The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-18
Also Asserts that No Chemicals Are
Used in Preserving RefriGera-
ted or Other Beef.
ALL CATTLE ARE INSPECTED
POOR GRADES OF STOCK NOT USED
FOR CANNING PURPOSES.
Cheap Cows Converted Into "Barreled
Beer'-Other Witnesses Before
the Court Of Inquiry.

KANSAS CITY, Mo, March 1.-THE
army beef court of inquiry arrived here to-
day from Omaha. The members of the COM
mission started promptly for Armours
packing plant to investigate its methods OF
preparing beef. AS beef vas supplied alone
by the local firm of Armour no other plants
here will be investigated. After the testi-
mony here has been taken the commission
will doubtless go to Fort Leavenworth,
Kan, and take evidence. The commission
may remain in this vicinity till over Sun
day.
At the Armour plant General Manager +.
Miles conducted the party through the diff
ferent departments The court spent two
hours inspecting the various stages Of the
process through which the meat passed be-
fore being canned. The killing room was
not visited. This afternoon the taking of
testimony was begun at the courts head
quarters uptown. The principal witnesses
examined were General Manager Miles, of
the Armour Company, who testified at
Washington as to his knowledge of the meat
furnished the army two inspectors from the
local office of tie Bureau of Animal Indus
try, a member of stock firm and ex-Con-
eressman Mason Peters, of Kansas City,
Kan.
William D. Miles, general manager of the
Armour plant, was the first witness called.
He said his company furnished the govern
ment refrigerated beef during the Spanish
| war. 1t was preserved by cold air.
Did you use any artificial preserVativeS!'
Absolutely none.''
His firm had furnished the government
with 100000 pounds of canned roast beef.
at Washington and Commissary Woodruff
at New York. The meat was inspected at
Mobile and other points of delivery in the
South. Two carloads of the million pounds
was returned from Mobile and three car
leads from Jacksonville. On its return to
Kansas City the company inspected the
meat and found that less than one-half of
per cent was bad. That from Mobile, the
witness said, had never been inspected
| there The returned meat was put back
into stock and possibly some of it was re-
sold to the government" One portion of it
was resold to foreign government and ac-
oepted.
In reply to a question, Mr.. Miles stated
| that not less than half Of the cattle killed
| for canning purposes were cows The poor
| est grades of meat were not used in can
| ming; poorer grades were made into bar
| relied beef" Nearly all fat and bone mat
| ter was removed from canned meat. A two
pound can would contain or per cent. fat
| and from one and one-half to two ounces
| of stock" or water in which beef had been
| boiled. No salt was used in its preparation
| There was but one grade used and all cans
| were labeled.
| Ex-Congressman Peters, who was former
| ly in the stock commission business in Kan
| sas City, and Lionel A. Lennon, commits
| sion man, defined Gamers as quoted in the
| daily market reports.
| II. L. Antoine, foreman at Armour's cam
| ming department, told of his department
| working day and night during May and
| June, 1898, to fill the governments orders.
| Because of the big demand for Gamers" 1t
was necessary to kill fresh cattle OF higher
grade than usually used. Notwithstanding
the rush, proper precaution in packing was
| taken, and all cans were Inspected four
times before they left the plant. The re-
| jections amounted to one-half of l per cent.
l.. II. Rambo swore that in June. 1898. he
was in the employ of the Armour Company
and helped in the canning department. He
| frequently nailed up cases. Cans would
often swell up and burst. In reply to a
4
| much as third of the cans prepared were
| rejected for this and other reasons.
| Mr.. Antoine was recalled and denied that
Rambo had worked in the canning depart
ment at the time stated or that the number
| of cans rejected reached the amount alleged
by Rambo. Antoine said that record was
| kept Of all cans rejected and the court in
| structed him to bring this record before 1t
/
NO CHEMICALS.
S. NJ. Morse, who has charge OF the kill
| ing at Armour's, said that all cattle pass
ing through his hands bore tags showing
| governmental inspection. He had no knowl-
| edge of chemicals being used in preserving
meats and said that ii could not have been
so used without his knowledge.
DIR. S, E. Bennett, of the Bureau of Ami
NAL Industry in Kansas City. and Thomas
| w. Carmichael. government meat inspec-
| tor, said the proportion of cattle rejected
! because of disease or for other reasons was
from one 10 nine a day. rarely as high as
eight.
John Spence. foreman Of the cutting de-
| partment, testified as to the good quality
of cattle used for canning.
DIR. Ernest W. Slusher. hospital steward
of the Third Missouri Volunteers, said that
while stationed at Camp Meade, PennsyI-
vania. he was one morning called to at
| tend fifty members Of the regiment who
were vomiting. 1t was his opinion that they
| had been made sick by eating spoiled
canned corned beef The matter was not in
vestigated. The cans. he thought bore the
label OF Libby. Mcneil & Libby.
| Carl Holtschue. member of Troop A.
First United States Volunteer Cavalry. said
there was no complaint of the canned
roast beef served on the voyage from