Evening star., 1899-03-03
Beef Court of Inquiry Accepts Major
Jesse NJ. Lee as Such.
WILL CRoSs-QUESF1ON WITNESSES
Letters That Passed Between Gen.
eral Miles and the Court
MEANING OF THE ACTION

iiS duestHDH OF MAJ. Lee SlanulnS De-
lore the beef court of inquiry as the person
al representative of Gen. Miles. whose al
legations are being inquired into, was de-
termined today by mutual action. Here
after Maj. Lee will appear at the sessions
1or the purpose, as Gen. Miles describes it,
OF personally representing him to the ex-
tent OF aiding in the examination of wit
nesses upon the subject of the food furnish
cd the army
BY this action Gen Miles does not put
himself in the attitude of defendant nor
does the court. so Recorder Davis stated to
The Star, so consider him. Maj. Lee,
through his long experience in the army, in
Indian campaigns, and with the official re-
ports and letters to Gen. Miles on the beef,
is expected to cross-exa anime witnesses as
to facts that. may be developed or omitted
by Recorder Davis examination.
Inc question came up, stated by The
star exclusively yesterday, as the out
CROWN o! the newspaper reports of wit
ness testimony. Colonel Woodruff of the
comfnissary department testified last week
that IN all his twenty-five years experience
ne mad not known cattle to be driven along
WIN troops on Indian campaigns. General
tl Maes regarded this as SO extraordinary
thatS ne addressed a letter to the court
ASKING that Colonel Woodruff be recalled
anu asked a series of questions which he
lncloSed.
CAA tiiS ISL INSTANT the court reDiied that
the newspaper reports of Col. Woodruff's
testimony were mere summaries and that
ne would undoubtedly be satisfied upon the
points he mentioned by consulting the Off
cial record The court also suggested that
IN order TO prevent similar conditions aris-
ing IN future 1t would be proper and within
ms right for him personally to be present
or 10 be represented before the court.
In reply to this General Miles suggested
that 1t would be proper for some officer ex-
periehced in Indian campaigns and the civil
war TO be detailed, by request of the court
TO assist the recorder in the full investi-
CATION of the facts. This has been done
frequently in other courts of inquiry, where
the Judge advocate asked for and was
given an assistant
Tne court responded at once that it does
not desire the services of an assistant to
the recorder. 1t was also stated that if
the major general commanding desired to
be present at the sessions or to be repre-
sented Tor purposes of cross examination
the right viii be accorded to him.
Gen. Miles accepted today the latest in
V1tation. Stating his action to The Star, he
said:
Il accepted their invitation. as is fire.
quently done where officer makes allega-
tions or charges and is permitted to De
present or to have some assist in the
prosecution of the charges. But in such
cases he does not appear nor do l appear,
as defendant.
Gen. Miles letter today rehearsed the
correspondence In the case, beginning Feb
io''iy %. anu heftDS requests that Major
Lee be accepted as the representative of
the major general commanding for the
purpose and to the extent of suggesting
the names Of witnesses or asking questions
OF witnesses, in order to- develop or eluci-
date the allegations Under considerat tom
Major Lee presented the letter after l
O'Clock. and an executive session of the
court resulted 1t was announced later that
Major Lee has received permission to reDre
sent General Miles at the sessions
General Miles states that the presence of
Major Lee is desirable asr'there might be
some facts come up or be omitted that
would be vital to the allegations He dis
aVoWed any purpose to do more than TO as
slst the court in reaching the whole truth
about the food supply. z..,-<..,.-n..
Complaints of Canned Beef
The session began promptly this morning
and Captain J. C. Groome of the PhiIadel-
phia City Troop was the first to testify.
His command in Porto Rico received some
canned fresh beef and complaints from the
men followed. About one can in fifteen was
discovered defective. The beef was cooked
as stew with onions and potatoes and
never eaten cold 1t issued during two
weeks out of four. He said that but for
occasional tainting of the edges the re-
fr1gerated beef was excellent meat 1t was
taken from the transport Massachusetts
returning to the United States on the Mis-
slssippl the command was fed with refrig-
Grated beef from the Manitoba He did not
remember that any canned roast beef had
been issued. The physical condition of his
men was good He brought back ninety
three as healthy as when they left home
Jacob A: Case, the next witness. was
colonel of the 4th Pennsylvania Vol
unteers. His regiment served in Porto
Rico and ate refrigerated beef
He heard only one or two complaints due
to spelling Canned roast beef was used
six or seven days and there were no com
plants. He made inspections of the food
issues and found some of the meat spoiled.
Even this was due to carelessness of the
men. who would open a can, eat meal out
of 1t and then set 1t aside for future use
The men found the native beef unsatisfac-
tory, as it was lean and tough. They COM
planned more against it than any other
meat There was some sickness in his COM
mand but he ascribed it to climatic-infu-
enceS and not to unWholesome or Insufficient
food
Two-Thirds the Meat Tainted.
Alexander Gray of Lowell, Mass, captain
In the 9th Massachusetts Volunteers dur
ing the war, came next as a witness. His
regiment went to Porto Rico on the Yale
with Gen. Miles. He only remembered COM
plants from the men that they could not
get enough to eat. There were Insufficient
rations, and he made a report to the col
onel. He could not say whether Gen Miles
had been informed. In the hold were stores
belonging to a Michigan regiment not de-
livered on the transports previous trim
These remained unopened, despite the hun
ger of the Massachusetts soldiers In Por-
to Rico the men growled continually abont
the roast beef. He inspected some of this
canned meat. and found two-thirds of it
was tainted. He reported it to the head
quarters OF his regiment, and was informed
1t was the same meat issued to everybody
else. His cen4pany was forced to buy food
from the natives.
Recorder Davis submitted to the witness
an open red acanfof roast beef. Mr. GRAY
said it looked better than the Porto Rican
issue. Thirty per cent of his comnanv u,as
sent home sick. 1,rhere was considerable
shortage of fsiratiohs and many hardships
endured duriag thu campaign.
Albert F. f,oete of Holyoke. Mass, the
next witness was va 1 sergeant of Company D.
I'd Massachusetts Volunteers, and served
In the Santiago campaign. On the trip
from Tampa the men said the canned roast
beef was siekening to look at and tasted
all bleacheaF-alll cooked out" One-third
OF the cans openeh by his company con-
tanned putrid meat and the remainder
tasted Shiny. great many of the men
would not aGcepto an issue of this meat
10 \, 4,i,1fy nt,kr