The Portland daily press., 1899-03-03
THE VOLUNTEERS DAY.
Citizen Soldiers Before the Inquiry
Court.
ONE CHARACTERlZES CANNED
BEEF VERY HARsHLY.

HIS Testtmon Somewhat Dtscredfted-
| Question of Allowing Gen. Mile,
Counsel still In thol
Story Nailed.
Washington. March e.-There were rev.
eral interesting developments in the beei
court Of inquiry today. 1t was field day
for.the volunteer arm of the service. the
waiting room being filed all day with
members of the various volunteer regi.
ments which served In Cuba aud Porto
Rico.
The first of these, Clarence Walters OF
the First Volunteer Engineers, told sen.
sationsl story Of hardship and inhumani-
ty suffered during his service, describing
the canned roast beef In harsher terms
than have ever before been applied to
that article. Later In the day, Lieut.
Sswall, U. S. A., who was major in the
volunteer battalion in which Walters
served, contradicted his story complete
ly, saying there was no canned roast beef
aboard the transport which took the com
mand to Porto Rico. Further than that,
he said Walters had come TO him after
landing and asked TO be discharged 80
as to accept n position as newspaper
correspondent and on being questioned
said he had been we'll treated while in
the service and had no complaint to make
An Important development was the do
nial Of the story by one James Farnan,
and also attributed to DIR. Maxwell Chris
tine Of Philadelphia that they had seen
beef injected with chemicals in the Oma.
ha packing houses. DIR. Christine ex-
planned that what he had seen was the
piekling of oo.ned meats, tho brine being
injected into the meat to save several
weeks time in the piokiing vat.
The question of counsel for Gen. Miles
before the court is still in allegiance some
correspondence having passed between
the general and the court. but both
sides decline to give out the letters till
settlement Is reached. Gen. Miles has
not asked to be represented by counsel,
presumably because that would put him
in the position of admitting himself on
trial by the court which up to date he
has declined to admit. On the other
hand the court does not feel ahle, under
the articles of war, to permit Major Lee
or anyone else to cross-question witnesses
unless he can oe recognized officially. as
counsel for the defense. 1t WAS stated
that the matter would probably be set.
tied tomorrow The court expects to
start west tuesday or Wednesday OF
next week.
Washington, March 2.-The war depart
ment court Of inquiry held long execu-
tive session before beginning the exami-
nation OF witnesses today.
The testimony of Clarence Walters of
the First Volunteer Engineers of New
York was rather sensational.
He was asked what his experience, with
canned beef had been on the voyage of his
transport to Porto Rico and replied that
the first can he saw opened had worms in
it and few minutes after being opened
developed such a putrid odor that 1t was
i'm posi- ple to have 1t about
He ate some of 1t and was made violent
ly sick. The men of his company COM
planned of the meat and Commissary Ser
geant refused to accept 1t.
Nearly all the men Of his battalion were
sick throughout most of the voyage as a
result of eating this meat
Colonel Davis, the recorder, ordered
can opened and asked witness II IL was
the same he had used in the service. Wit
ness said it bore no resem blance to the
campaign article. After reaching Porto
Rico he was sick for q week as a result
of the voyage.
Captain Herbert g. Hicks of company
NJ, 2nd Massac husetts, followed with an
account Of the canned beef used by his
command in Cuba. His description Of the
meat did not make 1t out quite so repul
siye al that served to Walters In Porto
Rico, but he said 1t was Shiny, stringy
mess. nauseating to the taste without
nu.riment and without form that could
be recognized as meat except by melted
fat with which 1t was soaked.
Witness was shown several Of the cans
on hand with the commission but said
they were not the same that he had seen
in the service.
Captain Hicks said his command was
all sick, first and last, but he did not at
tribute the general breakdown to the
food, but to the climate.
Coming home with his command they
lived on prepared soups bought In Santi-
ago with funds furnished by an in
dividual whom he WAS not at liberty to
name.
While stationed in Santiago after the
town. they had refrigerated beef. When IT
reached them early and was cooked
promptly, 1t was good, otherwise II
spoiled very soon.
Lieut. George Taylor. late of the 9th
Massac husetts, who said he was grocery
man before entering tie 3ervice. said his
regiment served In Porto Rico. They had
very little thas they could eat on the trip
down. lhey sometimes had bacon. but
no chance to cook 1t and had to throw 1t
overheard. They had canned roast beef
which they could not eat ana had
frequently only canned tomatoes, hard
task and coffee.
Asked IL he thought any sickness In his
command was caused by the food the men
had to eat, he replied: 81 think 1t was
due more to what We did not have to eat.
When we got to Porto Rico there were
thirty of our men SO sick they were never
landed"
"Was this state Of undsr-fseding general
aboard the transporty" asked Gel Davis.
"Yes, sir
Col. Davis-"General Miles was on
board Did you speak to himr'
81 did not think we had any right 10 go
ovor the head of our colonel. We reported