The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-30
WOULD MAKE THEM EAT 1T.
WAS THE BEST BEEF IN UNITED
STATES. EAGAN SAID.

Was Mad when Told the Troops Had
Refused the Meat at POnce-Ex-
Commissary General Again on the
stand 10 Tell why He Inserted the
Twenty-FOur-HOuP CIause-Wit-
nesses Give Canned Meat bad
Name.
Washington, March 29-The military
court appointed 10 inquire into Gen. Miles
charges concerning the beef supplied the
army during the Spanish war, had former
Commissary General Eagan before It to-
day on recall, and also heard the test-
mony of Rear Admiral Stewart and Pay
master Colby of the navy and Mai Black
and Capt. Pomeroy, volunteer officers, who
were engaged In the eommissary service at
Ponce during Gen. Miles Porto Rlcan
campaign.
Gen. Eagan's testimony was not start
ling. He stated that Messrs. Armour &
Co. had put in a bid to supply beef 20 be
preserved by process of their own, but
that he had not considered it. He also
modified a former statement to the effect
beef contract had crept in as a clerical
error saying that in the multitude of mat
tiers which had been demanding his at
tention at the time he had forgotten its
insertion. His understanding was that
the beef was to keep in good condition
seventy-two hours after being taken from
the ships refrigerator
Reason for 24-HOur Clause.
His principal reason for inserting the
clause STIMULATING that the beef should be
good twenty-four hours after leaving the
refrigerator was that he did not wish the
troops to know that the contract called
for beef that would keep seventy-two
hours, for fear that.it would not keep so
long.
There was an apparent effort on the
part of Maj. Lee, representing Gen. Miles,
to show that Senator Hanna had sought
to influence the contracts, but Gen. Ea-
gan asserted that he did not know the
senator, and no explanation was made of
the introduction of his name.
Gen. Eagan made frequent reference
during the giving of his testimony to the
numerous demands upon his time during
the war, making this condition am expla-
nation for not remembering details
Maj Black and Capt. Pomeroy gave the
netalis concerning the CONDITION of the
peer Drought TO Porto Rico on the steamer
MANITOBA Capt. Pomeroy stated OF 600
POUNDS receipted Tor al Ponce, 5000 pounds
nad peen condemned. They also detailed
Investigations made ny tbs. men 20 the
roast canned beef.
ne" H'' ="
MAJ Black, who was chief commissary
Ca - '.a.. ~.
on zen. Miies stan curing the Porto Ri
can campaign was asked by Maj. Lee TO
9etall conversation ne had with Gen.
hasah' az mat iline commissary general.
aiter ms t3lack return 10 washington
iast iahD' Inc statement ne MADE proved
10 De somewhat sensational.
cameo upon Gen Eagan, Maj. Black
oesan' 10 CONFER WIN MN concerning the
coiiuuct OF our ailaifs at romeo. tie asked
me why ehe relrlserateu peer was not Is
sued at romeo ana replled that II was
because the issue commlssarles ala NOT
want H. as they We're getting native beef.
AheIe upon Gen. basan became very much
eASi'eu ana eXeialIneo'
d. them they have no right to re-
Inse II. l consider II the best beef in the
oniled STATES ana, d. them, I'd have
made them take it,
az MAI Lees request, Capt Pomeroy
OF tne volunteer subsistence department
related conversation with Col. Smith,
who was for time chief commissary ana
VINO mad tod him that the beef was guar
anteed 10, Keep seVenty-four hours on shore
because OF process for preserving IT, The
colonel had, however, stated that he did
Canned Beef Was Very Had.