Evening star., 1898-12-09
TRANSPORTATION OF PRISONERS
His Denial Concerning Abner Nc
kinley and His Firm.
NJ Al. APPEL'S WORDS

Spanish prisoners from cuba 70 Spain.''
| said Gov. Beaver
| Yes sir"
Then. tell US in your own way how 70
! was Effected advised Gen. Beaver.
| Col. Heckor then related that he had been
instructed by the Secretary to get terms
for Transporting the prisoners. and IN pun
suance thereof he had made specifications
| of the conditions and inserted advertise
ments for proposals in the leading news
| papers of New Orleans PHILADELPHIA AMI
| New York. When the bids were opened u
/ was found that combination existed 10
tween three of the leading transportation
companies, headed 10y the North German
| Lloyd.
They asked nearly a million and a half #
| dollars for the work. The lowest bidder
was Philadelphia dealer. who offered y
| transport 25e0 men for S...a.uoa Upon IN
| vestigation it was found that he had no
| real idea what he was to do. had no assar-
snces that he could get a bonasman. and
| exhibited no quality OF responsibility. When
| informed that his bid could not be enter
tanned he protested saying. / expected TO
/ get a chance 20 make some money out OF
! the thing" Colonel Hecker said that the
| bid of the Spanish Transatlantic Company
/ was accepted because il was deemed ny lhe
Secretary OF War the Wisest thing TO do
| although when the amount OF the Philadel-
| phia mans bid became known the other
| named the amount OF d 'reace.
Amount Of Money saved.
so that though you did not er:er in,o 4
contract with the Philadelphia nrm the
government was saved by him considerable
money" said Gen. Beaver
About S65,010," responded the witness.
And what has been the aggregate COS,
| under the contract that was made?" asked
! Gen. Beaver.
! About $5l3,0e0."
That IS to say, about ont-rhird wh.s me
combination Of companies aSkelo-' inquired
/ the examiner
Yes sir; and that included The su--
| tenance Of The prisoners"
! You believed al the time he Spanish
eomrany's bid was accepted THAI Il vas the
/ lowest respons bic bid. and thai il Wis ygaf
! duty 10 accept t2"
YES. sir
And YOU are srill of that oririong'
| decidedly so, sir. have had no reason
! piled Col Hecker.
! col HoCkcr read a long statement el,sn,T
! by one NH. +. Ryan. detailing The all,2,!
methods Of the transportation bureau IN
connection with tne attempted sale Of Ger
/ tain ships to the government. Col Heck.r
said ne did not know Ryan. Several mon
bers OF the commission satl they would ne
! glad to summon Ryan. Asked if he 7as
! ever approached by Abner Mckinley roiI~
tive to the purchase of ships. col. Heck.r
replied: Never but once. He spoke To rsc
once about d water barge, for which her
was 40 use at the time, and 50 / informed
HIM / never had any other commnnica ton
from him. either directly or Indirectly
The commission decided to summon RYAN
if he could be found.
What did part did the firm Of which Alb
ner Mckinley is a member play in the re
gotiations?" asked ex-GoV Woodbury..
None far as the army is concerned !
cannot answer for the navy
Asked as TO w. +. Ryan's charge that
there was an employe IN Col. H6cker's Of
/ f4sa.a I
made an eXolcit denial Of the statement.
He said that there was no possibility OF M
due influence being exerted at any stage OF
| the transaction with regard 10 the trans
portaton Of prisoners. because all negot.l-
tions were direct between the parties.
Surgeon tppe1's Testimony.
Major A. G. Appel. chief surgeon Of tho
division hospital in the camp at Miami.
Fla, was The next witness, and his eXam.-
nation was conducted by DR.. Conner.
He testified concerning his experience in
the hospital and stated that so far as he
knew there was no neglect On ihe part of
nurses or doctors toward patients; no ah-
normal shortage of medical supplies and no
abuses that initiated against The health of
the men in the hospitals
He said that soon as typhoid fever an
peared and was diagnosed as such the sick
men were separated from those suueriup
from other Illnesses. There was no lack Of
proper articles Of diet FOR the fever pa
tieuts and they We're all given the altpu-
tion and medicines their state required.
Did you or did you not regard Miami IS
proper place for camp" was asked.
The witness said that the water supply
was insufficient in spite of the fact that
pipes conveyed il 70 the various camps. He
said the insufficicncy was MOI due 10 he
smallness of the pipes but 10 the made
quacy of the supply itself.
DIR. Apple stated that all medical supplies
were promptly forwarded from the depot
at 81. Louis. He said that after leaving
Jacksonville he went to New York whore
he had charge Of the supervision ana r'-
cepton of sick soldiers
Sick Men at New York.
How was 1t that many men had 20
be disposed OF among the hospi ais in and
around New York city?'
THE government hospitals in the harbor
could not possibly accommodate the
patients. 1t was necessary TO send them
there because the government lacked hos
pital facilities Of its own
DO you think the advantages resulting
from transfers Of sick men at Montauk to
New York hospitals counterbalanced The
disadvantages"
Il think thu advantages exceeded the dis
advantages"
WAS your attention called Officially or
very sick men were found wandering
around the streets of New York;
Yes, sir; and every case was relapse.
That is, he had been in hospital and dis
charged, but later suffered relapse"
The Hospital Trains.
The with SIS said that he received every
hospital train that was reported to him as
having arrived at New York. and that he
personally looked after the comfort Of the
men. He said that between transporta-
ton to New York from Montauk by rail
or water. he preferred the latter
Were you officially aware at any time
that there a lack of doctors nurses
medicines or food at the government hos
pital, especially Fort Wadsworth, OF which
complaint is reported TO have been madeg'
DIR. Appel replied that complaints had
been made that the sick soldiers in Belle
VIE Hospital were neg .ected and ill-treated
Responding to an inquiry he stated that
this neglect and abuse did not exist but
that the complaints were chronic. He de-
clared that the three government hospitals