The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-02
The Court Held a Long Session at
Washington Yesterday,
Examining Officers and Enlisted Men and
Representatives Of Meat Firms.
Witnesses for the Packers Give
Practically the Same Testimony
They Had Previously Presented
to the War Investigating Com
mission.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-The court
of inquiry into the beef charges held a
long session to-day, examining olncers
and enlisted men and representatives
of Western meat firms. The meat pack
ers' representatives gave practically the
same testimony they had previously
presented to the War Investigating
|. Commission, but it is understood that
this IS only to get their general state
1t,ent on the court record and that their
examination to-day will be followed by
a much more detailed examination INTO
specific incidents connected with meat
furnished to Cuba and Porto Rico dur
ing the war.
Major Jesse Lee, who has attended
the court for some days, it being gem
orally understood that he was present
in behalf of General Miles, appeared
again to-day. taking notes and formu-
lating questions. He was allowed to
question the men of his own regiment.
but his questions to other witnesses
We're taken under Amusement by the
court, and it was understood decision
will be reached tomorrow as to Major
Lees standing before the court.
The program for to-day as outlined
in advance by the court of inquiry
into General Miles beef allegations
was the examination of commissary Of
ficers and some volunteers who had re-
sponded to the summons of the court
1t was also decided to hear DR.. Bow
denis report on the beef tasting eXamin-
alton of the enlisted men yesterday.
Sergeant Hatcher, Ninth Infantry,
was recalled and asked to identify al
OLD and travel-stained wooden case of
canned roast beef which his regiment
had received at Santiago and brought
hcme with them. He was then excused
and Lieutenant Colonel A. L. Smith was
called and questioned as to the his
tory of the beef on the steamer Manito-
ba, which was sent to Porto Rico dur
ing Colonel Smiths service there.
AS Colonel Smith recollected, she
was engaged in discharging beef about
sis DAYS. only so much beef could be-
taken off each day, as the troops could
use. consequently she did not discharge
all her beef. but she had a large cargo
of other stores which were much need
ed and Colonel Smith succeeded in
getting them all off. He supposed her
was under orders from General Wilson,
bur he did not know whether or not
General Wilson knew that she was car
rying back 100000 pounds of beef to
the States.
Colonel Gallagher of the Subsistence
Department, who was field commssary
at General Skaters headquarters out
side Santiago, testified that when COM
plants began to come in from the
front against the canned roast beef
bacon was substituted as far as posi-
BILE. There were large supplies of can
ned roast beef. Colonel Gallagher said.
but II was fed to the Cuban troops and
Santiago residents, who preferred it to
bacon. AS there We're more refugees
than there We're soldiers, the canned
beef did not go amiss
As soon as the army arrived in San
tfaSo Colonel Gallagher began to issue
refrigerator beef under Colonel Yves
toms direction. There were some COM
plants here as to the refrigerator beef
and about LOCO pounds were condemn
ed to the knowledge of the witness He
had no reason to believe that any of
the refrigerator beef he had seen had
been chemically treated in any way.
Asked by Colonel Gillespie as to his
personal opinion of canned roast beef,
witress said he had eaten it quite fire.
Guertly while in Cuba. He did not
like it particularly, and did not think
1t was a thing on which. soldiers desired
to live for any great length of time
But as an occasional substitute for
fresh beef. to use. say every other day,
he thought they still thought it was the
best thing that could be found either in
this country or elsewhere.
Major John Guthrie. Fifteenth Tnfan-
try, who was wounded durins the as
sault on Santiago and spent some time
In the hospital at Siboney. testified tint
he had can of roast beef with him
the night before the fight. and had ate
it with relish. 1t was not so nalatahIe
as some beef he had eaten. but it was
wholesome.
DR.. w. c. Bowden then reported on
the beef experiment tried ON the en-
listed men yesterday Dr. Bowden
said in preparing the various sorts of
meat yesterday one plate of stew was
from canned beef bought in open mark
ct, second was from canned beet
brought back from Porto Rico. a third
was iiesil pcel bought IN the market
here and boiled thoroughly, while the
fourth was of fresh beef parboiled eight
minutes. and subsequently roasted halt
an hour The latter was the way in
which the packing house said their
canned roast beef was prepared. -Four
other plates of the same variety OF
meat We're served cold. As result OF
the test. four of the enlisted men picked
out the Porto Rico canned beef as what
they had eaten in Cuba Two selected
the canned meat bought in open mark
ct Two picked out the fresh beet
which had been simply boiled OF the
cold meat two men picked out the Porto
Rican canned beef, four the canned
meat bought in open market and two
the boiled fresh beef. None of them
picked out the fresh beef boiled and
roasted according to the packing house
receipt.
Major George H. Sands OF the En-
gineer Corps testified that on the whole
the canned meat had proved satisfac-
tory ration. The refrigerator beef re-
ceived at his camp usually had TO be
trimmed before using. but lost little