Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-04-06
EVERY CHARGE MADE
BY MILES IS PROVED
Court of Inquiry Investigation Es-
tabIishes the Truth Of His
Allegations.
MORE EVIDENCE IN RESERVE
Several Important Witnesses Yet to
Appear Before the Court-.-
Summing Up OF the
Evidence.
/. Louis, April 5.-A Washington

st. Louis, April 5.-A Washington
special to the Republic says:
Summing up the facts brought out
by the investigation of the beef court
OF inquiry, now nearing a close, the
friends of General Miles believe that
he has established the justice of his
allegations. They assert that he has
| proved:
/. That the canned and refrigerated
beef issued TO the troops was unfit for
issue.
,. That they We're issued as pre-
tense of experiment., because canned
roast beef as part of the army ration
had long been obsolete, was revived
during the Spanish war, but is no
longer issued to troops. All the facts
| go to show llat in the great civil war
and in Indian campaigns beef was fur
nished to the army on the hoof. The
army i'm Cuba is now supplied with
beef ON he block.
8. That chemical processes for pre-
serving beef were fully discussed with
Commssary General l.agan to show
hat refrigerated beef could be kept in
the tropics only by means of a pre-
sentative; and. according TO the state
men,s of Mcssrs. Syper, Giddings and
/ Simpson as TO conversations with Cen
| eral lsagan, his only excuse for not Civ
ing contracts for live cattle TO Texas
firms WAS that the beef firms had n
prcservative for keeping beef seventy
two hours, which would be given a
| trial, and. if unsuccessful, he would
| then award contracts to the Texans
for cattle on the hoof.
4. That Commissary General Eagan
and Secretary Alger were responsible
/ for supplying the ''cmbalmed beef
and canned roast beef to the army, the
general being Ayers agent; since,
according to Mr.. Giddings. General
l.agan said to him that Secretary Al
ger had asked him to give contracts to
the Chicago firms, and he considered
the request equivalent TO an order.
But while General Miles is confident
that he has established the truth of
his charges, he proposes, during the
few remaining sessions of the court,
to produce evidence which will fur
Their substantiatc them. The star wit
ncsscs of the present week are expect
ed TO be DIR. William III. DAILY and Mr..
Powell, inventor of the Powell pre-
serving process. 1t may be that Mr..
DAILY will decline 10 appear before the
court. When giving evidence during
the early DAYS of the investigation he
was suddenly stopped by Judge Advo-
cate Davis. who announced that dur
chemical analysis of the beef he
4 ,;..l, Of
firms to appear. DIR. DAILY became very
indignant ut this action, but it is hoped
that in the interests of justice lie will
again testify.
1T is understood that Mr.. Powell will
describe his process at length and will
give evidence showing The extent TIC
which his preventative was used. Gem
eral Miles counsel will also submit Of
fetal reports showing that beef, treat
ed with the Powell process, kept
eighty hours nj Tampa and proved in
Il measure Il success.
Another Witness OF Importance Will
| he Surgeon Castle. OF Cincinnati. Sur
geon Castle is expected To snbstantiate
| the testimony of Second Lieutenant
t,ampicr. of the First Ohio cavalry,
who sworc that Agent Morehousc, the
representative of Armour q Co.. at
Tampa. told the late Captain Car
michael i'm his presence that beef ship
| ped to the cavalry camp at Lakeland,
Fla, WAS treated by a preventative pro-
| cess.
DIR. Castle. who was he brigade sur
| gcon of the regiment. will it is under
stood. say that he asked Morchousc
for the formula of the prcservative
used. and WAS told that the process
was II secret.
Some surprise is expressed by the
friends of General Miles at the fail
| ure of the court to call DIR. Nicodemus,
of Pennsylvania, who was certified to
the court by Major Lee as having valu-
able information. DIR. Nicodemus is
said to know n good deal about the use
OF prescrvatives.
Your correspondent was told that
the court of inquiry is now convinced
OF the untitness of the canned beef for
isS.e. The court hopes to close its in
Ncstigation within ten days, and will
then deliberate on the evidence. prob
ably reporting early in May at the
latest.
Colonel Roosevclt's long suppressed
report of the operations of the Rough
Riders in the assault on San Juan hill,
and his subsequent letter to Secretary
Alger, which have now been made
public by the court of inquiry. add
nothing new to the testimony pre-
viously in the possession of the court.
They do. however, strengthen the ties
timony of Colonel Roosevelt and of
scores of other officers and men.