The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-11-22
INVESTIGATION OF THE WAR
BEE TESTIMONY OF AN
 INTERPRETING CHARACTER.
Sick Men That Never Should Have Been Moved-SOIdiers Found on Streets of New York In Third Week of Typhoid- Shafter Did Not Care for Politics Roosevelt May Testify To-day.

4NOt NO Sco Ali
 Shaftcr Did Not Care for Politics
 Roosevelt May Testify To-day.
 New York, Nov. 21.--Considerable testimony of a very interesting charac- ter was given before the war investi- gating commiss.on to-day. pr. William Thomas Gilman visited Camp Wikoff on September and or September S. but said he was not there long enough to make proper criticism. But you have been quoted in the newspapers all over the country as having said that you found filthy conditions prevailing. Have you been misquoted?" was ask ed. The witness replied: "No sir. came to tell you about the thirty cases of typhoid fever which came under my observation in the Presbyterian hospi- tai, and which were in such a condi- ton that they should not have been moved, and to say that these patients in some cases died. In my opinion they should not have been allowed to travel 100 miles scattering infection at every stop. l can give you the names of those thirty
 DO you know in these cases why the men were allowed to go away from camp before they should have gone?' Dr. Gilman said: No. But I know they should not have been allowed to 1p1Up '' Ho coi1 ole men picked up in the street Of this city and taken to the Presbyterian hospital were in the third week of typhoid few CT One was covered with bed sores, another died within two hours of his admission to the hospital and another within twentyfour hours"
 Were these men from the hospitals at Camp Wickoff?"
 T believe they were furloughed from the general quarters and not from the hospitals. I cannot say if the author ity issuing furloughs was aware that the men were suffering with typhoid feVer''
 Samuel l.. Parrish, a lawyer of this city, whe spent the summer at South ampton and visited Camp Wickoff sev- eral times, was the next witness. He lived in the Red Cross tent there and worked incessantly. He worked chiefly with the 9th Massachusetts and the 7th regular infantry. He said that on Sep tember 2 there were 1SS officers and men sick of the 525 of the 7th regiment and there was no hospital accommoda- tion for them. General Wheeler took o{1 ,l,n ed to him. MT Parrish said that the great drawback to the camp was the lack of one active continuous intelli- gent directing mind. Everybody in au- thority did his best, but there were too many changes. One day General Wheeler was in charge. When he be- came familiar with the conditions he went away General Shafter succeeded him, and General Bates succeeded Gen. eral Shafter and he again was new to what was going on.
 General Beaver asked if there were any complaints. "Indeed, no; there never was more uncc mplaining man than the American soldier. I saw dis graceful conditions, but heard no com- plaints. If President Mckinley had put himself in my hands, I could have shown him some things that would have shocked him. He saw none of them. He was only permitted to make parade inspection
 MT. Parrish said he assisted Colonel Robert H. R. Goddard of Providence, R. l., who, with his steamboat, the St. Lawrence, took two consignments of invalids to Providence. As General Shafter was leaving camp, MT. Parrish said he asked him: ''Why is it we can't move some of these sick men from quarters as qou have no hospital accommodations for them.'
 'I would like to let you have the men," General Shafter replied, and have wired to Washington, but the wires are congested and I cannot get any reply"
 q asked,'' continued Mir. Parrish, If We don't get these men away from here many of them will died, and then it will be bad thing for the republi- can party at the next election
 'I don't care about politics" the gen. eral replied, but I'd like to help the sick men. I guess I'll take the respon- sibility and let you take fifty men of Colonel Goddard and carry so many in his boat
 General Shafter gave me written order and we took two consignments of fifty men each. All the trouble and suffering at the camp" he declared, twas due to lack of foresight and the neglect of some one"
 Did you see any officer of the army neglecting his duty in any way?"
 If I answer that question I may be punished he replied. Colonel Saxton said: But you don't need any protec- tion; you are private citizen
 'Yes, I know replied the witness, but I know a case where I think a man was most improper man to have a responsible position, and yet I would not like to say so"
 s'You yourself said Dr. Connor, fare acquainted with the facts. The coun- try is complaining of the government and certain officers of the government, and say the medical department had not been doing it's duty. Do you think it fair to decline to give us faets?"
 "There are hundreds of officers who would be delighted to tell you what they know, replied the witness, ''if they could protect themselves after stating what they had to tell"