The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-02-24
Y lie
Was the Canned Beef, and the
Refrigerated Beef
Was Often Bad and Often Spoil
ed Before 1t Could Be Used.
Such Is the Overwhelming Testimony
Before the Court Of Inquiry.

before me Court OF inquiry.
The bluff that was attempted by the
attack of the yellow papers upon Gen.
Miles did not work.
Tho first and second days testimony
before the Court of Inquiry, which be.
gan Its first sitting Monday, completely
vindicates Gen. Miles, proving his
charges true by overwhelming testimony.
But there is-more to follow, and those
who have been trying to prevent an in
vestigation by trsducing the General of
the Army, will be buried under noun
tain of testimony.
The witnesses first examined, were
Gen. Miles and a number of regular
army officers who took part in the cam
paigns at Santiago and in Porto Rico.
Fol. some inscrutible reason, the investi
cation is limited to the campaigns in
Cuba and Porto Rico. Why 1t should
not have covered the camps where 10000
volunteers were furnished this beef, in
our own country, is not explained.
There was great complaint of the beef
in the volunteer camps, and the investi-
cation should not haye been confined to
the regulars.
We have not room for the testimony,
but its character can be gathered from a
few extracts from the first two days
testimony.
Col. VIM. d. Powell was with the
forces at Santiago. He investigated the
so-called canned roast beef, and had
some of it served at his table. 81 could
not eat it. 1t was stringy, unwhole-
some looking mass, more like wet sea-
weed than anything else can think of.
The men were sick and debilitated and
could not keep it on their stomachs.
We had at that time 152 sick. Soon
after that the fresh beef began to arrive
and the men ate readily and began to
pick up health. The beef gave no pleas
ure in eating. no source of strength te
the body" Of the refrigerated beef, he
said. "It was never thoroughly good
when issued in the morning, and otter
all was putrid, when delivered late il
the afternoon. 1t tasted as though it hat
come in contact with chloroform o.
kerosene. Referring to the canned
roast beef, he said, "itseemed to be mad
of scraps, and the men would not eat it.
Capt. William Ennis, of the 4th Artil
lery, said, ga great many of the mel
would eat the canned roast beef and turl
about quickly and vomit, and finall.
they refused to eat it at ALL" Captain
Ennis believed that much of the sicknes
was due to this beef.
Major Jesse M. Lee, Ninth Infantry
said refrigerated beef was furnishe,
daily, and frequently spoiled before
could be gotten to camp, two miles from
Santiago"
L.. Col. Charles w. Miner, of the Sixtl
Infantry said that when first opened, tn
canned beef was "stringy and absolutel
without nourishment, and the men coul
not and would not eat it, 81 believe
then, and believe now, that that bee
had been used for making beef extract
and the nutriment taken out"
Gen. Miles read long summary of 10
letters received by him at army head
quarters giving the various terms il
which the army meat was characterized
These included ''embalmed," ""decompos
3d." Injected" poisoned" spoiled,
&c.
A number of the witnesses testiie
that the soldiers were not kickers an
were slow to complain, but that th
officers discussed the matter freely.
!. Gen. Miles testified that what frt
called his attention seriously to the bes
,, question, was the condition OF the Flft
Corps after it got to Montauk Poin
when the reports of officers showed th
whols corps to be prostrated, the parad
in New York having to be abandoned
, because not more than fifth of the com
8 mand was able to take part in it.
There will no longer be any denuncis
r tions of Miles and other officers for bring
j ing to light the beef frauds, and ii
= Whitewash Committee ought to hide il
9 head in shame. 1t is already discredit
8 ed, and discounted, and will come to /
9 dishonored.