The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-03
COURT OF INQUIRY.
GEN. MILES WILL NOT ADMIT THAT
HE rs A DEFENDANT.


-
Fails to Reply To tho Courts Inquiry ~ He
Deaires to He Represented by Council
Ofncsrs and Enlisted MEN of Volunteer
Condemn the Canned Roast Beef.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-The Army Court of
Inquiry has received no replyfrom Gen. Miles
TO its communication Of yesterday. requesting
to he Informed II he desired to DO represented
before the court by counsel. Major Jesse Ice
OF the Ninth Infantry. who has been present at
tho examination of some OF the witnesses, ap-
peared again to-day. but submitted no uues-
tons. Ha merely made notes OF tho testimony.
1t developed to-day that soon after it's or
ganization the court Officially stated to Gen.
Miles that he would be entitled to representa-
ton II he 80 desired. The court took this action
with n full understanding that Gen. Miles's
conduct was being inquired into. Gen. Miles
failed to respond to the invitation, but later.
when officers and enlisted men OF the Ninth In
fantry we're summoned to testify, Gen. Miles
wrote n letter to the court suggesting that
Major Jesse Lee might be OF assistance to the
Recorder in the examination ofthese witnesses.
as he was familiar with their reports and state
ments. The court accepted the suggestion, and
permission was granted Major Lee to question
the witnesses.
Yesterday. when the representatives OF the
packing houses went on the stand. Major Lee
continued In attendance and submitted In writ
ing to Col. Davis. the Recorder. such questions
as he desired to have asked. The executive
session followed and It was determined to send
another letter to Gen. Miles. asking him II he
desired to be represented by counsel.
Major Lee said to-day that he did not
know what Gen. Miles would do. as he
did not admit that his conduct was being in
Quired into. Friends of Gen. Miles profess to
believe that he will make no reply to the letter
from the court. except to acknowledge its re-
ceipt. To answer the invitation OF the court
would compel him to either openly admit that
he was being investigated or that he did not
care to be represented. Meanwhile Major Lee
will be present at the hearing of witnesses.
but will not be allowed to question them.
Much testimony was heard to-day from for
mer officers and enlisted men OF volunteer
regiments. They nearly all agreed that the
canned roast beef was not satisfactory, but
they differed as to the quality OF the refriger-
ated beef and to the satisfactory result OF the
native cattle cooked while retaining the ami
nal heat. The testimony of DR.. Maxwell
Christine of PHILADELPHIA was n complete SUR
prise to the court and to the friends of Gen.
Miles. DIR. Christine has been widely quoted
in certain newspapers as declaring that he had
seen fresh beef injected with chemicals at q
packing house in Omaha. Neb. To-day
DIR. Christine declared that in his Lett
ter to Gen. Miles he had not used
the word beef. but had said meat" He
did this because he was unable to tell what
kind OF meat he saw injected. He did not
| know II the fluid injected into the meat was a
chemical preparation or not. and had since
been informed that it was composed of salt.
sugar and water. and was used to hasten the
corning process. He was certain that the meat
being injected was not fresh beef. and equally
certain that the pieces were not hams. He
was utterly unable. however. to explain what
kind of meat it was or what part OF the carcass
II came from.
Private Clarence Walters Of the First Volun-
teer Engineers was the first witness to-day.
He gave his address as New York city. His
regiment was ordered TO Porto Rico. and on
the voyage he ate some of the canned roast
beef issued to the troops. The meat had a
foul odor. and he believed it was spoiled. When
| eaten it made him i'll. and after the contents OF
n can had been exposed a short time he saw
worms in the meat. He declared that in one
| can he found the entrails of an OK. The men
Of his company complained of it constantly. In
his opinion he never saw a can Of the roast
beef that he considered wholesome. Bywhole-
! some he meant fit to eat. He said its appear
unce was stringy and Shiny.
Col. Davis showed witness n can from the
said: This is not like the can we had. The
cans given us were not round they were kind
| issued to the men OF his company. After eat
and and continu"d III ali the way to Ponce, where
his regiment debarked. The attention of the
surgeon on the vessel was called to the roast
beef. but he pronounced IL good. In Porto
Rico the troops were supplied with canned
roast beef. bacon and native fresh beet. The
last mentioned was not satisfactory. as 1t was
cooked before the animal heat was ont of it.
He subsisted principally in Porto Rico on eges
COmmissarv Sergeant of his company had de-
clined to receive the canned roast beef. as it
was not considered good food.
The next witness was, former Captain Her
bert o. Hicks Of the Second MASSACHUSETTS,
outtrom Tampa the ,commissary of his com:
rany came to him and reported that the canned
meat and found it very stringy. 1t was Gov
cred with 2 whitlsh, greasy substance. The
Referring, to the samples before the court. he
added: 1t was not nearly so good as that. II
complained Of being nauseated and made iii
my Colonel. and he said $ he had done everything &C
to get canned corned beef. but that 1t was i'm
tI6 SPs %sIFs il Of d tnS meat he sai SqP Fhst tbey Of h sGe very ga;
little canned roast beef. The men did not like
was Issued, 1t was Of good quality when re-
among the men. but he did not attribute it TO |
shsf f0 Sa ftHhP pr Mob The Fcf anned r s%%e beef to M Sns
the men did not eat it.
Q.-What did your men subsist on? A.--On |
soups purchased by my orders in Santiago from
a fund furnished me for that purpose.
Lieut.. Franklin Il. Taylor OF the sixth Mas |
sachusetts testified that the canned roast beef !
issued TO the troops Of his company on the
Yale en- route to Porto Rico was pronounced by
the men as too fat and tasteless. 1t was not
satisfactory and the men subsisted mainly on |
bacon and canned tomatoes Asked as, to the /
sickess. he said II was due more to what the
men did not have to eat than to what they ate. |
The bacon was sometimes bnd and there were
no flpilitinS for cooking IL The mon had littln |
food in his opinion. Two hardtack, n slice OF
bacon and n cup Of coffee sometimes formed u |
meal. Occasionally a can OF tomatoes would
be divided among three men.
-.Q.-Did you have any officers on board2 A
Yes. Gen. Miles,
Q.-Was this state Of undertaking carried to
Gen. Milesp A.-No:I did not think it could
be carried over the head Of our Colonel. |
Q.-Was II represented TO him ? Al think it |
was. and | heard a compensation with the Com
missary Captain on the subject. The com
mnre nninm 10 ret md morn fhnn tRnr unnli |