New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-29
ruF REEF INVESTIGATION.
cr~rRAL EAGAN CONTRADICTED BY
CAPTAIN DAVIS.
-,,r1r,frr IN THE CONTRACT WAS TWEEN
rY-FoUR oURs-TEsT1MoNY OF Ed
WARD MoRR1s-GoOD BEEF
At LAKELAND.

WARD MORRIS-GOOD BEEF
AT LAKELAND
-,,--.or March as-The Army Beef Court OF
s,o-,,ned a number Of witnesses at It's
4"e. soss,on to-day but devoted the afternoon
l,,,,,e business The principal witnesses
". c,n.ain George Davis OF tho Commssary-
,.o-ars of,e and Mr.. Morris the senior Nom
- - che chicago firm OF Morris & Co.. beef cam
.-,,tain Davis Is the author Of the time
$780,. cr,u.e IN the contract with Swift Co. and
..,~,~etation OF the clause differed somewhat
- .ho+ NJ General Eagan arousing some inter
- this account Mr.. Morris said that his firm
- sold directly comparatively little canned beef
. he government but that considerable OF II had
- sold first 20 another house and 10y Il TO the
INV Three witnesses from Florida testified as
- The quality ~ the beef supplied 10 the troops at
lakeland all declaring II 10 be good.
ran,ar Davis was the first witness OF the day.
10 s,id that no was employed I'm the Office OF the
-o-nn1issarv- General. and there when the con
tract WIKI Swift & Co. was drawn. Under instruc-
.tors from Commissary- General Eagan he had for
,,afef he portion Of the contract relating 70 re-
frirerators on shore He had talked with General
Earan on this subject. and had understood from
hin, mat the beef was be kept in refrtgerators
f,- soveutv-rv-o hours after arrival and twenty
four hours after Us removal from them. This.
Captair Davis explained. was for the purpose or
eraorr then, 70 have beef IN the refrigerator when
where the ship anchored that had the beef
on &c.
CANAAN Davis detailed some instances in which
boards ~ survey had examined beef which had
been complained Of while IN tho refrigerator one
.~stsr~, occurred az Manzanillo and another A.
Santiago I'm the first all tho beef was condemned
and go tho other a part OF II was.
-r reply to Major Lee Captain Davis said The I'M
ders,andins in tho Conmissary Generals Office was
tn, the beef was 10 be KEEP, good for seventy-two
po,,-s b, tho contractors after leaving the ship
-~-,f1ef good care was taken Of il. This. no
said was The extreme lmi.. ont 10 was not sup
posed that the beef would be kept for more than
-v-orty-four hours"
rartain Davis said he had heard something OF
Pho Powell process FOR preserving bee. a propo-
s.-ior was made before the beginning o. the war,
and as,e-v-ard Colonel Weston had brought the
process 70 The attention of the Department as the
result ~ experiment made with x az Tampa
about me time the Santiago expedition sailed
Major Lee pointed out the apparent discrepancy
ir Captain Daviss and General Eagans testimony
AS 10 .he conditions under which beef was TO be
kept for seveuty-two hours after arrival a. its
point ~ destination. he road General Eagans
statement saving IL was his intention that the
beet should be good for seventy-two hours. no dir
ference where taken from" and saying that the
twenty 0ur-norr clause must he q clerical error.
Pc asked Captain Davis 70 reconcile the Two
statements. 90 which mo captain replied by say
forgotten. tr0ld-
o'v he had nor seen the contract for SIX months.
J, is r'- customary ia such cases 20 depend upon
the memory. the contracts being on file and refer
ence n them convenient and usual"
He said there had been considerable discussion
e. tho office n tho Commissa ry- General Of the
feasibility No. shipping beef on the hoof. buzz it had
been decided nor to try the experiment because %
me d,H-uty - getting ships OF landing the cattle
and ~ taking care Of them after being landed
Tne Subsistence Department had however gone
50 far rs 20 gather the names ~ persons who /
Nigh desire 70 bid
Edward Morris Of the Chicago hrm OF Morris &
Co. VS. tho next witness He said that his com /
rarv had for the last ten years been in the habit
Of storing canned roast beef in the Baltimore and
Ohio warehouses or Staten Island for shipment 20 /
either foreign or domestic points some OF this /
beer r-c r., rs9S returned 10 Chicago. Most /
Of the shipments to foreign ports had been sent /
% tho English None Of 1t had ever been sold 70. /
C- rejected by a foreign Government and none /
had been sold abroad and condemned and sent /
back 90 tho United States for the American troops.
The goods returned 20 Chicago We're sold 10 +
wholesale grocery house and by il sold 70 the Gov +
eminent. o. per cent going 70 Manila. The firm /
had sold 20 the Government direct about $4,000 /
worth ~ cqrned beef and canned roast beef
sumner ~ l&>. testified concerning the beef de- /
been IN the business FOR fifteen years and that H.
n beef delivered az Lakeland was first class. 4
treated with preservatives and there was no coat /
tDc Oh ir During his connection with the bust +
ness +nere We're only TWO reflections OF beef. and B
these ~ small quantities
Bernard r Murtagh. also an agent for Armour +
Co.. A. Lakeland while the troops were there. f
gave the details OF the supply. H. said the beef f
was generally held iu the cars for three DAYS. the /
GAYS being well iced About 0ne-thrd OF the COM /
tents ~ had been rejected. and after this /
this boxed meat also rejected Both MossrS ]
NlrraCc and Smith testified thar they had never /
known Of tho Use OF preservattes. and bOtn said /
that Sergeant Mason. who testified that preserva- D
Ewes had been used had praised tne quality ~ the 4
beef
Charles n Norehouse. manager ~ the Tampa |
branch OF Armour q 60. & establ Shment. said that !
from MAY % o. June 290o1 pounds Of ice used /
~ Lakeland The beef supplied 20 the troops was /
of me same quality a. that taken boy the Florida /
hotels He was willing % make oath that no +
rrs-ervatives had been used The principal trouble /
was t1af some n the commissary officers knew /
r0trins - beef
George W Watson. railroad agent 81 Lakeland. /
said h- had often gone into the cars in which /
're beef was carried md that the meat did not /
present erV unusual appearance He mad eaten /
some 80 The rejected meat. and had found f. 10 be /
good beef as no had ever tasted
The afternoon session was devoted principally 70 J
.he cons .3eraton Of witnesses 10 b. called II is
expected mat Major Black. who was "a member OF /
Genera NiIes's staff Boz Porto Rico and Captain /
Fo-er.r who accompanied the expedition as D /
-omm.ss ry officer. will be heard tomorrow. and /
later ir me week some Of the medical officers ~ /
,-s ARMY will testify.
EAGAN TO TESTIFY AGAIN