Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-20
ADMITTED BEEF
WAS EMBALMED.
Armour's Agent Allowed that the
Beef Had Been Doctored.
COAT OF "PRESERyALINE.r
Coinn'isscry-saracant Furnishes nj
rect Testimony ne Last Regarding
the EmbaImed siccf Question.

Leavcnworth, Kan. March i9.-Thc
army beef court Of inquiry concluded
the taking Of testimony at Fort Lcnv.
enworth at noon today. and at i.i5 dc.
parted for Chicago. where the sessions
viii be resumed Monday morning. The
sole witness examined today was sorgt
Edward Mason. troop a. First United
states cavalry. located at Fort ilobin-
son. Nebraska. who served as rcgl-
mental commissary-Hcrgca at Lake
land. Fla, and during the Cuban cam
paign.
scrgt, Mason's testimony wat prob.
ably the most direct that has been ad.
duced since the court left Chicago. wit
ness declaring that meat received AT
Lakeland for use In his regiment was
undoubtedly chemically treated" An
agent OF Armour a Co, he further
testified. told mo at the time that this
meat had been treated with what was
called prcscrvnllne." Witness had H..
fused To accept the meat Seryt. Ma
son was lntcrrogatcd individually by
ench member OF the court. and could
not be shaken In his testimony.
The court met at 10 o'clock this
morning In the court martial room at
the fort. Sergt. Mason, whose failure
To reach the fort yesterday made II
necessary Tor the court tn take sunday
testimony. was first questioned by Re-
cotdor Davis. He told OF the meat
furnished on the voyage from Tampa
10 Cuba. No complaints were made ~
the canned roast beef. but the meat
was taHtclcss and unsatisfactory gen.
orally. and had 10 be thrown over
board. In Cuba tho men OF his rcgi-
ment would not eat the canned fonHt
beef. and ~ rule Il was thrown away.
Tho refrigerated beef issued after the
surrender, was good, but aa rule II
spoiled before u could be used.
CHEMICALLY TREATED.
The witness was then taken IN hand
by MAJ. Ice. He naid he was detailed
comninsary-scrr at Lakeland
about April 7ath. and served as such
through to ia. close OF the Cuban cam
pnign.
Did you. M commiasary.sorgon or
acting commisrary.scfFc for the
regiment draw any rrfrlRcrated beef at
Tampa or i.nkolandg" asked Mai. Lce.
~ did, flr."
what occurredf"
THE meat we received was In ap-
pcnranco ilnc. but II was undoubtedly
chemically treated. one morning 7
went down 60 the refrigerator car TO
draw meat. and I objected to the APP
pcntnncc OF l. An agent Of Armour
A. Co. was there. ! do not know what
his name was lie told me at the time
that this meat had been treated with
something like paraiiine wax There
was light coating on the outside OF
the meat. I objected TO the color OF
the meat. ana refused 10 accept u. our
commlsuary officer came down and he
refused to accept H."
about what time was that?" "The
sSth or Goth OF May"
who was tho officer that came
down." Lieut.. g. J. Hartman"
About how much was there Of this
meat at that timof" Probably 5000
pounds that was IN the carr
MEAT WAS SPOILED.
ibid you notice II generality" II
examined the meat very carefully ns
commlsanry sergeant. 1 had handled
meat before. The meat was undoubt-
eddy spoiled"
"worv any reports made by Armour.
agent NJ the time ~ 10 the harmful
ness or lack ~ harinfulncss OF the
pfcpafution==Mnn ID dlrcuHsedf"
"My recollection n that he stated
that the preparation used did not hurt
the m,Nt. that II was safe. lie adj
vised us 10 cut on the outside. and
said the meat would be all right In the
Did he state where this had been
doncf" mo. SIR"
Where had the meat come from
before coming to LakclandG"
II do not know. II came In carloads:
probably from Chicago or Kansas
city"
"Mleht It no, have come from Tam
you know. asa matter ~ fact that
there was n refrigerator establishment
there where meats were sent 10 the
various commander"
~ know that. ! think our meat
came from Chicago. IL was not billed
In any way TO the commiraary. IL
came TO the agent entirely"
'"ro whom would he report In regard
TO the meatg Would he report to the
commisHary3'
HE would probably notify the COM
mlHsary officer. We would 20 down In
wagons and get the meat every morn
By Gen. Wndo-Wcro you at Lake
land when the car was openedi
II do not think that | opened the
car. hut l was there when It was
opened"
Was It a regular refrigerator carr"
Ut had only 5000 pounds in it9"
mo sir; the car was full when II came
In
was the meat you got out OF the
car before that treated7" Yes sir; I
suppose the same as the rest Of It."
WAS that the only ear trcated?"
mo. sir; we would take about "a car n
week, We had four regiments there
the Second Massachusetts,, the Sew
cnty-second New York. First and
Tenth cavalry"
WAS ali the meat you got there
treated with preseryaline?' THAT I
could not say. The only thing knew
was that Armours agent told me-"
MEAT sMELLED Rad.
BY Gen. GlliespIe--How did the agent
happen TO tell you about the appear
nnce OF the mentY
'srhe meat was supplied In the morn
ing, and II smelled bad. and had bad
npponrance. The agent. Just simply
speaklng OF It. said; "rhat II preserya,
line That IL the chemical We use To
protcct the meat To preserve H. As
10 what preaervallne was. l do not
know
WAS this agent at Lakeland or
Tatnpa?" "Ie came mp from Tampa"
''Do YOU wish the court to understand
that very much OF the meat supplied
to YOU of that refrigerated beef Ind
been treated chemically" ~ worll
moi swear that II was. | win say that
in my opinion. II was"
"Dld you call the attention OF the
sergeant 10 that meat being treatedP''
81 called the attention of the commIs-
sarv officer; my immediate superior"
by den. George w. Davls-Did all
the meat you got at Lakeland appear
10 have this glossy surface like paraf-
nne?" Eyes. sir"
',t,tI vnu aav Tint A ia.i,.t "a,