The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-07

by CAPTAIN Davis, assistant commssary
general. Details were lacking and the
suggestions as 10 the time seemed 10 be
conflicting. He had tried TO get details
from Captain Davis in regard 20 the twcn-
tyfour hour clause and was told by him
that the understanding was that rcfrigeiH-
tors were to hc built on the shore and ~
the rear Of The moving troops, the in
tention being to have The beef exposed
for the minimum time only. He had at
the time pointed out the apparent conflict
between the twenty four and seventy-two
hour clauses. 10 one of the reyisipns Cen
ersl Esgan had interlined in his own
handwriting clause referring 10 the timc,
reading as follows
(which shall not be more than seventy
two hours from the time of storing the
same in such refrigerators
| Mr., DeCaindry said he had been SO wnr
| ried by the apparent Inconsistencies in
the contract that he had kept all the
memoranda relating 70 the matter
Are they on file now7' asked Major
| Lee,
They are not Ia the file boxes
The witness then stated that Captain
| Davis was in charge OF these boxes and
that CAPTAIN Davis was the especial con
| fdant OF General Esgan
Asked II he had had any reason at the
| time the contract was drawn TO suspect
/
Eagsn or Davis. Mr. DeCaindry replied
that he had no such suspicion then and
| that he had none now His Impression
was that they we're undertaking TO do
| something which they had not digestod
sufficiently TO know Just how they wanted
to do H. Mr.. DeCaindry gave some Of the
particulars concerning the trial OF Powell
process In Florida.
! He spoke OF letter Of Armour G. Co..
in which they argued that they should be
awarded the contract because they con
trolled this Powell process notwithstand-
| ing their bid WAS somewhat higher than
that Of Swift g. Co.
what became OF that letter." asked
| Major Lee.
"A portion OF It Is In the files" said Mr..
! DeCaindry. but the bulk OF II waG re-
turned to tho writer at his request The
| portion retained was the last page, con-
tanning the Endorsement OF the secretary
OF war and the commissary general. An
office copy was, however, retained.
Tho witness was then requested to. and
did read the letter from Armour & Co,
dated July H. bearing on this subject,
| but he said ne had no remembrance Of
ever having seen the letter before. This
letter was then put in as evidence
Al this point Major Lee asked Mr. De-
Calndry whether he has ever rendered his
| resignation as an official Of the war de-
partmept and the witness replied that he
had done 20.
II rendered my resignation on the day
following General Eagan's appearance be-
fore the war commission" he said
Major Lee was about TO proceed with
this line Of questions when Colonel Davis
objected 90 the ground that the inquiries
were not pertinent
Major Lee then desisted Withdrawing
tie FIRST question
Dr.. Richard Pyles. chief surgeon OF the
District of Columbia volunteers testified
that the refrigerator beef supplied the
troops In Cuba had given them dysentery.
but expressed the opinion that they ate
too much OF It, He expressed disspprovsl
of the canned beef, and said the men
would only eat It when they could get M
other meat,
The court then adjourned until tomor-
| row