The times., 1899-03-09
DID EAGhN BUY Horse
MEAT FOR THE ARMY?
The Food in the Red Cans
ArOuses Suspicion.
II VIII Be Officially Examined by
the Government Chemist
The Deposed Head of the Commits
snry Burcau 10 he Questioned
on This Subject.

frhe latest development in the beef
scandal is an apparently well grounded
suspicion that part of the alleged can
ned roast beef which was issue1 to the
troops during the Cuban and Porto Rican
campaigns was not roast beef, but boiled
horse.
description of horse meat furnished
by DR.. Salmon, Chief of the Bureau OF
Animal Industry of the Department of
Agriculture, agrees with the description
of some Of the canned meat issued by the
Commissary Department during the la.e
war Many witnesses have testified before
the Beef Court of Enquiry that the melt
which sickened them, the meat that wes
particularly offensive to them, was the va
riety that was packed in red lin cans.
With few exceptions all the regular
and volunteer officers OF the line who have
appeared before the Court OF Enquiry have
testified that the meat was nauseltins,
that was stringy. that it was dark red,
and that the fat was yellow and unwhole-
some in appearance.
officers have testified that the men
would not eat this meat, though durir g
the Santiago campaign it was the princi-
pal meat component CT the army ration.
Much of the shortage in TatiCns was said
TO be due TO the fact that the men NO nd
throw this canned meat away, and there
being nothing issued in its place. hunger
resulted.
Privates and non commissioned officers
hat ha in Oh
cans did not appear TO be like any other
beef they had ssen. IL was coarse and
stringy and had no beefy taste or odor.
The fine grades OF timed roast beef
which were from time to time presented
10 them for inspection during the sessions
of the Court did rot seem to be familiar
TO many of the witnesses. Scores of them
testified that they had not seen as good
beef during their service in the army.
Many of them have said that if the beef
issued TO them in the field had been of as
good quality as thai shown them by the
Beef Court, there would have been no
ground for complaint.
The only red can OF meat brought INTO
the presence of the Court was introduced
through the error of an orderly.
When the non on-commissiOned officers Of
the Ninth Infantry were examined conf
missary sergeant of one Of the companies
OF that regiment stated to the Court that
he had brought with him 4 case of tae same
kind OF beef as that issued TO the regi-
ment in Cuba. He drew it from the depot
commissary at Santiago. The men had
ceased TO eat the meat and he brought the
case Of meat North with the regiment
From Montauk Point he carried IL TO Madi-
son Barracks, the present station Of the
regiment. He swcre that the case had not
been opened since its issue by the depot
commissary at Santiago. The Court did
not ask that the case be opened. and il
was slowed away in an ante room.
4 few days later. the recorder Of The
Court directed an orderly to produce an
other can OF beef. He pried the lid off
the case of San.sgO meat and brought
Two red cans into Court. All the ether
cans which had been presented to the Court
were blue. When this can was opened il
was promptly identified by witness as
The kind OF meat he had seen in the army.
The flesh was DARK led. coarse, and ibrous.
and the fat was yellowish- 1t had 30
"beefy'' smell.
Dr. Salmon, CT the Department OF Agri-
culture. said yesterday: Horse meat is
dark red considerably darker than beef
Il is coarse and fibrous, and usually tough
The fat is yellowish and somewhat softer
than the Fat of beef. Il has sweeter tastt
when good than beef. but is not liked ex-
eepting by those who have cultivated {
taste for it
Dr. Salmon stated that the department
mad official knowledge that the slaughter
of horses for use human food had beer
conducted in this country. Within the las
few days he had received an application
from a man in Massachusetts who desired
a Government inspector for duty at HI:
se-slaughtering establishment Another
application of the same character had beer
received from a man in North Dakota.
During the incumbency Of Secretary Nor
ton as the head of the Agricultural De
partment a Government inspector was as
signed 10 duty at a -slaughterini
plant On Long Island The animals killet
there were bought BY the proprietor ut from
s. to s. a head. They were beasts that hai
outlived their usefulness as cab and ca
horses. Recently an inspector was appoint
ed to examine the horses slaughtered 70
food at Linton. Ore This company. Dr
Salmon understood. has suspended opera
tion because it was found 10 be an un
profitable venture.
Though DR.. Salmon did not eXpressl
say so. yet ii was clear that he felt ths
there might be horse-packing plants abou
which the Government had no knowledge
One Of the first questions which Majo
Lee. counsel for General Miles will as
will be. Where did the COmmissary De
partment obtain the meat packed in red ii
Cans2'
A can OF the suspicious meat vii be sen
to the Bureau of Animal Industry for ey
animation and report to the characte
OF the flesh.