The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05
ARMY BEEF THAT
HAD A DECIDEDLY
''DEATHLY SMELL"
Bad Quality Of Both the Refri9=
Grated and Canned Stuff
Served to Troops.

WASHINGTON, March 4.-The War
Department Court of Inquiry wound up
its weeks work with a half days
session to-day, having exhausted its
list of witnesses now on hand. There
may be some witnesses at the Monday
session, but the court will start for
Chicago early next week, probably on
Tuesday or Wednesday.
Just before the close of the session
to-day a volunteer witness presented
himself, but was not accepted. He wore
an army uniform and said his name
was Frank Rundas, late of the Third
Nebraska Colonel w. J. Bryans) Regi-
ment, and that he had recently been
hOnorably discharged from the service
and was on his way home His story
was in brief that he had served in the
company kitchen with his command in
Jacksonville, and that during a long
period when the men were living on
refrigerated beef there was so much
internal trouble among the men that
the issue of this was stopped.
AT another time he got hold of some
refrigerator meat in the kitchen that
was Of such a peculiar color that the
attention of the company officers was
called to it. The surgeon in charge eX-
amined ii, so Rundas says, and re-
but had been prepared to send to Porto
Rico, and since it had been issued the
men had as we'll use it, The meat was
cooked, but all the men who ate 1t were
made sick. The inference drawn was
that this was some of~the same Porto
Rico beef that DR.. DAILY had analyzed
and alleged to be chemically treated.
Rundas said he was on his way home,
but had stopped off in Washington TO
offer this information to the court of
inquiry if it thought it worth hear
ing. He presented himself to Colonel
Davis, the recorder of the court, but
was told that he would not be wanted
as a witness.
on being asked soon afterward
whether Rundas was to be called, or
why ne had been rejected. Colonel
Davis said: L know nothing about the
man. He has on a uniform, but that
is no proof that he is a soldier or ever
has been. There are all sorts of crankS
and impOstOrs who come up here and
want to testify. AS to this man, if he
can identify himself and the court di
rects me to call him, I Will do So
The counsel for General Miles will in
uuire into the antecedents of this man,
and if he appears to be what he rep
resentS he will be called.
Colonel Gallagher, who was recalled
in answer TO a question from Major
Lee as to whether he had issued canned
beef to the Cuban refugees because our
soldiers would not eat it, replied: We
issued the canned beef TO the Cubans
because they preferred TO eat it and
the bacon to our men because they pre-
ferred that. We were trying our best
to give every one what they most pre-
ferred."
"Umph,' commented Major Lee.
Louis D. Hunter of the Sixth Massa-
Chusetts and regimental cOmmissary
while in Porto Rico, said his experience
! E-srr TO-
beef on the whole had been quite salts
factory. Some of the canned beef was
condemned but the percentage was
small There had been considerable
native beef issued at times, but on one
occasion the quantity had been cut
down on the advice Of the surgeon. The
men liked the native beef, which was
well favored but very tough.
Lieutenant Hunter said the men ate
a large amount of native fruit, and
bananas. raw or cooked, became almost
staple article of food. Probably 2
per cent of the sickness was due to
fruit.
Cross s-examined, witness said the men
did not use over per cent of the
canned beef after reaching Porto Rico.
They traded the rest to the native
stOrekeepers. On the march he had
seen many men throw away the beef
after making one meal out of the can.
or else give it to the natives. Witness
had been made sick, as he supposed,
by eating canned beef. His general
health was good
Major George Ruthers of the com
1nissary department. who had supplied
the Seventh Army Corps with refriger-
ator beef while at Jacksonville, said
he had never received a complaint.
- The meat had been rigidly inspected
and showed no evidence of cuts or
punctures or anything else that might
give rise to the suspicion that it had
been chemically treated. At Jackson
VILE he had issued a general circular
TO the Seventh Army Corps calling at
rentfon to the fact that beef or veGe-
tables furnished and not coming up to