The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-11
THE COURT OF INQUIRY
More Evidence Is Presented of
Chemically-Treated Beef.
THE AGENT CONFESSED
Would Not State What the Formula
Was for the Procsss-Particulars
OF the Interview With
Miles.

Washington, April 10-The army
court of beef inquiry resumed it's ses-
sion at 10 O'Clock to-day with Rear Ad-
miral John G. Walker, president of the
Nicaragua canal commission on the
stand. He said that canned roast beef
had been used by the commissioners
surveying parties on the isthmus. The
men did not like this beef, preferring
bacon and the fresh native beef, but it
had not been found unwholesome, If
Quitting a large expedition to the
tropics, he would include some of the
canned beef as ration, but not very
much.
DIR. Charles H. Castle, an assistant
surgeon of the LIST Ohio cavalry, for a.
time brigadier surgeon and one of the
men whose name was given by Lieu
tenant CAMPER as being present at
Lakeland, Fla, when Mr.. Morehouse
agent for Armour & Co., said their beef
had been chemically treated, said that
on two occasions he had found the
meat spoiled after it had passed in
spection.
On the 18th of August he had met
the Armour agent, whose name he did
not know, in the presence of Captain
Carmichael and Lieutenant Camper at
the commssary depot. DR.. Castle
called the attention of the agent to
some discolorations of greenish char
acter on the meat. The agent re-
piled:
1.-The discoloration is due to some
1.,t4 IL -1o
treated upon being put in the refrigera-
tor
II asked what the formula was" con-
tnued DR.. Castle. but he replied that
he did not know"
DR.. Castle identified a letter he had
addressed to the chief commissary at
Tampa on the 23d of August last, ask
ing that he be allowed to purchase beef
at Lakeland and not be compelled to
receive the beef shipped in because of
the frequent COMBINATIONS of the re-
frigerated Def from Tampa. Failing to
receive prompt response, he had wired
and had received authority for a
time to make the purchases of local
butchers.
Describing the odor emitted by the
meat Dr. Castle said it was not of a
disgusting character, but it was an arc
matte, acrid, sour smell. He had
reached the conclusion since he had
returned to his la boratory work in Gin
cinnati that the beef had been treated
either with the gas formaldehyde or the
kindred solution, formaline. He had
made no report to any superior oHcer
concerning the agents statements be-
cause he had supposed that the war
department knew of the process if any
was used.
Sidney Reid, a reporter in the New
York office of the associated press, gave
the particulars of an interview he had
with General Miles at the Waldorf As
tora on the 31st of January last. In
this interview General Miles was repre-
sented as telling of the inquiries he had
set afoot concerning the beef supplies to
the army as saying that the canned
roast beef was nothing more than the
refuse of beef from which beef extracts
had been made and as stating That ne
had overwhelming evidence that the
embalmed beef was treated with chem
icals.
Mr.. Reid presented the court with a
correct COPY of the interview as pre-
pared by him. Referring to an inter-
view with General Miles printed in the
New York Herald, Mr.. Reid said 1t was
not a correct reproduction of the Miles
interview 1T saw portions of my in
terview in the Herald he said, com
bjned with other matter which l did not
write
In reply to questions from Major Lee,
Mr.. Reid said he did not have General
Miles testimony before the war investi-
cation commission in mind when he
talked with him, or when he wrote mis-
article, His conversation with General
Miles had occurred in the office OF the
hotel and the latter had at first de-
clined to be interviewed, excusing him
self several times. Upon later at
tempt on his part, General Miles mad
consented to read what purported to be
interviews with him in the New York
evening papers of that date and had
then expressed himself as represented
in the associated press dispatches
MFR Reid said that General Miles
knew he represented the associated
press and that he taking notes. On the
way to his office he had compared his
memorandum with that made by the
reporter of the New York Times, who
was present at the time and had FOUND
they agreed substantially.
Il don't claim that the verbiage IS ab-
solutely correct" he said, put DO
claim that it is correct in substance and
that it does not misrepresent what Gen
eral Miles said Moreover, he had vol
unteered to submit the interview to-
General Miles, when written out but
the general had said that he was too
busy to give attention to 1t, or mad
made some other excuse, consequently
the general had not seen the article al
ter it was reported.
The court then adjourned for the day.
General Shafter was in the court room
for time during the day. He will
testify tomorrow.