The evening times., 1898-10-14
HOW NOT TO Find OUT
The Alger Circumlocution
Commission at Work.
MAJOR SEAMAN TESTIFIES
Questioners Fail to Ask About the
Sensational Charges Made by Him
i'm Published Intervfevs-NOthin
OF an Exciting Nature Revealed at
the Morning Session.

The Alger Relief Commission gave an
other exhibition this morning of how not
TO fird out anything in the preliminary
examination of Major L. L. Seaman. a
surgeon Of the First United States volun-
teer Engineers, who has recently return
ed from Santiago and Porto Rico
Major Seaman was summoned to ap-
pear before the Commission in conse-
auence of an interview with him which
was published in the newspapers, making
direct charges of maladministration and
incompetency against the War Depart
ment. incidentally, Major Seaman
charged up 80 per cent of the deaths at
Santiago to this cause.
The Commission. however. during its
morning session did not seen: to think it
necessary or important TO question Major
Seaman as to whether he had been cor
rectly reported in his interview, the lub-
lication of which was the sole reason Tor
sUmmoning him before the Commission
There was evidently "A strong desire on
the part of some OF the Commissioners
at LEAST 10 discredit MAJOR Seaman's evil
dence in advance. Nothing of any sensa-
7
morning session, but Major Seaman's eT-
animation will be continued this after
noon and it is stated that some OF the
Commissioners not under the direct con-
| trol or influence of Chairman Dodge VIII
make a strong effort to see that the Wit
/ ness be given an opportunity to tell all
he knows
! -. ,,,,.,.,i,t, IN interesting Incl
| dent is said TO have taken place IN the
executive session of the Commission late
| Yesterday afternoon. Ii was reported 10
| one Of the Commissioners that Secretary
Alser had given orders 10 have Major Sea-
man placed under military arrest the mo-
I ment he arrived in Washington. An anil
/ mated discussion followed, which hnally
ended in a notice being sent in diplomatic
: language 10 the Secretary Of War that he
must not interfere with the Commission
bv trying to intimidate its witnesses
either before or after the giving of their
! testimony.
I This was a big point scored by the mi
/ nority on the Commission, and from inside
sources il Is understood that the Aforesaid
4 minority intends 10 follow up its advan-
4 taEe and assert itself.
| Major Seaman arrived al the rooms of
! the Commission a few minutes before IL
/ o'clock He was accompanied by his
( friend Mr.. Earnest Ayrault, an attorney,
of New York city. The Commissioners
were not disposed TO permit Mr.. Ayrauit
TO remain in the room. 4 brief executive
session was held and then IL was decided
/ 10 permit him 10 remain.
on taking the stand DR.. Seaman declin-
ed TO be sworn remarking: Il affirm.
.Au right" said Gen. Dodge. stand
up"
Il don't have TO stand, rejOined Nd
ior Seaman He sat in his chair while
The words Of the oath were administered.
The major. while waiting in the ante
: room in the course of conversation
with the representatives Of the press.
stated that he had left about one-half of
his anatomy in Porto Rico. and he WASH
feeling well. He looks very thin. as
though he had been through terrible
( experience.
Gen. Beaver commenced the examina-
1 ton. The first part OF it was of no gem
I eral interest except that Major Seaman
. stated that while he was stationed at
1 Camp Townsend. \. Y. the command was
promptly and most literally supplied with
all that was needed. He then told all
1 about the emba rkation of his regiment
for Porto Rico on the Chester. The trip
|
sisted of the usual army rations. There
were no complaints on the way down.
DR.. Seaman complained that he had only
six hours in which 10 supply the ship be-
| fore she sailed DR. Connor asked him
IL he did not know that he could have
held the vessel there until the crack of
doom if he considered that the necessary
supplies had not been provided. The an
swer was that he got all he wanted in the
six hours.
During the examination no reference
was made bv any Of the Commissioners
TO the caustic charges that DR.. Seaman
is reported by New York newspapers to
have made just after his arrival from
Ponce Indeed. they seemed to studiously
avoid the publications referred TO.
Just before the recess a statement was
sent TO the Commission from the War
Department to the effect that when Major
Gen. Brooke took command in Porto Rico
the sum of s250At9 was placed under his
control in order that his army should not
lack for either food or medicines
About half an hour before the u 30
o'clock recess DR. Connor. OF the Commis-
| sion, sharply questioned the witness
Major Seaman repeated that on the voy-
| age back home there was no complaint.
| He said the Obdam was well supplied
with food. the beds were clean, and the
water was good, but he obtained the sup
plies for the convalescent men from the
Red Cross and National Relief Societies.
He admitted that he did not make a re-
quest upon the commissary and medical
departments for tea and condensed milk.
nor did he know that such articles were
being supplied at the depot. H. got his
regular fifteen-day travel rations, but
they were not suitable for the men. Down
in Porto Rico he heard general complaint
| that the rations were not such as the men
| wanted. There was an oversupply OF
| meats but a lack of ricS, potatoes. etc
He could not commute the 60 cents Gay
allowed at the hospitals He discussed
these matters with Surgeons Green!eaf,
Snowden and Birmingham. and the un-
derstanding was that his presumption
was correct.
In answer to a direct question Major
Seaman declared that he knew of no
| cases of starvation in Porto Rico from
| lack of food. but he insisted that 1t was
not the kind that the soldiers ought to
| have.
Stealing Democratic Doctrine.