Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-29
EAGAN HAS A POOR MEMORY
One of His Assistants Takes Contrary View
Of the Tine Limit.
TwENN-FoUR HOURS CONTRACT PERIOD
Reef supposed 10 he Jsed within
that Time with spNcnty-Two
Hours Under Extreme
Conditions.

WASHINGTON. March 2s.-The army
beef inquiry board examined number OF
witnesses at its forenoon session today but
devoted toe afternoon to executive business.
The two principal witnesses were Captain
George Davis OF the commissary generals
office and Mr.. Morris. the senior member
of the Chicago firm of Morris q Co, beef
Gamers. Captain Davis is the author Of the
time limit clause In the contract with Swift
and Company. and his Interpretation Of the
clause differed somewhat from that Of Cen
era Eagan, arousing some interest on this
account Mr. Morris stated that his firm had
sold directly comparatively little canned
beef to the government. but that consider
able of 1t had been sold to another house
and sold by 1t to the army. Three witnesses
from Florida testified as to the quality OF
the beef supplied the troops at Lakeland,
all declaring it to be good.
General Eagan, formerly commissary gen
eral of subsistence, arrived here today. He
will testify before the board, probably
Wednesday.
Davis on the Contract.
Captain Davis was the first witness of the
day. He stated that he was employed in the
office of the commissary general and that he
was there when the contract with Swift and
Company drawn. Under the instruc-
tons OF Commissary General Eagan he had
formulated the portion of the contract re-
latins to refrigerators on shore.
Captain Davis detailed some instances in
which boards OF survey had examined beef
which had been complained Of while in the
refrigerator. One instance occurred at Man
2anillo and another at Santiago. In the frs,
the beef was condemned and in the latter
part Of it was.
Ia ~ Nf,,n I tnfp No, Is OF
the understanding of the commssary gen.
erals office was that the beef was to be
kept good for seventy-two hours by the con-
tractors after leaving the ship, provided
good care was taken of it.
This he said. was the extreme limit,
but it was not supposed that the beef would
be kept for more than twenty four hours
Two Statements Disagree.
Major Lee pointed out the apparent dis
crepancy in Captain Davis and General
Eagan's testimony as to the condition under
which beef was to be kept for seventytwo
hours after the arr ival of the beef at its
point of destination. He read General
Eagan's statement saying it his inten-
tion that the beef should be good for
seventy-two hours, mo difference where
taken from" and saying that the twenty
four hours clause must be a clerical error.
He asked Captain Davis to reconcile the
two statements, to which request the captain
responded by saying: General Eagan had
simply forgotten Probably he had not seen
the contract for six months. 1t is not GUS
tomary in such cases to depend upon the
! memory, the contracts being file, and
| reference to them convenient and usual
The witness said there had been consid-
erable discussion in the Office of the COM
missary general of the feasibility OF ship
| ping beef on the hoof, but It had been de-
cided not to try the experiment, because
of the difficulty of getting ships, Of landing
! the cattle and of taking care OF them after
| landed. The subsistence department had,
| however, gone so far as to gather the names
| of persons who might desire to bid.