Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-26

NEW YORK, March 25.-The army court
of inquiry, investigating the charges
made by General Miles that the beef FUR
nshed the soldiers in the Cuban and
Porto Rico campaigns was unfit for use,
convened in this city to-day.
Governor Roosevelt was the. only wit
ness examined in this city. He told Of
complaints Of the canned roast beef while
on the transports and also in Cuba. 1t
did not agree with the men.
Major Lee was about to ask a question,
when the Governor interrupted to say he
wished to speak Of the talked-of ''em-
balmed beef"
THE "EMBALMED" BEEF.
"When we left Tampa" he said, 1.-TWO
or three quarters of beef were put on
board our ship. l was told to put 1t in
the shade. / understood it was specially
treated for the tropics. 1t did not last,
and board of investigation decided to
throw IT overheard"
"Can you remember the brands or labels
on the canned roast beef complained OF,
either that used in Cuba or that at Mon
faux dShtu hdJOE i-ccs
II do not think / can. Some were
Swift's and some Armours, l believe"
UNFIT FOR RATIONS.
"Win you tell u.s." asked Major Lee,
what, in your opinion, was the value OF
the canned beef issued at Cuba and else
where as an army ration?'
Il wish to say unhesitatingly that IT
was utterly unfit and unwholesome for
troops. Ny experience proves beyond a
shadow of doubt or question that at its
best the canned roast beef was unpala-
table, and at its worst it was UNBEATABLE
and unwholesome."
No one had any further questions to ask
the Governor, and the hearing was closed
The court adjourned to Governors Island
MEN REFUSED TO EAT IT.
Eugene McAlexander of the Quarter
masters Department, who was on Gene
raj Kents staff in Cuba, was the first
witness at the Governors Island session
| He said the cans OF roast beef when open
ed presented a gelatinous white mass,
| with some fibrous-lOoldng meat beneath,
| which looked as if it had been boiled.
WAS the meat good TO eat?' asked
| Colonel Davis.
1.-The majority Of the contents of the
| cans l saw could not be eaten; the men
refused to eat it," replied the witness.
REFRIGERATED MEAT FAIR.
| McAlexander said the greater part Of
| the refrigerated meat appeared very fair.
THE men complained they could eat
only very small portion of each can of
| roast beef, If any at ALL" continued the
witness. Under the conditions that sur
| a. afail In
| The situation could not be bettered. Per-
haps six or eight ounces of the contents
of each two-pound can was meat. 1t look
| ed as if 1t was boiled. 1t did not look as
| If it had ever seen rooster"
SOON BECAME TAINTED.
Sergeant James u. Guthrie, of Company
| d, Fifteenth Regiment, testified that tn,
| canned roast beef was not of good odoi
| and had no nutriment. 1t became tainted
after the cans had been opened five OF
ten minutes. None of IT was very good
| Only about eight ounces in each two
| pound tin was eatable at all. He only
| ate the meat once, and then it made hin
| sick to vomiting.
Captain NJ. Is. Saffold said he had onl.
| tried the roast beef once. He was told i
made the men sick and he made an in
spection. 1T looked" said Captain SAT
fold like boiled meat, with all the
strength boiled out of 1t, and ii taste'
like tallow and water"
ONE GOOD WORD.
Corporal Kelly, of Company Il, Thir
| teenth Infantry, was the first witness L
say any good word for the much-abuse'
| canned roast beef. He said: II found m
bad roast beef l thought 1t stringy, ant
that no salt had been used in the cooking
| | did not eat much of it. l ate it, perhaps
fifteen times. 1t did not look like roas
| beef"
The court then adjourned till Monday
| at 3 y. NJ, in Washington.