The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-23
CAMP wIKOFF EVILS.
Civilians Examined by the Army In
vestigating Commission.

Civilians Examined by the Army In
vestigating Commission.
NEW YORK, Nov. 22.-The war investi-
eating commission decided to-day that it
would not visit Montauk Point, the site of
Camp Wikoff, in a body, but would send
committee to prepare a report. Mrs.
Susan G. Powell, of this city, was the first
witness. She said she did not know why
she had been called, as she had never been
at any of the camps and knew only by hear
say of the treatment received by the sol
diers.
I'VE called you,' explained General VIII
son, because we heard that when you
offered to go to camp as a. nurse you were
not accepted because you would not agree
to maintain secrecy should you find any
direliction of duty. We wish to know who
exacted such a promise from you
Il wish you would not ask me that ques-
tion'
But" said General Beaver, THE answer
might aid us materially in our investigation.
To whom did you make the offer to act as
nurse?"
ITO an officer of the auxiliary of the Red
Cross Society"
WAS it a male or female officer of the
Red CROSSE"
II do not care to say"
We'll, had the officer any authority at
camp? Was it an officer in the United
States service?''
1T was an officer in the army. / do not
know what authority the person had in
camp. My offer and its rejection were made
in a private house."
Since you have stated that" said Gen.
Wilson, would you mind telling us whether
you or the Red Cross made the matter pub
lic?"
Il do not know who could have told of
1t. do not remember having told any one
but a clergyman. He may have told Mr..
r. b. Roosevelt"
Col. A. S. KimbaI assistant quartermas-
ter general of the United States army. sta
toned in this city, was the next witness.
He said that ell the contracts for supplies
We're let to the lowest bidder after proper
notification and advertisement IT never
knew of any money or influence being used
IN the matter of awarding contracts" he
said. My records show that from May u
to June II my office expended $4,67O,OOO for
CiothlhS ana camp ana garrison equipment"
Colonel kimball told of the purchase and
hlre OF transports in this city. He explained
that he had obtained list from the owners
OF ali the ships that could be purchased or
Washington.
:, ~, u and IA at Camp Wikoff He said
ne desired to cOrrOborate the testimony
5Nen Dy MISSES Manson and Garrard and
camp. ~ W
MISS LOWELL TALKED TO SOLDIERS.
MISS Mary c. Lowell, daughter of Sidney
Lowell, said she personally talked to every
man of eight regiments of regulars. Half of
them were on the sick report and many
others were sick, too sick to go to the
doctors tent There was a great scarcity
OF doctors and Miss Lowell considered MANY
of the contract doctors careless and indif-
ferent to the men. She gave names of men
she had found sick in their tents and said
that she had reported some Of the cases
10 the regimetal doctors and the doctors
look no notice. she found one man with a
temperature of los and reported to Dr.
Ihomas Or. Thomas said he would see to
1t. but when she visited the man tWenty-f four
hours later the doctor had not seen him.
Miss Lowell mentioned other doctors who
she said had neglected their duty and said
great suffering resulted from the i'll manage
inent of the ambulance service. Miss Lowell
said the condition of affairs in the general
hospital was shocking She corroborated the
testimony OF the previous witnesses as to
the lack OF sanitary precautions and the
plague of flies.
Rev. Henry b. Bryan, of the Garden City
Cathedral, presented himself to speak of the
manner in which the soldiers lying in hos
pitfalls were buried. Mr.. Bryan went to Camp
Wikof on Sept. 2 He said the publication OF
statement of Major Brown that all the
bodies were decently buried had induced him
TO come forward 10 testify. I'm his pub
lshed statement" said Mr.. Bryan, Major
Brown said there was truth in the report
that the bodies were not decently buried;
that every body was embalmed and decently
clothed in a new uniform that bottle con-
tanning his name and all the information
obtainable about him was buried in his
coffin and that cross marked every grave.
] believe Major Brown gave those orders
and issued the clothes, but that his orders
were not carried out know personally OF
twenty bodies that were net buried as Maj.
Brown says they were and / wonder what
psid for y the embaImins. j do not Question
Major Brown in any way. He had not time
TO see that his orders were carried out.
Coughlin and Kohler, who wore Bellevue
Hospital badges were in charge of the
burial of the dead.
GROSSLY INDECENT"
my duties led me by the morgue every
day and / stopped in to see who had died
during the night. I saw the naked bodies
of soldiers placed in bare pine collins and
the name of the man and his regiment writ
ten on the lid of the coffin. OF course the
damp earth quickly obiterated these marks
and no further records were kept Some
times the body was buried in a night shirt,
but they never took the trouble TO button
the shirt. 1t was grossly indecent. At the
norgue the attendants sat on the coffin with
the bodies in them and chewed and smoked
and told indecent stories. l rebuNed them
once, but they were Bowery toughs and IL
te useless to talk to them.
do you know who was responsible for
the conditions you foundY
No: / understand that Mr.. Roebilng
maid Coughlin and Koehler TO go 10 the
camp and take charge Of the morgue there.
An autopsy was made on the body of Barney
Trio and organs removed We're left lying
about until the attendants tied them up in
a towel and threw them away.
Hilden DIN. first lieutenant or Company l;
Seventy-frst Regiment, ordnance officer OF
the regiment testified that the men were
somewhat crowded on the transport Vigil
lancia going to Siboney, and that the water
aboard was not good He told of the regi-
ment's service in Cuba and said that after
S-a men lost their haversacks and rations.
~ July i, he was able to get full rations