The record-union., 1899-02-23
Proceedings Of Court Investigating
the Beef Controversy
Develop Little New From the Testimony
Adduced at Tuesdays Session.
The Canned Roast Beef Generally
Condemned as Unsatisfactory-
Refrigerated Meat Was Good,
Excepting That 1t Often De-
composed While En- Route to
Camp.


composed While En- Route to
Camp.
WASHINGTON, Feb %. = To-day's
proceedings of the court of inquiry in
vestigating the beef controversy devel-
| oped little that was new. The testi-
mony with the exception of that Of DR..
Daily, surgeon on the staff of General
Miles during the war, and of Colonel
Woodruff, Assistant Com1nissary Cen
eral, was generally in line with that Of
yesterday The canned roast beef was
generally condemned as satisfactory
while the refrigerated beef was COM
mended, the chief complaint being that
| it often decomposedl en- route to camp.
| The testimony of representatives of
the Subsistence Department was begun,
that of General Woodruff Assistant
| Commissary General, being the most
notable. He purchased more than $780,
900 pounds of canned beef and told of
the method of purchase and the reasons
| that prompted it. He took issue with
General Miles contention that beef on
the hoof was the usual source of fresh
meat supply to the army.
Another feature Of the day was the
introduction of DR.. Daily, who charged
before the War Commission that re-
frigerated beef at Chickamauga, Jack
sonville, Tampa and in Porto Rico lad
been treated chemically. He was not
examined, however, in regard to this
charge, Colonel Davis announcing that
| the contractors who were attacked
dv,fit 11.1 10 E1S5 - <1,ra
animation upon that point that they
might have ample time in which to APP
pear should they decide to do So DR..
Daily was excused after a partial ex-
animation, and will be recalled later.
| The investigation will proceed to-
morrow, when General Eagan, former
| Ccmmissary General, is expected to
appear and tell the story of the beef
supply as viewed by this department
| When the court met this morning
Colonel Davis, the Recorder, announced
| that the examination of witnesses so
far summoned and reported was about
concluded. The court should consider
now, he thought the questions of fur
Esher summons and procedure, and at
his suggestion the court went into Sc
cret session.
When the executive session conclud-
ed DR.. William H. Daily of Pittsburg.
who was Major and Chief Surgeon of
| Volunteers during the war; and testified
| before the commission that he had dis
! covered by chemical analysis boracic
and salicylic acid in refrigerated beef
furnished the army, was introduced.
His examination by the Recorder was
conducted slowly and with great care,
developing with minuteness all of Dr.
| Days duties while attached to General
Miles staff. These, besides those of an
army surgeon, consisted in making spe-
cial reports to General Miles on camp
sites, water supply and the like. The
Recorder very carefully developed the
fact that most of these reports were
verbal or telegraphic, therein differing
from the now famous meat report
which was the cause of DR.. Days be-
| ing summoned as a witness. Therein
the examination differed considerably
from that of the previous witness.
DR.. Daily testified that he was as
signed to duty on the staff of General
Miles, and remained at Tampa until a
few days after the Shafter expedition
sailed, his duties being miscellaneous,
under direction of the army Medical
Department. Thence he went to Key
| West, Miami and other points to study
proposed camp sites. Later he came
north, and finally Joined General Miles
at Guanica, Porto Rico, sailing from
Charleston subsequent to the latter's
| departure. His duties, he said, were
those of attending Surgeon at head
quarters and general duties incident to
surgical and medical needs of the
army.
| Colonel Davis questioned the witness
| closely in regard to his duties and the
source and character of his orders, evil
IDENTIFY with a view to the bearing these
developments might have upon the
witness analysis and report upon beef.
| Dr. Daily said he remained at Porto
Rico five or six days after General
Miles departed, being ordered to super
wise the preparation of the transport
Panama for bringing convalescents
north in a manner above reproach.
This was because there had been pre-
viously considerable complaint as to
the Quitting Of returning transports.
He received these orders about August
I'D, and, after picking up load of sick
at various points in Porto Rico. sailed
September 9th, and arrived at Fort
ress Monroe September 10th, landing
his patients in a greatly improved con-
dition. He reported to Washington,
where he was quite ill, and was given
sick leave. The Surgeon General was
pleased with his work on the Panama.
and wished him to remain there. While
still sick in Pittsburg he received orders
from General Miles to go on an in
spection tour of the new regiments in
the South who were being fitted out
for tropic service This was the trip
on which witness became acquainted
with the alleged embalmed beef. There
were several officers engaged in this
inspection.
DR.. Days investigation was directed,
among other things, particularly
toward the, food supply and cooking ar
rangements Of the regiments. The gem
eral object of the inspection, according
to the Witness was to get the troops
| into the best possible condition for act
| i've service. and to render assistance
and instruction wherever it was needed.
Reports were rendered after the in
spection of each camp visited. These
reports, in the course of regular rou-
tine, passed through the hands of the
General commanding the army. Dur