Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-22
Major Lee Discovers an Important
Bit of Evidence.
PART OF BEEF PACKERS LETTER
Report Of the Court of Inquiry Ex
pected Soon.
TWO DISPOSITIONS READ

report upon the subject OF army peer, an!
the other Is the placing on record of the
missing page of Armour * Co.'S letter to
Gen Eagan. the other part OF which was
published recently.
Although Secretary AIger has not COM
pleted reading General Breckinrdges re-
port or transmitted it 10 the beef court of
inquiry. as it is expected he VIII, enough is
known of its tenor to warrant an advance
statement. This report affirms that the
canned roast beef was uDwhoIesome and
unfit, and alleges that the evidence of NE
Witnesses shows that there was good rea-
son for suspicion that the beef was chem
iCally preserved.
The missing page read last night bears
the written Endorsement of the commits
sary general to the Secretary of War un-
der date of June Il last. as follows:
The tests made by Armour & Co. are
not the only tests that have been made.
and there is no doubt whatever i'll my mind
that tha beef can be furnished as required"
The original letter was from Armour Il
Co. by their Washington lawyers. Dudley
q Kitchener, and in it they said they con-
trolled the Powell preservatiye, and that
no other would preserve meat seventy-two
hours. required by the advertisement
for bids. 1t was returned to the writers
some time ago at their own request minus
the page bearing the significant indorse-
ments, and il could not be found Major
Lee succeeded. however, in unearthing 1t
in the returns office Of the Interior Depart
ment. and. as detailed below. has placed
it on the courts record.
Mai. Lees Closing Address.
Maj. Lees closing address and summary
VIII be made Monday uext. He will argue
that 1t has been clearly shown Gen. Miles
male his allegations only upon and to
the extent of the reports and statements
made To hin by army officers and men. He
will assert that Gen. Miles as the major
rs41 n
entire pTOprieJy and discretion in the mai
ter, and Tor him to have done less would
have been evidence OF dishonesty and in
competency.
He will point cut that practically the en-
tire army Of regulars has through the re-
ports Of officers submitted and read to the
court, slIbstantiated the major generals
allegations. He Will positively and emphat-
Ically declare that General Miles had 10
other motive than to preserve the honor
and health of the army when he entered
upon the investigation.
Reason to Suspect "Processing.~
Maj. Lee will insist that it has not been
possible 10 offer any better than circum-
stantiaI evidence of the alleged enDalmfng
OF the beef This testimony including that
Of Drs. Daily and Currie and Capt. Castle
should be sufficient to show that at least
there was ample reason to suspect the
processing
In addition the admissions and letters of
the packers upon the subject he will con-
tend. furnish indubitabIe proof that they
bad personalities in mind.
Further. he will claim that the seventy
two-hour clause in the beef contracts was
Inspired by a packing firm. which stated it
could process meat to last that period of
time. and that the Armour company. which
publicly acknowledged control Of the Powell
process. lost the contract only because I'M
d-rhid by the Swift concern. The chief
feature If Major Lees address viii be his
eloquent and elaborate defense of General
MlI-~ n.j-Ne IN making the charges which
.r- -n.- basis Of the inquiry and ne will de-
M ri that the court sustain him in its
findings as the evidence warrants
HIiat Col. Davis Says.
y. reply will he made by Col. Davis, ac-
cnrilug II I statement by the latter to a
St. r-porter today. He doubts there is
Pre-. edeIt OF procriety in any such action
II would SAVIOR too strongly Of prosecu-
tipn by him Col Davis says there j. no
need for him To sum Up. AMI that the court,
IL any event, viii determine for icseif what
ar the facts. He stated mat The court
cannot tell when It's report will be ready,
but does nJt anticipate hat il Will De
Longer than a day or two afteT Mai. Lee
concludes his side which will end the pub
Ii sessions.
Dispositions Read.
An afternoon session was held today at
which Col. Davis read the deposition Of
bari Berry Of the Nv York Times and
% \. Z. Powell. inventor Of the Powell
process anticipated in The Star yester-
dsv- Mr.. Powell denies the Use Of formal
GsIyde OF f8rmalin as an ingredient Of his
process lie insists that ne fumigates meat
10y harmless preparation Nj Berry cor
rubrrdteS the evidence Of Sidney Riede of
Tn New York Office OF the Associated
Press. who sw're that Gen. Miles made to
him The statements partly published in Ger
tain New York newspapers on February l
last
Reports by Gen. Breckinridge.
Cot Davis read also NJ length from re-
ports by Inspector General Breckinrdge Of
Inspections in Cuba during the war, all of
which has appeared before in The STAR
aHT which have been collected in pamphlet
form and published by the War Depart
mont.
Then Mai. James l.. Lancaster of the 4th
AT.tilsry was called to the stand and ques-
TONED by Mai. Lee. His testimony was
rulmp"r,aIJ and ends the oral evidence to
b. submitted 10 The court.
The Presidents Instructions.
At the night session Of the court yester-
day the most interesting development was
tn Presidents memorandum of instruc-
lions to the court. which We're delivered on
February ~ last. the day il convened.
These instructions We're read by Colonel
Davis in order 10 make them u part Of the
record and are rs follows:
The character and quality of the meat.
refrigerated and canned. furnished 70 the
army. how purchased. how shipped to the
soldiers. if good when shipped; what the
cause - its deterioration. II any?
''lf the utlJ was dJctpred. did the COM
mlssary general or any Of his officers have
any knowledge u it or means Of knowl-
edge
WAS 6, the meat Of commerce?
Was II inspected BY the government in
spacjors as provided by law
Was II an authorized ration In the
army2
II good when purchased, what made it
ba1e
Was il auybody's neglect or fault. and II
whoSe2
When unfit for use. II You should 81
ind. was the fact made known to the War
Department? When and by whom
'If after leaving the depot cornmissary il
not cared for and properly preserved
whose FAULT
was 1t a suitable ration for the cam
r..rz prn- FFf -. and