The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29
PROBING THE CHARGES
WAR COMMISSION INVESTIGATING
BAD-BEEF ALLEGATIONS.
Testimony of Sergeant HiII-Swift
Packing Company to BE Given
Hearing Next Week.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-William W.
Hill, assistant secretary of the war investi-
eating commission and who served in Com
pany l., District of Columbia Volunteers, as
first sergeant and acting quartermaster SER
geant, was the only witness before the COM
mission to-day. Colonel DENLY, who pre-
sided, interrogated the witness regarding
the mooted question of the canned beef
furnished the volunteers. Mr.. Hill discount
tenanced the complaints made by the men.
He said they came from those who would
complain against anything He said the
health of his company was excellent at Tam
pa and he credited it largely to the free
Use of lemonade. The canned beef first
furnished the men, he said, was lean, dry
and hard, lacking nutrition, though later it
was considerably improved. He believed the
canned beef. which, he explained, was can
ned just after being boiled, was perfectly
fit to eat" though once in a while he would
receive a cant that was spoiled and smelled
badly. He knew large lot of spoiled cam
led beef hid been found at Tampa, before
his company sailed for Cuba. The men
seemed to like the canned beef, he said, but
later became surfeited with it. The re-
frigerated fresh beef he said had no evil
dence of chemical treatment and had a
natural appearance. The trouble with the
refrigerated beef, he thought, was that the
men overfed themselves and ate it half
cooked.
AT Siboney Mr. Hill said the company had
to abandon more than half of its provisions.
When they reached the firing line on July
II there was only little food left in their
haverSacks, being practically without pro-
visions from the morning of July ii to sup
per Of July Il. The deficiency of food sup
plies, he contended, was solely due to lack
of transportation from Siboney ten miles,
to the front
Questioned as to Camp Wikoff at Mon
tauk, the witness said he never had seen
such Superabundance of everything, even
down to skull-caps, dressing gowns, pins and
needles Tobacco was left there, he said,
'strewn all over the ground" and there
was q great waste of stuff.
did you see enough of that refrigerated
beef" asked DR.. COnnor, ito have any
opinion on the length of time such beef
it with a tarpaulin from the direct rays
of the sun?'
No sir was the reply. 81 could not
tell you. We had no way of protecting it in
such a manner Ali we had to do was to
get it into the pots as soon as possible to
Keep II from spelling before it got hot"
rs it your opinion" witness was asked,
that beef so protected would keep seventy
two hours?"
Yes 1 mean just as it comes from the
shiP;'' -. - -, ., 49,. Ill.,.
NO, sir, was the reply. Il uont peleVe
1t possible"
This referred to a portion of General
Miles's testimony denouncng the beef. Sum-
ming up witness said he had no complaints
of any sort to make and the worst feature
of the food the moistness of the crack
ers. 1t is probable no witnesses will appear
tomorrow.
The war commission has notified the Swift
Beef Company, of Chicago, which had large
contracts for furnishing beef to the army
during the war, that it will be glad to give
a hearing to any representative the COM
pany may send on jar 4 next. This grows
out of the testimony of General Miles re-
garding the refrigerated and canned beef
furnished his expeditions and the tele-
graphic protest his statements called out
from the company The commission regards
the hearing TO be given the concern as i'm
portant. in view of the issue that has been
riased by General Miles's testimony and one
special point of inquiry will be regarding
complaint made of chemical treatment of
the product. 1t is very probable that the
commission will both recall Commissary
General Eagan and General Shafter and
possibly General Miles.