The herald., 1898-10-26
SAW A SICK SOLDIER
WITH NOT EVEN A TENT TO
COVER HIM
Ex-MULE DRIVING DRUNKARDS
Failed to Give Satisfaction When Used
as Nurses--Doctors We're Honest
but Ignorant
Associated Press Special Wire.

ANNISTON, Ala, Oct. 25.-Dr r. D.
Boss, Assistant Surgeon in the First In
tantry, was the first witness before the Wal
Investigating Commission today. lie was
with the Fourth Infantry in Cuba. He ar
rived in Cuba on the 10th of July. He found
the medical supplies short, and was unable
to secure any of them for few days, unit
he learned how to get them from the Divis
ion Hospital. There was a sufficient guam
tity of quinine but shortage of morphine
However, he had all OF the latter remedy
that was absolutely necessary. He was able
to secure hospital stores, such as food deli
cacies by "rustling" for them, getting then
first from the Red Cross Society and ther
going to Santiago for them. He had made
a requisition on the Chief of the Division
for these supplies but had been unable
to secure them because they were not there
However, he had no serious illness in the
command.
Dr. Conner asked if the government coulC
not have gotten these supplies to Santiago
as promptly as the ked Cross, and DR.. Boss
replied that while he had no information
he thought it could have done SO. He left
Santiago with the Fourth Infantry and ha
gone to Montauk Point on the second.
When they left Cuba, he said, the
command was "ail broken up," and ever,
man. of the command was sick at the de
tention hospital at Montauk, and he testi-
fed to the careful conduct of that institll-
ton, saying the supplies were ample ant
that. the tenting was all that could be de
sired.
Colonel Fife, of the Third Tennessee,
having made requisition to supplement his
statement OF yesterday, gave some particu-
lare concerning the sinks used by his regi-
ment. He said they were very near the
tents and it was impossible to remove them
n r. hnp 70 ha ~e
regiments, six of them being within IL
stones throw. In one instance the sinks
OF another regiment were within twenty
PAGES of the tents of the line officers
The character of the soil had also rendered
it impossible to put the sinks down more
than four feet, rendering it necessary to
renew the sinks every two or three days.
Thus the soil became honey -combed with
sinks. Nevertheless, the sinks had been
carefully looked after and his regiment had
been commended by the brigade command
er for the condition OF its camp. He char
acterzed as false and malicious, charges
against his regiment by Chattanooga
musician named Hunt, who has been with
his regiment for time.
Other witnesses examined were Lieut.
Reed, of the Fourth Wisconsin; Lieut.
of the Third Alabama, and Lieut.. Haley O
the Third Tennessee.
West is the commissary and quartermaster
OF this regiment, and Reed was commissary
for his regiment for time.
West said the supplies were ample and
excellent.
Lieut.. Haley is commissary for his regi-
ment. He said there had been few COM
plants when rations were not sufficient,
but he thought the complaint was caused
by the return of men on furlough
Other witnesses at the forenoon session
were Fountain Ragland and Edward Sim
mons, colored, Of the Third Alabama; d. G.
Lemle, quartermaster sergeant OF the
Fourth Wisconsin; Congressman Colson,
colonel of the Fourth Kentucky, and Lieu
tenant Colonel Cabell of the Second Arkan
eas.
Colonel Cabell said in reply to questions by
Connor that he had observed condition
of affairs at the hospital of the, Second di-
vision of the Third army corps in June
which he considered horrible. He had HIM
self seen one sick man lying without the pro-
lection of even tent, and he had been
iformed by other officers that several had
been left in the same way. He thought the
doctors were honest enough, but they did