Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-03
THE BEEF COURT
Fied-Day for Volunteer Men
Of The Service,
A STORY OF |NHUMAN|TY
It Is COnlradIcted by the Nara
tors Major.
QUESTION OF COUNSEL FOR MILES.
Some Correspondence on the Subject,
But IL Has Not Yet Iheen Made
PubIic-Court TO Start West Next
Week.
QUESTION OF COUNSEL FOR MILES.
some Correspondence on the Subject.
W eek,

WASHINGTON, u. g.. March 2.-There
were several interesting developments in
the beef court Of inquiry to-day. 1t was a
heid-day for the volunteer men Of the
service. the waiting-room being filled all
day with members Of various volunteer
| regiments which served in Cuba and
Porto Rico. The first Of these. Clarence
Walters. OF the First Volunteer Engi-
neers. told a sensational story of hard
ship and inhunanity suffered during his
service, describing the canned roast beef
i'm harsher terms than have ever before
been applied 10 that discussed arti-
Gle. Later in the day Lieutenant Seweu,
United States army, who was major Of
the volunteer battalion i'm which Walters
served. contradictcd his story completely.
An important development was a de-
nial OF the story by one James Farnau.
ana also attributed TO Dr. Maxwell Chris
tine. Of Philadelphia, that they had seen
beef injected with chemicals in an Omaha
packng-house Dr. Christine explained
that what he had seen was the pickling
Of corned meats. the brine being inject
ed into the meat TO save several weeks
time in the picking vat
COUNSEL FOR MILES.
The question Of counsel for General
Miles before the court is still I'm allegiance,
some correspondence having passed be-
tween the General and the court, but
both sides decline to give out the letters
tin settlement is reached
General Miles has not asked to be rep
resented by counsel, presumably because
that would put him i'm the position of adj
hitting himself TO be ON trial by the
court. which, up 20 date. ne has declined
TO do. ON the other hand, the court does
not feel able under the Articles Of War 20
permit Major Lee. or any one else, 20
cross-question Witnesses. unless he can
be recognized officially as counsel for the
defence II was stated that this matter
would probably be settled to-n.orroW.
The court expects To start West Tues
day or Wednesday Of next Wc,h.
BEEF HAD WORMS IN TT.
Walters in his testimony, said that the
first can of beef be saw opened on the
transport going 10 Porto Rico had worms
i'm il. and ii few minutes after being open
ed developed such a putrd odOr shat II
was impossible 10 have il about. lie ate
some Of it and was made violently sick.
He said he had been on sea trips before
and was never seasick. The men Of lis
company complained Of the meat, and
nearly all the men Of his battalion were
sick. throughout most of the voyage, as
q result OF eating this meat. After reach !
ing Porto Rico he was sick for a week, |
as q result of the voyage. At least two !
thirds Of his company We're fully rs SICK !
as ne was, and from the same cause.
Captain Herbert Hicks. of Company, VI, |
Second massachusetts Regiment followed |
with an account of the canned beef used |
by his command I'm cuba. His description |
of the meat did not make it quite so re-
pulsive as that served 10 Walters in Porto |
Rico but he said IL was "a Shiny, strngy |
mass nauscating TO the taste. without |
nutrimont and without form that could |
be recognized as meat. except by the |
matted fat with which it was soaked
Witness was shown several of the cans |
on hand with the commission. but said |
that they were not the same that he had |
seen I'm cuba. Walters made the same
statement on being shown some cans.
MEN HAD LITTLE THEY COULD EAT. |
Lieutenant George Taylor, late Of the |
Second Massachusetts. who said he was
a grocervman before entering the service,
said his regiment served I'm Porto Rico.
The men had very little that they could
eat on the trip down. They sometimes
had bacon. but no chance 10 cook IL, ana
had TO throw il overheard. They Lad
canned roast beef, which they could rot
eat. and had frequently only canned to-
matoes. hard-tack and coffee.
Asked If he thought any sickness in his
command was caused by the food the men
had 10 eat. ne replied: Il mink IL 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 that they were
never landed
lie had been "a grocer ten years. and
,a0 handled canned roast beef. but ii was
better article than he had seen i'm the
lrmv. His trade in canned beer was
-erv small
BEEF NOT SATISFYING.
n O. Dwyer. Of the Ninth Massachu-
etts Volunteers. said that on the trip 10
,uba they had been served a fairly-gooi
rand of canned roast beef much the
anne as he had seen at home. After
anding al Siboney. on the night Of July
II the men had canned roast beef issued
hem for a hVe-day ration. but lost IL
m ON going into action. Thereafter they
,ad about half canned meat and half
,acon. Some Of the canned roast beer
s4 absolutely spoiled when opened, but
was not satisfying, and did not Keep
~ the strength.
He found a can of roast beer III an
bandoned camp of the Seventh Cavdiry.
4 thought it was going 20 be a godsehu
o the mess. sir" said ne. feelingN, ana
put IL i'm my shirt. | was smoking d
igar at the time. but when the clsdi
cent ont | smelled something AWFUL ana
hon / found out what was the matter, ,
was the can Of beef In my shlrt
ound the can was cracked IN one coil''i
nd oh. sir. IT was awful.
REEF MADE MEN SICK.
rris first exuerience with the refiigeTated I
a.ir vas an San Juan Hill. July 2lst. The
e.f US nearly all of II mouldy, ana
lost OF il tainted, SO that 'he i''n W
ckened by eating II. ON the Wy 9"se
emo the men could eat little but nara
"Then We started home sin SAID ,
,,.er In conclusion "and when We GOV
,,ontoul Point the Massachusetts Ala |
,cietv rescued us from the Commiss"ry :
>.,.rD ,tr,r !
BAD-CANNkD MEAT
WORSE"
,o,,,e,ant Newton Putney another
ix,h Massachusetts man, followed. His | !