The times., 1899-04-19

having made the ANALYSES, that he sus-
pected that the beef chad been tampered
with"
few days after DR.. Currie was on the
stand. the chief surgeon AMI assistant sur
geon of the regiment were called before
the Court. They testified that no such
sickness as DIR. Currie had reported lad
occurred in the rifle range detail Colonel
Hine. of the Second New Jersey. testified
that Dr. Currie never said anything 10
him about the beef having been ''tampered
with" A search was made for. the city
chemist at Jacksonville. who, it was said.
found the sample Of salicylic acid. tut
there was no such official in that city. The
physicians and chemists at Jacksonville
were communicated with, but none could
be located who had ever received sam
pie of meat from DR.. Currie or who bad
found salicylic acid in meat.
DR.. Castle testified that at Lakeland,
Fla. when he called the attention OF Mr..
Morehouse Armour's agent, to some signs
of decomposition in a quarter OF beef. that
gentleman stated that the discoloration
was due to the use of secret preservative.
DIR. Castle said he did not believe the
statement of Mr.. Morehouse on that point,
as he considered the discoloration due to
ordinary decomposition.
Morehouse denied that he made cny
such statement to Dr. Castle. Hendricks,
Morehouse and Lieutenant Camper. OF
the First Ohio Cavalry, corroborated DR..
Castle.
The Court will hold that all complaints
against the refrigerated beef We're founded
either on it's appearance or condition when
received by the commands to which it was
issued The fact that the beef readily
spoiled after a few hours exposure in the
hot and humid air tends to disprove the
theory that the meat was embalmed.
The Powell Process.
The Court will declare its belief that the
whole scandal of embalmed bsef arose
from the fact that Alexander Powell,
New York commission merchant. conduct
ed series of tests at Tampa. According
to the testimony of Mr.. Powell and Colonel
Weston, chief commissary' at Tampa. the
Commissary Department had nothing to DO
witt the tests, and did not take any of the
meat so treated.
Mr.. Powell testified that he had agreed
| with Mr.. Conners, Eastern agent for Ar
mour & Co., to let that firm have the use
of his process" if it should secure the
contract for furnishing beef to the troops
in Cuba and Porto Rico. Armour & Co.,
with this understanding. put in supple
mental bid, proposing to furnish "treatsd
beef" The bid was rejected by the Com
missary Department. Armour did not get
! the fresh beef contracts for Cuba and For
| to Rico, and Mr.. Powell testified that that
| firm of packers never used his process.
The refrigerated beef on the Panama was
supplied by Swift Co. Mr.. Powell testi-
| fed that he had no correspondence with
that firm till after the fall of Santiago, and
that Swift & Co. did not accept his pro-
posal to preserve their beef.
| He testified that his process consisted of
sterilizing meat by fumigation. The treat
ment was absolutely harmless He denied
emphatically that he used either boric or
salicylic acid.
One of the recommendations OF the Court
will be that the Regular Army ration as at
present prescribed by law contains too
much meat for soldiers performing service
in the tropics. 1t will suggest that the
allowance of meat be reduced and the al
lowance Of coffee, sugar, beans, peas. and
rice be increased.