The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-04
Mai. Lee to Be His
Counsel.
COURT OF INQUIRY.
More Bay State Men Tell
About the Beef.

was the appearance To-Day OF MAJ JESSE
Lee as counsel for the general COM
manding the army. Maj. Lee was so
introduced 10 the court by the recorder,
Col. Davis. at the beginning Of the af-
1ernoon session. He began to cross
examine witnesses at once, and with
the first one antagonized the court to
the extent Of demanding the admission
Of certain letters as evidence, but was
refused.
The first witness examined was Capt.
Groom Of the Philadelphia city troop.
About two weeks out OF four while in
Porto Rico, his command lived on
canned roast beef. He never heard
any complaints of it from his men. 1t
was our food and we ate it, said Wit
ness. That's all there was TO ii. We
never ate it cold. but had it made into
stews with such vegetables as We could
get"
Col ]. a. Case Of the Fourth Penn
sylvania, who served with Gen. Brooke
in the Porto Rico campaign, said he
had had about six days experience
with canned roast beef. At first the
men tried to keep the meat after the
cans We're opened. but it spoiled be-
tween meals. He ordered the company
cooks to make Etews of a whole can at
the time and it proved very satisfac-
tory
Capt. A. NJ Gray Of the Sixth Massa-
chusetts which went to Porto Rico on
the Yale when she carried Gen. Miles
south. said the principal cause of COM
plant among his men was not as to the
quality Of the rations. but because they
We're short in quantity He said the
transport went first to Cuba and the
troops were aboard longer than had
neen expected, so he understood the
men were put on short rations for fear
there would not be enough to last.
While on detached duty on shore. wit
ness said. mis- men got hold Of one lot
OF very poor canned beef. two-thirds of
which was spoiled and the remainder
OF worse quality than he had seen else
where
Alfred F. Foote Of Holyoke, Mass,
VINO served at Santiago. said the canned
roast beef tasted "bleached." Some nf If
seemed to be simply boiled to death
stu d g'0d deal was absolutely putrid.
PROBABLY one-third was spoiled in this
way Ihe men talked the meat over.
abused 1T privately and some declined
10 eat it. but they did not complain to
their officers. His command got com
paratlVely little refrigerated beef most
81 II spelling before it could be cooked
ana raining after ii was cooked to keen
tr.m dinner to supper.
apt. N. b. Critchfeld of The Eighth
ono which also served in Cuba. das
~ ped the voyage south on the ST
faui as q feast Of plenty corned and
roast beef being piled up by the ton an
deck where the men could gat II for
me taxing. As 10 chemical treatment Of
.he refrigerated beef witness said he
iiaH not yet made up his mind one way
% me other, He had never sJgDec-ted
F4eh ming while in Cuba Since tho
discussion Of the matter on returnirg
nome certain things had seemed To MIN
SUSPICIOUS, among others that the 0fee
pin not seem to bother the refrigerated
.3.al. but ne could not say he had vet
oLned a definite opinion.
The court then went into eYecuti,..
session to consider the reply of cen
VI lies 10 the inquiry Of the court as IN
NhelHer y wished to be regularly ron
.7"Hted by counsel and it was stated
alter the session that Mai. Lee win
4lsItaI Ter appear as the regularly ar
EspIleo counsel for Gen. Miles. The an
80 dhce OF Mai Lee i'm the case is tba
Euimlnation Of cousidera Bile corrae,,C,
dence between Gen. Mics ana H., lIl',-i.
a. 70 the accuracy Of some statements
maze by Witnesses and which C.,
.sll.es considered he had official data f.
prove incorrect ia I'd 70
u began with the testimony Of col
Wopdruh several days ago. to tba 81
lt'l ma beef herds were seldom IT.
Ven WIN troops in the Indian
'antPalHh OF the west Gen. Miles
'alea IN" attention of the court to ~
case, and was informed nv Iatrer In. 1,iis
u ne chos" it was within his rights n
h' present or to be represented nv
ton NINA
Cen. Miles replied that il was Some
LiIl'S INC custom in courts of inoIiry
10 nay" present an officer to assist "the
recorder ~ keeDing the records in
Glap r' ne court replied to this that
H. pIH mol need any assistance" for its
recorder, bu, suggested again that cen
Mis- could be present to aid in the
examination Of Witnesses or could he
represented by counsel if he wished To
'hls Gen. Miles replied today that in
I'fofdance WIKI custom in such cases
ne "olId be represented hereafter by
LdJ' Jesse Lee, for the purpose of
participating in the examination ,.itb
a view TO reaching the fun truth na,-
sion" 10
ms does not place Cen Miles in the
pusluon OF defendant before the court
but gives his counsel the right OF con,
Quoting direct or cross examination
fully as he desires,
H. 5. Van Setback, Of the rough rid
STS, testlhed that the canned beef was
pad and rations generally unsatisfac-
tory.
Witness said he had certain lettars
written home from cuba, describinp
The conditions there from day to dav
lie ofrered 70 read them, but Col Davis
declined. Maj. Lee, counsel for Cen
Miles, stated that he thought the LEI :
ters should be admitted as evidence
tending TO bring out wildly the very
conditions which were being inouireS
into. The court declined to entertain
this suggestion.
Lieut.. Thayer. who was aboard the
Yale on her trip TO Porto Rico. sun
ported the preceding witnesses in an
uncomplimentary things they had said
OF the canned roast beef
MAJ. Lee continued the examination
ana elioited the fact that the refriger-
ator beef served aboard the Yale wa g
so offensive that It was repulsive even
IN soups and stews. Maj. Lee also got
from the witness a detailed description
of the canned beef TO the effect that n
was in long strips in the can, the meat
being held together by long strips of
fibre or gristle, which had to be cut
away being wholly UNBEATABLE. When
his command went ashore, Is per cent
Of the men were sick. After a short
march in the hot sun, their weakness
due as he considered, 10 bad food on
ship, increased till most Of the men
were sick, even If not on sick report.
Capt. A. @, Mitten, Ninth Massa chu-
setts testified as to the conditions In
Cuba. his evidence being condemnatorv
of the canned roast beef.
Those unhappy persons who suffer from
nervousness and dyspepsia should use
[ AlriAIAa IHAiln NnHNA IIlllu mia