The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-03

Washington, March 2-There were
several interesting developments in the
beef court of inquiry today. It was a
field day for the volunteer arm OF the
service. the Naiting-room being filled
all day with members of the various
volunteer regiments which served in
Cuba. and Porto Rico. The first Of
these, Clarence Walters of the First
volunteer engineers. told a sensational
story of hardship and inhumanity suf-
fered during his service, describing the
canned roast beef in harsher terms
than have ever before been applied TO
that much discussed article.
Later IL the day Lieutenant SeweNs
L. 5. A, who was major of the volun-
teer battalion in which Walters served,
contradicted his story, saying there, TO
his knowledge, was no canned roast
beef aboard the transport which took
the command to Porto Rico. Further
Than tnat he said, Walters had come
10 him after landing and asked to be
discharged, so as to accept a position
as newspaper correspondent, and, on
being questioned. said that he had been
well treated while in the service and
had no complaint to make.
An important development was the
denial of the story by one James Far
nan, and also attributed to DIR. Max
well Christine of Philadelphia, that they
had seen beef injected with chemicals
in an Omaha packing-house. Dr., Chris
tine explained that what he had seen
was the picking of corned meats. the
brine being injected into the meat to
save several weeks time in the pick
ling vat
The question of counsel for General
Miles before the court is still in abey-
ance, some correspondence having
passed between the general and the
court, but both sides decline to give
out the letters till a settlement is
reached.
General Miles has not asked 10 be
represented by counsel, presumably be-
cause that would put him in the posi-
ton Of admitting himself on trial by
the court, which, up to date, he has
declined TO admit. On the other hand,
the court does not feel able, under the
articles of war. to permit Major Lee
or anyone else to crOss-Guestiol witness
unless he can be recognized officially
as counsel for the defense. 1t was
stated that this matter probably will
be settled tomorrow.
WORMS IN THE BEEF.
The testimony Of Clarence Walters of !
The First volunteer engineers of New
apparently wen educated and intelli- !
gent, evidently a man of the world, |
and gave testimony clearly and calm |
]y bit with positive directness. He
was asked what his experience with /
canned beef had been en- the voyage I
OF mis- transport to Porto Rico, and re- !
piled that the first can he saw opened !
had worms in it. and, a few minutes /
afteri being opened. developed such !
putrid oaor thar ii was impossible TO I
have it about. He ate some OF it and /
wSs made violently sick.
He said he had been on sea trips /
before and was never seasick. The men /
of his company complained of the meat. |
and the conniissary sergeant refused /
To accept il. Some OF the meat was Civ !
en- TO the sergeant major. who tasted /
1t and said il was all right. The SER |
Esant comnlissarY was compelled to ac- 4
cept il. but did so under protest. Near !
~ Az the men of his battalion were {
sick throughout most of the voyage /
as result of eating this meat
Colonel Davis, the recorder, ordered (
a can opened. and asked witness if il /
was the same he had used in the serv- s
Zee. Witness said ii bore no reSem- (
blance TO the campaign article. The /
cans he had seen were a different form. !
keystone shape, and the color, consist /
ency and door of the contents were /
entirely different a second can was
result. Witness did not recognize Il.
The conmissary sergeant Of his COM !
panv was George Taylor of IS Pine 1
street, New York, since made leuten-
ant
After reaching Porto Rico. Walters /
said, he was sick for week as a re- /
SUIT of the voyage. He was given /
some medicine and told he would be eli +
right in a little while. on shore he got {
supplies from the Red Cross and
bought milk and eggs from the natives.
practically subsisting himself during
his stay on the island. At least two
thirds of his company were fully as
sick as ne. and from the same cause.
sLIA-Y AND sTRINGY.
CAPTAIN Herbert O. Hicks Of company
NJ. Second Massachusetts. described the
meat, but did not make it out quite so
repulsive as that served Walters in
Porto Rico. but ne said ii was "a Shiny,
stringy mass. nauseating to the taste.
without nuriment and without form
that could be recognized as meat eX-
cept by the melted fat with which it |
was soaked.
Witness was shown several of the
cans on hand with the commission. but
said they We're not the same lie had
seen in service. He described the cans
sn Cuba as round. dark brown cans.
with paper wrapping.
Lieutenant George aYlOr late of the
Sixth Massachusetts, who said he was
q groceryman before entering the SER
vice said his regiment served in Porto
Rico They had Very little that they
could,eat on the trip down. They some
times had bacon, bur no chance To cook
il and had to throw It overheard They
had canned roast beef which they
could not eat and had frequently only
canned tomatoes, bareback and coffee
Asked is he thought any sickness in
his command was caused by the food
the men had TO eat, ne replied:
Il think it was more due to what we
did not have to eat. When we got TO
Porto Rico there were thirty of our men
SO sick they were never landed
WAS this state OF under-feeding gem
eral aboard the transport" asked Colo
rel Davis.
Eyes, sir"
Colonel Dayis-General Miles was on
board Did you report 10 him ?"
Il did not think we had any right to
60 over the head of our colonel. We
reoorted to him. i heard him speak
10 the commissary captain and the cap
tain answered that the men We're get
ting all they would get and probably
S-ould get a good deal less when they
got on shore. That was all ever heard
of the report.
He had been grocer ten years and
had handled canned roast beef. but it
was a better article than he had seen
in the army.
N. O. Dwyer Of the Ninth Massachu-
sets volunteers said on the trip 10
Cuba they had been served a 1airly
good brand Of canned roast beef much
the same as he had seen at home At
ter landing at Siboney some of the