The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-22
THROWN OVERHEARD.
Col Charles VieIe Testifes as to the
Canned Roast Beef


! Colonel Charles Vfele OF the First cav
I airy. another of the regular army Off
| GERS who had been through the Shafter
/ campaign, testified yesterday before the
I Miles court of inquiry as to his expert
| enee with canned roast beef
Col. Davis-What did you have as a
meat ration going down on the trans
I ports?
Witness-Canned roast beef.
| Col Davts-What did you have in
! Wftness-Canned roast beef except
| for a few days before leaving for home
l when we had refrigerated beef
I Col Davis-What did you have on the
! transport coming home?
WftueSs-Canued roast beef
Col Davis-What satisfaction did it
give?
Wftness-Didn't give any satisfaction
at all.
Col Davfs-what complaints were
made to you as to this beef?
WitnesS-There were no complaints
There was no chance to get anything
else and the men took it and said moth
ing
Col. Davis-They did use it then?
WitnesS-I did not say they used IT.
It was issued and they took It. l saw
a good deal Of it thrown overheard
Col Davis-What did you do toward
getting something to replace tt2
Witness[I did nothing There was
nothing to do. There was nothing else
to be had
Col Davfs-Have you made any re-
ports on this subject?
Wftness-Yes, have made three re-
ports
Col Davfs-But why was it you made
no official representations on this sub
ject while you were in the deldE
VftnesS-F'Or one reason, mat Tor
long time there was not q sheet OF
paper in my command
Col VieIe said that he did take
up the subject of beef after the com
maud got back to Montauk and sent
cir latter his troop COM
rnanders asking for reports This was
before he received official notice from
this subject would be wanted w nat
refri gerated beef his command rece1EG1
in Santiago seemed to be good he
only renem bered one issue which was
tainted He had no complaints as 10 Il
from the men,
Did you have any reason to sus-
pect while you were at Santiago that
the refrigerated beef had been treated
with chemicals" asked Col Davis
Il never heard of such a thing at the
time was the reply. and such an e1-
PLANTATION old not occur to me-
Did YOU eat any of the refrigerator
meat yourself2"
SOnc@tfat was enough for me"
witness explained that the beef mad
a close. musty smell, as though II na0
been shut up in a close room ana -
turned him against the meat. so ne
took bacon in preference He was N
good health at the time, but many Oh
his men were sick
Replying to Colonel Gillespie he sa1d
he had no reason to believe the otner
officers in his mess did not use the n@dL
He said the refrigerated beef at san
tiago had a yellow appearance on the
outside that he had never noticed upon
the REFRIGERATED beef formerly furnished
at Fort Riley, Kan. where ne was sla-
TONED. When he ate it at Santiago he
was inclined to naUseation- Referring
TO the canned roast beef he SAID II
seemed to be Of scraps and that the
men would not eat it
RESPONDING to d request from Colonel
Davis for his opinion as TO the compar-
a tive desira biIity Of beef on the hoot ana
REFRIGERATED beef. he thought the former
would have been preferable, because
cattle could have been driven to the
camps, slaughtered. issued and cooked
He said he had not suggested TINS De
cause no cattle were near and the
troops were a long way from the place
where cattle could be secured Cattle
on the hoOf could have been used De-
tween the time of landing and the sur
render while the men were employed
in the siege by being driven close to
the Front and then delivered on packs
This. he said in reply to a question OF
C0TOnaT Davis.