New-York tribune., 1899-03-16

u,-pGEON BELIbNE Go
~ THE MEAT-A.AGGoTs FOUND
~ CANS BY A REGULAR ARMY
OFFICER.
March 15-The last witness calieo
80 Army Beef Court of Inquiry 'o-'aS
r'o1 he a sensational one. He was an ON
rcveo - secular Army. First Lieutenant NJ
Ger " -" -, ,be 1st Cavalry. called at the re-
pS',s' ,,o ,o- Lee. the representative or Cen
ouesl =. lieutenant Davis testified that III
rs NJ. ,1a canned roast beef issued TO the
Ca'a u.,s thrown away. because II was u''''
s'S'e'' ~. testified that he had opened one can
ord found maggots in 1t.
hnsen 1oa asked: How did the maggots get
ntnsrF'- ..... canned IN the witness re-
They were ca''"''
pied ,r the nrocess Of canning
,,6sr-oes such an intense heat that
"S - ,,fe would survive IN ft?" asked Colo
90 ANNA l'r
,sl Davis ..o ,,,,,e They
49,, mean 20 say they were alive IneS
"a" replied Lieutenant Davis
Sel' 60. started for Omaha tonight IN
Inc -, ,ra stoclvards will be made at
81 and Kansas City. and at the latter CITY
VH0' .,,serce VIII be taken. The Intention OF
SON, 4s % return to Chicago by next Tues
~s ,~,cs45 with the examination OF wit
eH Tho evidence to-day was largely
IT. mainly with reference TO the condi-
eDD'' ,.rres and refrigerated beef when issued
u'H W - m sh,phoard and IN Cuba, and It's
feet on the soldiers - -,
o. rriro.s Volunteers, said that on the
Il w m Porto Rico
4 " ,,sst beef was issued, and there was
/ %, sea' ~ complaint about H. II was
j - ,p,rv and rauseating. and did not seem
4 :. ,our,sh The men. Much olarrh"a
~ofr The witness attributed the SICK
4 - n,ora're poisoning. He believed p'o-
-.,,ss would develop in the hot sun IN nVe or
=, minutes ater can was opened. ''e
=, were property steril'zed. ptomaines would
=. asvelor While in Porto Rico Twenty-Five
%, from Ponce. the matter of rations was
~, ~, W rhe regiments hands TO a great
-, General Grant seemed 10 know more
-, Z, than anybody else. The witness TOOK
..-,,c,lar interest IN them because of the
,,-on of General Grant
sus cannot violate the law"
'He did"
Did he issue orders.
se ,ssued whatever he saw ht.
4 r..,.o. ~eouired the surgeon 70 supervise the
4 ,,-u...b., which was issued? Did you inter
4 -, vonrssls - ascertain what was being issued
n The enlisted men,
~7rA cav what was issued and took II be-
cspss We could not get anything else We hao
,.,,sa roast beee nearly all the while. and the
~, refused 70 eat H. II was ordered con-
damned and We buried lot Of It. One or the
49,, so,a y We didn't bury II II would bury us.
hoard ~ survey was ordered. bun l never
,s.ra ANYTHING more about II. As 10 the re
t-sgara,or beef very little Of II was used. as al
,ess -fourths Of II would have 70 be cut OF
do not think any chemicals had been used on
the meat II was simply spoiled. The meat had
Undoubtedly been acted upon by the heat which
,,s sof,ened f. The fat and grease and gela-
i've had ali intermingled with the fibre
THE SOLDIERS MADE SICK
r,sg ,ross-examination DR.. Shaw told about
I Anexaed out one night TO look after the men
n q company A who were reported 10 have oeen
y poxaed by eating canned roast beef He SAID
1 .sy vomited fearfully, and 1t seemed that
\ hrpoderrnic injections Of morphine would hard
4 y relieve the pain. They were sick for some
ays with a great deal Of diarrhaa and intes-
t,M trouble
When the men ceased eating the canned
ysst beef was there any Improvement asked
Ystor Lee
Yes the canned roast beef generally gave
ITEM darrhuza and gastro-enteritis."
Did YOU in an official way recommend us
tscontinuance?"
Yes. sir. TO my immediate commander
Did the cornrnissary come around and find
vi how these things were?'
He came around several times and told us II
sss all right I think ~ was Captain Piper
Es told Us Il was al right, and We would nave
@satit Sometimes We substituted what they
zled bacon. but great deal Of that had mag
\ p,s in II ana had 70 be condemned. II we had
,syended uDon the Army rations the troops
\ rould have starved - death. They spent all
as money they got TO buy things 70 eat either
4 the oommissary store or in the city.
What was the brand on this canned roast
,-fr
think y was Libby. Mcneil Libby am
n sure 7 tried TO eat some Of 1t, but coula
w- # was absolutely revolving.
When the beef was eaten from cans did YOU
0isr it emrt.ed out OF the can Immediately?
We tried 70 have ii served Immediately but
Citg that intense heat putrefaction Wouid SCI
il almost as soon as the can was opened
h1kptonaines we're developed almost immedl-
itsy after the opening OF the cans
4 To what 90 YOU attribute the bad condition
",he bread"
Il think d, was the bakers themselves per
aaIs the ovens. The natives took the same hour
ahd made II INTO fair bread"
The next witness was Colonel Fred Bennitt
the 81 Illinois Volunteers. He spoke Of the
voyage non Newport News 10 Porto RICO
There We're great many complaints anou'
he canned roast beef" he said. The complaint
i bout the canned roast beef was that II was
uuseating Sn4cim.ns were brought to me for
'snina,ion and I found them very repulsive.
hmeat hal disagreeable smell MADE fre-
II 'sr representations 70 General Grant ABOUT
ss AIMED roast hoef but he insisted that The