The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-03
ONE WITNESS CONTRADICTED
SAID HE FOUND WORMS IN A A OF
PUTRID ROAST BEEF,
While Another Soldier Said There
Was No such Meat on the Trans
port-Testimony of Volunteers.

I OCli6 AAliCA rh Noy 49,
bers of the various volunteer regiments
which served in Cuba and Porto Rico. The
first of these, Clarence Walters, of the First
Volunteer Engineers, told a sensational
story of hardship and inhumanity suffered
during his service, describing the canned
roast beef in harsher terms than have ever
been before applied 20 that much-discussed
article. Later in the day Lieutenant Sew
all, who was major of the volunteer bat
talon in which Walters served, contradicted
his story completely, saying there was no
canned roast beef aboard the transport
which took the command to Porto Rico.
Further than that, he said that Walters
had come to him after landing and asked
to be discharged SO as to accept a position
as newspaper correspondent, and on being
questioned said that he had been we'll treat
ed while in the service and had no com
plant to make.
An important development was the denial
of the story by one James Farnan and also
attributed TO DR.. Maxwell Christine, of
Philadelphia, that they had seen beef in
jected with chemicals at an Omaha pack
ing house. DR.. Christine explained that
what he had seen was the picking Of corned
meats, the brine being injected into the
meat to save several weeks time in the
picking vat.
The question Of counsel for General Miles
before the court is still in allegiance, some
correspondence having passed between the
general and the court. but both sides de-
Cline to give out the letters till a settlement
is reached. General Miles has not asked TO
be represented by counsel, presumably, be-
cause that would put him in the position of
admitting himself on trial by the court,
which up TO date he has declined to admit.
On the other hand. the court does not feel
able under the articles OF war to permit Ma
jor Lee or anyone else to cross-auestion
witnesses unless he can be recognized Off
cially as counsel for the defense. 1t was
stated that the matter probably will be set
tied tomorrow. The court expects to start
West on Tuesday or Wednesday of next
week.
DIR. CHRISTINE'S TESTIMONY.
The last witness before the army court of
inquiry to-day was DIR. Maxwell Christine,
of Philadelphia, who was supposed to have
seen the chemical preparation of meat in
the packing house of Swift G. Co., in Omaha,
He testified that while in Omaha last year
he had been through the slaughter house of
the Swift firm and had seen a man with a
canula on the end of a flexible tube shov-
ing it into sections of meat and injecting
them with fluid. He did not know at the
time what the fluid was or whether the meat
being treated was corned beef, pork or re-
frigerator beef. The meat was cut in fifteen
or twenty-pound pieces and was not in sides
or quarters. He paid little attention to the
matter at the time. but when the discus
sion over 'embalmed beer arose he deemed
ii his duty to write to General Miles, tell
ing him what he had seen. He did not say
in his letter that it was beef which was
being injected. but said merely that it was
meat" He had regarded this communica-
ton as confidential, but it had got out and
brought him a great many letters. Among
others was a letter from a man in New
York signing himself Wentz, and asking il
DR.. Christine knew that the injection
process he mad witnessed was the regular
way Of corning beef and hams, as the in
lection with picking fluid reduced the period
of picking the meat by several weeks. He
received another letter from one James
Farnan, whom he had never seen. Farnar
| stated that he had been stationed in Omaha
and knew all about the embalming of beef
and could give information very damaging
TO the packers. On the strength of this
letter Farnan was summoned to appear be-
fore the war investigating commission, but
never responded.
Clarence Walters, of the First voluntee,
Engineers of New York, was the first wit
ness. He was apparently we'll educated anC
intelligent, evidently a man of the world
and gave his testimony clearly and calmly
but with positive directness. He was asked
what his experience with canned beef haC
been on the voyage of his transport to Porte
Rico and replied that the first can he saw
opened had worms in 1t and a few minute.
after being opened developed such a putriC
odor that il was impossible to have il about
He ate some of it and was made violently
sick. He said he had been on sea trips be
fore and was never seasick. The men of hi
company complained of the meat and tn,
commissary sergeant refused to accept il
Some of the meat was given TO the surgeon
major, who tasted it and said il was al
right. The sergeant commissary was com
PEELED to accept 1T. but did so under protest
Nearly all the men of his battalion wer,
sick throughout most of the voyage as
result of eating this meat.
NOT LIKE II ARMY RATION.
Colonel Davis, the recorder. ordered a cal
opened and asked witness If it was the sam
he had used in the service. The witnes
said IL bore no resemblance 20 the campaig1
article. The cans he had seen were a differ
ent form-keystone shape-and the color
consistency and odor of the contents wer
entirely different. y second can was opene
for inspection with the same result. Wit
ness did not recognize il.
The commissary sergeant Of his compan
was George Taylor, of 80 Pine street, Ney
York, since made lieutenant. Afte
reaching Porto Rico he was sick for a wee
do 1 l&E0AG VI NA& lht u 6lNt
some medicine and told he would be a
right i'm a little while. On shore he got sup
plies from the Red Cross and bought mil
and eggs from the natives. practically sub
sisting himself during his stay on tn
island. At least two-thirds of his com
pany were fully as sick as he, and froT
the same cause.
Were you sick before you were aboar
the transport" asked Colonel Gillespie.
NO, sir"
r "What sort of a life had you led befor
going into the service?"
Il can't say that / have been a d~issipate
} man. was the reply, and there was a ger
eral smile around the room.
, Colonel Gillespie frowned and changed tn
form of his question. Il don't mean tina
; What business was you in before enterin
the service?"
Il was in the newspaper business"
Capt. Herbert O. Hicks, Of Company n
T Second Massachusetts,. described the mea
but did not make IL out quite so repulsiy
as that served 10 volunteers In Porto Rice
He said. however. it was "a Shiny. string
? mass, nauseating to the taste. without muir
] ment or without form that could be recos
; nized as meat, except by the melted IA
with which IL was soaked
Witness was shown several OF the car
on hand with the commission, but said the
, were not the same that he had seen 1
I, service. He described the cans in Cuba a
4 round dark brown cans without pape
. wrapping.
E A GROcERYMAN'S EVIDENCE.
; Lieut. George Taylor. late of the Six
Massachusetts, who said he was a grocery