The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-01-13
ARMY INVESTIGATION
Gen. Eagan's Testimony Gre
aGcs Sensation.

a. Miles concerning the commissory sup.
plies furnished the army during the re-
cent war General Eagan's statement fur
nished the sensation Of the war commits
sions history. and was regarded by old
army officers as one of the most remark
able attacks ever made I'm the history Of
the service General Eaean's statement
was a bitter personal attack upon Gem
eral Miles. so entirely unqualified as to
scope and language that the war COM
mission on hearing its conclusion order
ed n brief executive session, after which
the doors wer opened. the Witness was re-
called and business resumed In the usual
way.
TIL subject OF controversy was General
Miles already famous "embalmod' beef
testimony and the letters and document
supporting g. General Miles charged that
the canned and refrigerated meats sent
to the army in Cuba and Porto Rico were
unfit for use, that they were preserved
By the use Of chemicals and that they
had been bought and sent to the army
under pretense Of an experiment This
reflection upon both the ability and hon
esty OF the commissary department had
angered General Eagan and caused him
to request to be recalled TO reply 20 Gem
eral Miles charges. That his statements
concerning the commanding general were
not the result Of a sudden outburst Of
passion was clearly shown Boy the fac,
that General Tagan read his remarks
from a carefully prepared typewrit.on
copy Not the least remarkable phase OF
General Eagan's statement was the lam
guage I'm which it was couched There
-. a
have been characterized as sensational in
ordinary official Jtterances.
General Eagan, after the hearing was
over, refused 60 say whether he had any
further move I'm prospect I'm forcing an
issue between himself ana General Miles.
READY FOR COURT MARITAL.
Il have said all intend 10 say for the
present" he replied, "and If any one
wants to bring the matter TO a court mar
tial I am ready for that too as / have
already stated before the commission
As soon as the nature OF General Ea-
gan's statements became known, atten-
tion was directed to army headquarters
10 ascertain what move would be made
by General Miles. the latter, through
Colonel Micheler, his chief aide beyond
saying that he had stood for the soldiers.
declined to make any statement saying
that now was not the time for talk ana
that before taking any action IL would
be only proper and necessary to wait un-
I'll he had an opportunity to receive
through the regular channels and 60 con-
slider the testimony furnished by Cen
eral Eagan. lie would not talk about a
court martial
- .sH srsaa
that General Miles would act with de-
liberation II he decided TO take any ac-
ton at all and there was "a faint sug-
gestion that he might decide to ignore
the statements altogether.
OF course a decision TO that effect on
the part Of Genral Miles would terminate
the incident But should he decide TO take
notice officially of the attack the next
step would be for him 10 prefer charges
with the president against the commits
sary general. These might be based on
several technical grounds, such as con
duct tending to the destruction Of goot
order and discipline II would be for m,
president to pass upon the demand and
he might adopt one OF three courses:
Refuse IT, grant Il. or instead. order
a court OF inquiry, In this latter case
the body would have the power 20 go intC
| the question OF veracity which has beer
raised, and in fact the conduct Of boti
| generals would be practically under eX
animation.
! General Eagan referred 20 the publish
| ed Interviews OF General Miles and cor
respondence between them as 60 thei
authencity, General Miles having mad'
a non-committal reply and tho witness
then said:
''When a man refuses 20 deny n llbe
for falsehood or a statement attributes
20 him Il is well known that he assume
thu matter. When ne avoids the ques
tion the suppositlon IS that he cannot de
lny a. biy question IS not answered vet
He has not denied the interview publish
ed IN the New York Journal dated De
cember 2s, 1898, and having refused I
distinctly deny It. he should be held I
tho strictest accountability for IT, II h
made these statements as set forth there
then he lied again, and II he made IN
statements that 'pretense IL the precis
term TO be used, (as he said then, refer
ing 20 the 'experiment)
THEN HE LIED.
With as black a heart as me man wh
blew up the Maine possessed and he d.
serves be characterized and know
90 America ana Europe, where his stat
ments have gone as being the colossa
prodigious liar Of the 18th century.
; submit to this commission and TO u
s whole country that this account Of q
interview with him In the New Yol
Journal. going uncontradicted undenie
9 and when the opportunity was giv'
4 him. a refusal t IN terms, places up'
j. him the responsibility for the statemen
I'm that interview. which statements
here and now denounoe as unmitigat
u faIsehoods vile and slanderous, so sla
derous that Il can only be called hli
| submit to this commission and TO [
II country at large whether II Is the cha
r acterlstio Of an honorable man 20 perm
L such statements as are made Ia this
l. legged interview vita General Miles In I
81 New york Journal dated December
le 1888. TO go uncontradieted. II untrue a
whether or not Il Is not the frst du
OF a gentleman, an honest man, an he
orable man, 10 deny such falsehoods
are 10 be found in the article I refer
II they were not made by him
=. THE CHARGES
This interview was headed as follow
Miles makes grave charges agaii
n. the administration: poisons used In b
made soldiers IN; tons OF bad beef 81
10 10 troops in Porto Rico"
- Continuing. General Eagan. said
nt "When I WAS commissary I'm May Ia
M General Miles had already selected