports Concho, DIR. Lesser said,
was in excellent sanitary condition, was
we'll found in food and medical supplies
and only the mon who were actually
conyalescent were sent aboard. The
trouble at sea was ocoasioned by the re-
! lapse caused by the change of air. Men
who were apparently well when they left
Cuba. developed malarial fever when
they landed eight days later at Montauk.
s'Was the supply of food and medicine
sufficient for those aboard9" asked DR..
| Common.
II cannot answer that question. The
Red Cross usagss do not permit me to
cr.ticise the government.
| :. 1ou'ra not asked 80 critlcise.
i cannot tell II the supply was suffic-
lent or not, withoub oriticislng those who
put the supplies aboard. ! might tell if
| kUafv a11a,ti,- x,1ka1 suOYlips UiPr5 were