The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-05-11
NILES COUNSEL TALKS.
W. H. Probasoo Discusses the Beef
Investigators Report.
TITS ILLOGICAL AND UNCERTAIN.

Mr.. Probasco Declares That General
Miles Charges We're Clearly Proven,
and Blnmes Secretary Aigcr and Gem
eral Corbiu For Opposing Miles.
Cincinnati. May 1.-THE Enquirer
prints an interview with H. r. Probas-
co, ex-United States district attorney
here, a relative Of ex-senator Sherman.
and recently counsel for General Miles
when the court convened. having
previously served General Miles as
counsel in other matters, was asked
to go to Washington and confer with
him regarding the proceedings before
the court of inquiry. 1t was deter
mined that, inasmuch as General Miles
was not in the attitude of one accused.
it would be i'll advised to introduce a
lawyer, and Major j. NJ. Lee was Sc
lected by General Miles to aid the
court and the recorder.
Did you take any active part be-
fore the court?"
MY only connection with the case
was comforting with General Miles and
Major Lee regarding the summoning
Of witnesses and the examination of
ilt hlOal Allpbl AdiA Outb.
what is your opinion as to the re-
port of the court of inquiry
Il have not read the full report, but
have seen the synopsis of it. | was
amused that three intelligent army
officers, sitting as a court for weeks,
and examining several hundred wit
nesses, should have rendered such an
illogical and uncertain decision. Tho
decision amounts to the court finding
that the beef packers were saints sent
to our soldiers with mama from
Heaven, and that General Miles was
careless because he did not report the
first vague rumor which came to his
ears that this food was bad. Every
witness condemned in unstinted terms
the so-called canned roast beef as an
unfit ration. The chief clerk of the
commissary generals Office testified
that canned roast beef in 1878 was an
unfit ration"
"What about the embalmed beef?'
Before bids were received by the
commissary general he was advised
by expert cattle and beef men that
fresh beef would not hold up "a hours
after delivery from the refrigerator
in the climate that prevailed in Flor
ida and the West Indies, and that the
best course to pursue would be the
purchase of beef on the hoof. He told
these gentlemen that the parties who
desired to furnish the fresh beef had a
process which they said would enable
them to deliver meat which would
keep sound and fresh for 70 hours af-
ter delivery from the refrigerator The
day after the bids were opened attOr-
neys in Washington addressed a COM
munication to the secretary of war,
making the argument that notwith-
standing their clients bid somewhat
higher than the others they ought to
be awarded the contracts, because Of
their ability to perform their contract
by means of the Powell process for
the preservation of meat, which they
controlled, and which had been sat-
isfactorily tested under the auspices
of the government This letter was re-
ferred by the secretary of war to the
commissary general for his considera-
tion, who returned 1t to the secretary
with his endorsement, In which he
said: These tests are not the only
tests which have been made leaving
the plain inference that the other bid
ders also had processes for the preser-
vation of meat, which had been tested.
This letter was returned by the sec
retary of war. Mr.. Daly's testimony
that he had found by chemical analy-
sis of meat furnished the soldiers that
1t contained chemicals was in no wise
contradicted. Three witnesses, Ser
geant Mason, Lieutenant Gampher and
Dr. Castle, testified that the agent at
Lakeland, Fla, had told them that
they had found it impossible to COM
ply with their contract to deliver fresh
meat which would remain sound and
sweet for 72 hours after delivery from
the refrigerator without the means OF
chemical process, which process was
a secret even to him. If the court
found in the face of this testimony
that the meat delivered was not chem
ically treated it amounts almost to
qualification.
HAS there been any change in the
manner of supplying troops fresh meat
since the criticism was first made?"
Indeed there has Cattle on the
hoof are now being delivered in Gu
ba, slaughtered on the island and de-
livered to the troops the following
day, and no complaint has been made.
Furthermore, so-called canned roast
beef was dropped as q meat ration
some time, I think, during last Au-
gust or September, all OF which shows
that General Miles reference to the
method of supplying the troops with
meat was an experiment was correct.
and that his opinion that beef on the
hoof is the only suitable fresh meat
ration for troops was well founded.
General Miles has no political am
bition whatsoever, and no more thinks
of being a candidate for president or
any other Office than l do"
Mr.. Probasco blames the secretary
OF war and the adiutant general with
opposing the general commanding the
army,