The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-04-01
THE ARMY BEEF SCANDAL
PROPOSITIONS TO FURNISH BEEF
ONTHE HOOF.
Tell of Their Dealings with Eagan-
LATTER Said He Had to Give Refrigerat-
ed Beef ga Trial"-Alger's Wish
Amounted to nn Order.

LATTER Said He Had to Give Refrigerat.
Amounted to an Order.
Washington, March 31.-Some impor-
tant testimony was given this afternoon
at the hearing before the commission
that is investigating the charges con-
cerning the beef furnished the army
The testimony of two of the witnesses
was given to show that General Eagan
had not properly represented the facts
as to the best method of furnishing beef
to the army. George Giddings of San
Antonio, Tex, who had put in bid to
supply the beef for Cuba on the hoof,
at Major Lees request detailed the par
! ticulars of various interviews with Gen
eral Eagan concerning the letting of the
contract for beef His first converse
! tion had related to the specifications for
bids at which Mr.. Giddings had called
attention to the fact that they were
vague. General Eagan had then said
that the specifications were necessarily
vague, as he could not at that time give
any specific information. General
Eagan had at that time said that his
preference would be for refrigerated
beef if he had any confidence in it, but
he did not think the refrigerated beef
could be made available in the Cuban
campaign. l had been in Cuba several
| times myself the witness said, and
agree with him that 1t would be impos-
sible to keep the refrigerated beef in
that climate without refrigerators.
Mr.. Giddings then told of his visit to
the commssary general on the first Of
July, when the latter told him that the
secretary of war had sent for him the
night before and had said that owing
to the difference in price they had bet
ter give the refrigerated beef a trial
and that he would have to do this. Wit
ness continued: II then asked. General
Eagan if he had any confidence in the
proposition and he replied that he had
very little, but that the refrigerator
men were prepared to give a bond to
keep the beef good for seventy-two
hours after leaving the refrigerator.
He also stated that they had preserva-
tive process by which they expected
to be able to keep the beef in condi-
ton. But he said that If there was any
dissatisfaction after the contract went
into effect he would upset it and give
the Texas cattle men chance"
Mr.. Giddings then made proposition
to keep his combination of cattle men
together for the purpose of taking the
contract in the emergency indicated
Ia of -
this effect. He had represented he
said, a combination for carrying the
contract into effect. Mr.. Giddings said
that General Eagan had told him that
when he was an officer in the field he
always drove his beef with him on foot,
and that he (Eagan) thought this was
the proper way to supply beef for the
army. Repeating his interview with
Secretary Alger, General Eagan had
said, according to Mr.. Giddings; well,
the secretary sent for me last night and
told me that there was so much differ
ence in price that he should give the re-
frigerated beef a trial"
Did he order you to do that?" / ask
ed. mo" he replied" but his wish
amounts to an order
General Eagan then repeated his want
of confidence and reiterated that if the
beef did not prove satisfactory he would
annul the contract, for he would not let
the soldiers be poisoned. Regarding
General Eagans reference to a preserv-
ative process, Mr.. Giddings said that
the general had told him that Swift &,
Co., who had made the lowest bid on
refrigerated beef, had a process which
would enable them to keep the beef for
seventy-two hours after being taken
from the refrigerator. Do you be-
lieve it?' I asked General Eagan," said
Mr.. Giddings, "to which he replied:
I've got to believe it. I've got to give
it a trial Mr.. Giddings said that
his relations had been pleasant with
General Eagan; that he had gone into
the generals office frequently because
he felt that he had a right to do so,
"If," he added, General Eagen referred
to me when he said he had forbidden
some one admission to his office, the
statement was untrue
General j. Hale Sypher, an attorney
for the Texas cattlemen, confirmed what
Mr. Giddings had said. He said that
while he had not visited General Eagan
with Mr. Giddings, he had seen him fire.
quently and talked fully with him on
this subject in the interest of the Tex
as cattlemen General Eagan," said
the witness, conveyed the impression
to me that he discreetly and positively
preferred beef on the block to refriger- !
ated beef, and so I informed my peo-
pie sending for some of them to come
here"
General Sypher said that he had first !
discovered a tendency to change his
mind on the part of General Eagan
soon after the bids We're opened. He /
to me them said the witness, |
''that the refrigerated beef men had
to give bond for the pre-
of their meat for ~ hours af- |
ter leaving the refrigerator. | asked |
him If he thought it possible to do this !
and he replied: Il don't believe it is |
unless they put up cold storage plants"
Continuing, General Sypher said that
was said by General Easan
at this juncture concerning a preserva- |
tive process but that he gave it very
little attention" Some days later"
General Sypher said, General Eagan
Informed me that owing to the great
difference IN price he would have to
give the refrigerated beef a trial
Trial was the word he used" The
witness said that General Eagan had
said something about political pres
sure" as the reason for the necessity
If making the trial, and that he had
said something about his conference