Evening star., 1899-04-01
GEN. EAGAN CONTRADICTED.
MIR. GiddinEs and MIR. Sypher Before
the Beef Inquiry.

After The Stars report of the beef court
of inquiry closed yesterday afternoon Geo.
r. Giddings, who had been interested in
securing contracts for supplying beef on
the hoof and on the block for the army
in Cuba, testified that Gen. Eagan had told
him that the Secretary of War had asked
him to give the refrigerator beef a trial.
Mr.. Giddings said in reply to questions
by Major Lee that Gen. Eagan had told
him that when he was an officer in the field
he always drove his beef with him on foot,
and that he tEagan) thought this the proper
way to supply beef for the army.
Repeating his interview with Secretary
Algar, Gen. Eagan had said, according to
Mr.. GidGings, well, the Secretary sent for
me last night and told me that there was
much difference in price that we should
give the refrigerator beef a trial.
- Did he order you to do that?' l asked.
No he replied, but his wish amounts
to an ORDER Gen. Eagan then repeated his
want OF confidence, and reiterated that If
the beef did not prove satisfactory he
would annul the contract, or he would not
let the soldiers be poisoned"
With reference to General EaganS refer
ence to preServatiVe process Mr.. Giddings
said that the general had told him that
Swift & Co, who had made the lowest bid
refrigerator beef, had a process, which
would enable them to keep the beef for
seveauy-two hours after being taken from
the refrigerator
DO you believe it? l asked General
Eagan,' said MIR. Giddings, to which he
replied. I've got TO believe it; I've got TO
give it a trial "
Mr.. Giddings said his relations had been
pleasant with General Eagan. that he had
gone into the generals office frequently
because he had felt that he had a right 10
do SO. If he said, General Eagan re-
ferred to me when he said he had forbid
den some one admission to his office, the
statement was untrue
Mr.. }. II. Sypher an attorney for the
Texas cattlemen, agreed with what Mr.
GiddinSs had said. He said that while he
had not visited General Eagan with Mr.
Giddings, he had seen him frequently and
talked fully with him on this subject in
the interest of the Texas men. General
Eagan. said the witness, conveyed the
imp ession to me that he distinctly and
positively preferred beef on the block 10
refrigerator beef and l so informed NV
people, sending for some of them to come
mere. Mr.. Sypher said that he had first
discovered tendency to change his mind
on the part of General Eagan soon after
the bids were opened.
HE disclosed to me then" said the wit
ness, that the refrigerator beef men had
volunteered to give a bond for preserya-
ton of their meat for seventy-two hours
after leaving the refrigerator. / asked him
II he thought it possible to do this and he
replied, I don't believe it is unless they
put up cold storage plants p" Continuing
Mr. Sypher said that something was said
by General Eagan at this juncture CON
ce1nir.g preservative process, but that he
gave it very little attention
Some days later" Mr.. Sypher said, Gen.
Eagan informed me that owing to the great
difference in price he would have to give
the refrigerator beef a trial, was the word
he used" The witness said in reply to
question put by Major Lee that Gen Eagan
had said something about political press
ure" as the reason for the necessity for
making the trial and that he had said
something about his conference with the
Secretary of War. AS to just what he had
said on this latter point, he (Sypher) could
not remember, but he thought Mr.. Gid
diIgs had stated it correctly.
Other Testimony.
Major Philip F. Harvey, who was chief
surgeon Of the first division of the army at
Santiago, and Major A. H. Appel, who was
in command of one of the division hospitals,
both testified, but neither had given es-
pecial attention to the beef used. Major
Appel said he had never heard good word
said for the canned beef.