The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-02-21
MILES TEsTIFrEs
TIE army Commander BefOrc
IN InYestigatlng Commits.

Washington. Feb 20.--rne court Of IN
quiry made a good start in its work to-
day
General Miles was the nrst witness.
lie and three or four other army officers
summoned as witnesses were examined
and disposed OF before the court closed
its sessions at O'Clock. General Miles
testimony, of course was the feature OF
the days proceedings Col Frank Mich
Ter. his chief OF stan. and ogenueman in
citzens clothes. who took seat by the
fireplace. ana gravoly watched the course
ofp roceedings. retired with the gen0ai az
silently as he had come. accompanied the
general TO the court room.
General Mncs appeared IN a fatigue unit
FORM rathr striking iu it's contrast with
Ga display ot scarfs bullion and buttons
on the full dresa uniforms OF the court.
tie submitted to the questioning OF Col
onci Davis recorder Of the court. with
equanimiiy except for "a Hash VT mingled
indignation and irony when NE informed
the rccnrdcdr that he was not compelled
To report To- the commissary general OF
the army This was in reply to "a question
as To whether or ont ne had reported
Co tho commissary department the fact
that complaints had been made to him
as to the quality OF meat being issued 20
inc troops. An instant later General
Miles Resumed his cool and careful con-
sidered replies TO the inquiries OF the
court
As indicated by a letter Of the adiutant
general. read 10y the recorder for the In
formation Of the court. the scope Of the
inquiry was limited to the allegations OF
General Miles before the war commission
as TO the quality OF the army beef. and
tho matter purportlng to have been fur
nished TO the publis press by the same
official Only two intrvlews werr c,lie1
mp by the court. the FIRST an interview
with a New York Journal representative
early I'm the beef controversy In which
General Miles was quoted as charging
that certain chemicals were rsed in the
preservation of the army mcat. and an.
other of tho New York Herald under date
~ February I. covering abou; the sam
ground
GENERAL WAS CAUTIOUS
General Miles was very SLOW and care
ful In mis- replies to the recntdst's ques-
tions on this point. lie called attention
go the fact that in both instlpv,s ne was
credited In the interviews with refusing
to answer certain questions and insist
ed that these refusals should be given due
weight in considering the questions 10
which he did reply. lie said in the case
of the interview of February L. that he
had a letter from the man who wrote the
story offering to swear that General
Miles had refused TO be interviewed and
That the whole story had been made up In
the office OF IN writer's general knowl-
edge Of the facts. Notwithstanding this.
when his final answer was asked as 10
the authenticity of the interview, Gener.
al Miles ala not specially deny 1t, but
merely said that It dld not quito fairly
represent his own opinion in the case.
1he same qlallhed dcnlai as to the Jour
nal interview of December 2} was ma ie
leaving TIE witness on record as not az
cunning any responsibility for the news
paper statements, buy tactuy admitting
that there was Go)1 deal in them
with which he agreed.
The trend Of questions put 10 the ether
witnesses OF the day Inllcatei that SC
long as they agreed with General Miles
as TO the quality Of msat furnished tn
troops in the field. tho only criticism o
|
was why they had not taken some cffi
ciai steps to have the ma.-cr r@mcdie'
AZ tho time In evey Instance ;he re
ply was that the circumstance In whicI
the army wns placed. In a slckly 10 cig
country. with a large amount OF hghtln
ana great scarcity OF transportation
on hand precmded the possibility OF an,
such action. In each case the question
was pushed no further on this line.
| II was said after the court adiourne'
that Or. Daily. whose original embalme'
beef report was the Genesis Of the mea
controversy. probably would appear n
tomorrow's session.
BEEF OBJECTED TO EARLY.
Lieutenant Colonel Evan Horn, or lh
Thirteenth infantry. was sworn. lie sal
he was. at the outbreak Of the WA
m.sor OF the Twenty secoai intanu.
, ana was through the catirs Cuban cGn
paign Witness said ht hal used .
kinds, canneI, c1.i-1. rnIgera cd. on
canned roast beef lie said the critcis
! of the canned roast beef began early al
were made often. II was objected TO Z
the score OF It's lack OF nutriment, 1
tuste and its appearance. After the m'
got cooking utensils, they stewed the
canned beef Before that they ate It fro
D the can Brl.er way u serving It wi
r bad enough. and though none OF It tn
4 witness remembered was actually spoile
II was unpalatable and the ground OF co
~ stant complaint. Witness did not recolle
. that the large sick list OF this regime
u I'm Cuba had been laid at the time TO q
g canned mcas. The men were very debt
Z lated. but be could not say whether q
u t. o.. 90 t.i,-,,4 ar not Nyb