Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-23
ON THE OTHER SIDE
Testimony in Behalf Of the Beef
Used by the Army. ~
COL, WESTON CONTRADICTS DR.. DAILY
Col. Osgood Says Officers Falsely
Denounced Army Meat.
GENERAL EAGAN CA LIED

Evidence in behalf of the beef used by
the army during the late war was offered
today at the court of inquiry probing the
beef scandal. 1t was expected that former
Commissary General Eagan would testify
at the morning session, but he was detain-
ed in New York city, where he went yes
terday to see his successor, Col. Weston.
1t was stated that he would reach the city
in time. however. to appear late in the az
ternoon.
In the meantime Col. Weston, the acting
commissary general; Capt. Piper and Col.
Osgood, all of the commissary department..
were placed on the stand and thoroughly
examined upon all points relating to the
feed supply for the troops in Cuba ard
Porto Rico.
The newest disclosure was that by Col.
Weston, who declared that he told DR..
Daily at Tampa that the beef the doctor
had seen on the Rio Grande had been treat
ed by the Powell process" and that 1t
was being tested as TO the duration 1t
would remain good. This fatty contradicts
DIR. DAILY, who testified yesterday.
All these witnesses praised the refrig-
Grated beef; declared the canned roast beef
was wholesome, if eaten in stewed form,
even If unpalatable in appearance, and the
native fresh beef was inferior to the iced
meat, and often rejected for the latter by
the men.
1t was brought out that the cattle-on-
the-hoof question had been considered at
the outbreak of the war, and the conclu-
sion reached by the War Department that
it was impracticable to attempt such
method of supplying fresh meat to the SOL
diers in the campaign.
The court will go west next week and in
spect the Chicago, Omaha and Kansas City
packing houses.
Use of Native Beef in Porto Rico.
Capt. Alex. r. Piper of the subsistence
department, with his right sleeve minus the
arm, TALL slender, youthful, with crisp
brown mustache, giving his boyish face
firm look was the witness substituted for
suspended Commissary General Eagan. He
was the commissary officer of the I'd Br-
gade, list Army Corps, and went with Gen.
Brookes expedition to Porto Rico. After
landing cattle on the hoof, native beef,
canned roast and canned corned beef were
issued by him to the men for meat. The
native beef was issued five days out of ten
and continued until August 10, when he
was ordered by Col. Sharp, corps commits
sary. to use instead the refrigerated beef
on the transport Massachusetts.
Capt. Piper said that the men made COM
plants against the canned roast beef, but
he did not think these amounted to much.
The mems physical condition had run
down, and they were in a mood to complain
of nearly everything. They found fault
with the native beef. and said Ii was too
fresh. The cattle we're slaughtered between
shutdown and midnight and issued early in
the morning. They were furnished by con-
tract with native butchers, and were to be
neither oxen nor milk cows There vas an
age limit too and thorough inspection and
slaughter house regulations. Refrigerated
beef used aftarward till August ~
when the Massachusetts went away and
then the native beef again was the supply
until January, when refrigerators were
a nd
by order of the commissary general
frigerated beef was issued to all troops
where practicable. ....
He declared that there was no complaint
from the men against the refrigerated
meat on the Massachusetts. The men were
delighted with it, and, said he, did not
leave even the bones" Only one complaint
was filed. and that was because some beef
was spoiled. He said he selected the native
beef by going into the corral where the
cattle Were and picking out the ones to be
slaughtered. This was done by tieing them
by the horns and then cutting their threats
day to the men. 1t would then be warm
with the lingering animal heat At that
time the temperature was at % degrees
He said il never became firm and he never
saw it in condition to make him desire to
eat 1t. The men very generally preferred
the refrigerated to the native beef He
never heard the soldiers say they were
tired of canned roast beef.
Capt. Piper said the native cattle were
small and inferior
Speaking of the theories as to sickness.
he said the one most generally advanced
was that 1t was caused by the native fresh
beef. Others said it was due to the native
rum and still others attributed it to the
fruit AT one time the canned tomatoes
were blamed, and as a consequence for a
time, the issue was stopped. He declared
he had never heard the canned roast beef
mentioned in this connection
He never heard any suggestion that the
meat was chemically treated.
Cox. Weston Tells About the Rations
Col. Weston, the acting commissary gem
eral middle-aged, gray-haired and mus
tached man in civilian clothes succeeded
to the stand. He looked pale as if re-
covering from recent illness, but spoke
with energy and distinctness. He was the
purchasing agent at New York and assist
ant commissary gen=ral at the outbreak
of hostilities After coming to Washing
ton he went to Tampa. In the beginning
the question was what meat besides bacon
could be issued TO the troops. The best that
could be obtained was canned roast baef
He was of this opinion then and now
stew made of canned roast beef was in
ms estlma ton, very palatahte dish He
had tried to get fresh beef canned with
vegetables, so as to make palatable
change in the field diet. One canning COM
pany submitted cans of beef canned with
potatoes and onions, but he found this in
opinion always has been that in thu an
sence OF refrigerated beef or native beef
fresh from the block, the canned roast
peer was the best TO BE- used in campaigns
IKE that OF Santiago. He declared that
the war Department had made an honest
investigation Of the subject
The Cuban Expedition.
branching off upon the subject Of the en-
barkation of the Shafter expedition at Tam
pa Colonel Weston told of the congestion
or railway traffic there. as the roads did not
have sufficient trackage The troops We're
fed on refrigerated beef there, and he do
ciared that it was of splendid quality. When
the troops left Tampa they drew travel RAJ
TONS The canned corned beef supply was
exhausted, and he tried vainiy in the omen
market to get more. In the hurry of de-
parture, he said. many things were left he
hind, and he lamented because the tobac
co ne mad bought for the boys was among
them. ioh6
The canned roast beef was used as a co,o
ponent of the travel ration under an order
OF the commissary general. He said thai
the canned roast beef had been a mart Of
the travel ration of the soldiers for a nm
Der of years. ios
He was asked If before going to Crb,
the men had been made familiar with tba
canned roast beef and instructed how to
cook and make IL Dalatabla ~