The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-29
army HOSPITAL SERVICE.
Subject of Investigation
by Commission.
CONFLICTING TESTIMONY

Panepts I'm Hospitals Witnesses
Afraid to Testify -Neglec, Of Patients
by Surgeons-Mrs. willard OF the Red
Cross Speaks Enthusiastically OF
Camp Wikof-Statement. Of Com.
plaints by Prfvates OF N. ". Regiment
New York, November 25.-The Rev.
Dwight Colloupe, of Jersey City. who
went TO the front as chaplain of the
Ninth United States infantry, testified
before the war Investigating commits
sion today. He co~ntradicted state
ments made about confusion at Tam
pa. He spoke in the highest terms of
the behaviour of the medical men in
Cuba.
James P. Holmes, who served in the
Seventy-first New York regiment. was
examined. He was allowed to lie on
a couch while giving his testimony.
He told of his experience with the
regiment and complained that no at
tention was paid to the sick on the
transport Grand Duchess. Holmes
said the volunteers were treated with
far less consideration than the regu-
lars. For several weeks there was no
his own there was no regu-
larly organized mess from the time
the regiment reached Tampa until it
was mustered out.
Replying to questions by General
Beaver, Holmes said he did not blame
the government SO much as he blamed
the inefficiency, careleSSnesS and sell
fishness of The regimental officers.
Mrs. Mary Hatch Willard, who was
stationed at Camp WikOff with the Red
Cross Auxiliary Relief Association.
saw everything at camp in it's bright
est light. In not one instance" said
Mrs. Willard, did | know of any abuse
which was not rectifed as soon as it
was brought to the attention of the
proper officers
Louis l.. KrausS, private of COmpa-
ny @, Ninth New York volunteers,
complained that he was not treated
properly by the doctors at the Chick
manga camp. O~VereXertiOn at drill
brought on a nervous affection on June
18th. He appealed to the regimental
surgeon, DR.. Hubbard and the doctor
aid he was shamming.
Later ! was examined by mother
doctor, and he said 1 had the ST. Vitus
Dance" continued Krauss. He. said he
had no medicines for me and gave me
a prescription to get filled in town. l
had no money n went without the
medicine"
Will you tell us that doctors
name?"
Il would prefer not. I am an appli-
cant for a pension, and l want no
trouble with the doctors until my APP
p%lication is acted on"
'hn11 WON noann tn GOV WON panniNn6
nc medicine from the doctors in
charger" asked DR.. Conner.
"Oh, I got some quinine one day. All
the medicine they had was quinine,
salts n castor oil. They served it
out in turn"
]. Hussey, of Brooklyn, a private of
the SiXty-ninth regiment, testified that
the best of all the food supplies by the
government was appropriated for the
use of officers. Hussey served in the
regular army before joining the volun-
teers and said that not more thar
O%ne-third of the regular army ra-
tons were issued to the men of his
company.
DR.. Monae Lesser, who was in Cuba
in medical charge for the Red Cross
Society, was next examined. Replying
to questions by DR.. Conner, he told
of the arrival of the Red Cross in Gu
ba and of the offers of supplies made
by him at the instance of Miss Bar
ton.
Were those offers refused?"
Il cannot say they were refused l
acted as spokesman for our party and
l was informed that there We're plenty
of government supplies on hand. I Of
fered DR.. LaCarde at the SibOney hos
pital the services of the Red Cross
nurses and he said he had nurses
| enough, but he lacked cots. Our rela-
/ finnS with tho ron1ioo1 nffionrc &c tho
army were most cordial. There was
never any clash"
DR.. Lesser said the wounded were
promptly and scientifically attended to
and that the surgeons generally act
| ed ~splendidly. None Of the fever cases
was without shelter. Those of the
| sick who slept in the open air were
not suffering from fever and the night
air was good for them.
A far as l know" said DR.. Lesser,
none of the sick at SibOney suffered
from lack of medicine. There was a
scarcity Of food for the sick, 1 believe,
There were no supplies of sick food
except those Of the Red Cross Society.
Asked by DR.. Conner to tell what he
knew of the condition of the Concho
and of the ~precaution taken in select
ing the men fit to be sent home to
the United States. DR.. Lesser said The
transport was in excellent sanitary
condition, was we'll found in food and
medical supplies and only the mer
who were actually convalescent were
sent aboard. The trouble at sea was
Occasioned by the relapse caused by
the change of air.
Was the supply of food and medi-
cines sufficient for these aboard ?" ask
ed DR.. Conner.
L cannot answer that question. The
Red Cross usages do not permit me
to criticise the government"
You are not asked to criticise."
Il cannot tell if the supply was suf-
ficient or not without criticising those
who put the supplies aboard. l believe
that not one death occurred on the
Concho but was caused by the patient
himself or by the mistaken kindness
of one of his friends. There We're more
deaths of yellow fever convalescents
from over feeding than from the eff
feet of the disease itself"
If a Red Cross nurse should see an
officer take the life of one of his pa
tients, would she be permitted to ac-
cuSe the officer of murder2" asked