The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-28
CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP co.
ENLISTED MEN TESTIFY
Nobody Liked Canned Roast; Refria-
Grated was Good If Not Tainted.

court Of inquiry into the beef charges met
today after its two days recess, it ex-
pected to begin the examination of some
Of the enlisted men of the army who had
not only seen the beef furnished the army
in the field but had eaten it in quantities
wherein they differed from the most Of
the officers who had previously testified.
The enlisted men were slow in arriving.
however, and the court went into secret
session, after which, the men having ar
rived, their examination was proceeded
with.
First Sergeant Howard Alexander testi-
fed that his regiment used both corned
and roast canned beef on the voyage from
! Tampa to Santiago. There were many
complaints from the men as to the canned
roast beef. 1t nauseated the men, had
little taste and apparently contained lit
tie nutriment. The men finally got to
| throwing the cans away or not drawing
| them, as the meat frequently made them
sick as soon as they ate it. Witness was
not willing to say definitely whether it
was the canned meat Of the malaria that
! caused most of the sickness in the regi-
ment. After getting into the city. where
/ the refrigerated beef was issued. the men
| continued to be very sick. nauseated and
I suffering from bowel trouble. The ser
| geant Thought this also came from the re-
| frigerated meat; the gravy especially that
/ came from the refrigerated meat seemed
/ to nauseate the men even more than the
meat itself.
Sergeant Buckage, also OF the Ninth.
/ was called. He testified that the men did
not like the canned roast beef. 1t made
| them sick and they did not eat it when
| they could get anything else Coming TO
the refrigerated beef. Sergeant Buckage
said there was little or no complaint while
in Santiago. After the regiment got out
side Of town about quarter of the beef
! spoiled in transit to the company. What
was left, after trimming off the spoiled
part, was considered quite good He did
not know that any man had been nau-
seated by the refrigerated beef. But all
the regiment was sick on leaving Cuba
and fifty per cent actually on the sick
report. Replying to Colonel GiIIespie.
Buckase said that from the 22nd of June
to July, the ration averaged one-half
short. Asked If he thought the command
| actually suffered in health from this lacla
OF food, he replied very simply II think it
did sir" He said. however. that the men
were not disposed to complain at the time.
as the felt the officers were doing all they
could for their men under the circum-
stances,
Sergeant Budstorm Hatcher. also ~ the
Ninth. was then called. His testimony
agreed substantially with the two preced-
ing witnesses. His summing I'd of the
canned roast beef in reply to Colonel Da-
Wis questions as to what was the. matter
with IL. was laconic: ''Weu. sir, Il did not
/ look good when You opened II and It didn't
taste good when you was eating. and &
didn't seem 10 do YOU any good after you
had eaten it." While the ration was short
on shore and bad in part, witness said he
made no report Of Il 10 his company off,
GERS. You see. sir, they were living on
just the same things as the men," ne ex-
planned
Sergeant White Ninth infantry. was the
first witness OF the afternoon. He was
very dogmatic IN his statement that all
the canned roast beef IN the campaign
was bad. Il developed that he had opened
only one can himself. That was bad and
he threw IL way he had seen other men
seeing good can. or the refrigerated
beef he han seen some good and some
bad. but ne thought the most OF # was
tainted.
Sergeant Casey. Ninth Infantry. had the
same general story 70 tel OF the beef on
ship and on shore When he said that
he canned roast beef was uI-snalllng.
Colonel Davis mad the orderly open can
o. roast beef that had been sent to Porto
RICO and hack. Witness smaIlad and
handled j. and said q did not look Ike he
beef served % HIN in Cuba The cam
palgn article was liquid. oily. and repulsiye
II odor- Asked Z this might not be ac-
counted for by the climate. witness said
sgL -ss7ns % aYr.1spun 1ou pTuoA ~
refrigerated beef he had n Santiago vas
good bgt OUTSIDE Of town the meat was
buried. often as soon as II reached camp.
Sergeant Francis Kidd. also u TIE Ninth
infantrv. tod a very st-a igh-f0-wari story
as - the canned ard refrigerated meat.
L agreed substantially With the statements
q rhe other serEeauts- re said much o..
the r=fr Ee-sted bees vas tainted sas !
nearly 81 the canned roast beef vas
thrown away 5u- there Rs-e 50 many O.. /
the men sex and unable % ea- that ,ha 4
reduced ration vent round very wei Far 4
TIER than this Sergeant KIDD SAID taa, 1
the fies would Tot nEht Ct the ref-.s- I
orator meat and slth3gEh there were uyr- 4
ia5s n fles ard quantities e tainted mat. {
re never saw any y Z ~7v-hi1Eu." Pat f
- ,he tssatesi meat vas trin1m=d and ire 4
rernalnSe- used. but almost . per eeat O.. 4
u Was l0ss IN ta-s P-eesss-
corporal Grant Nlnth Infantry. aas
Sergeant John N,z. Nlath .ataut-T. were
re lazt witnesses 4 the day. Tier ,es.l-
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