The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-05
NOT RAFIER'S FAULT
That the Sick on Ira nSportS
Lacked NeceSSarieS.
He ANSWERS A ROAST
Alleging That He Mismanaged
on the Tartar
He ANSWERS A ROAST

San Francisco, Nov. 4-The Examiner
says that the most sensational report OF
military board of inquiry ever sent to
the war department from this city was
forwarded to washington from the head
quarters of Major General Shafter a few
days ago. The document consists OF
nearly 100 typewriter pages and contains
the severest kind of criticism of the
methods employed by officers in charge
of the sick soldiers who returned from
the Philippines on the transports Tartar
and Newport on October 10. Upon Major
Rafter, the surgeon of the Twentieth
Kansas volunteers, who came back on the
Tartar, the heaviest censure is laid. Colo
mel Metcalf, of the same regiment, who
commanded the troop ship. General Funs-
ton being only passenger is indirectly
referred to- Many other officers are
siven a hard measure of criticism, but
their names are being withheld until the
war department sees fit to make know.
the details of the report. The board of
inquiry, which has so severely arr2igned
the transport service, was appointed by
suggestion OF Colonel Alfred c. Girard,
chief surgeon in the general hospital at
the Preside. Colonel Girard's desire for
an investigation was occasioned by the
deplorable condition in which he found
the sick men from the transports Tartar
and Newport There We're about forty
of them, and nearly all were suffering
from dysentery. Three men who came on
these transports died a few days after
arrival They We're John Fabisak and
John A Logan Of the Fourth cavalry, and
George w. Mills Of the Twentieth Kan
sas volunteers.
Topeka, Kan, Nov. An reference to
the charges of the San Francisco Ex I'M
liner o. the ill-treatment Of soldiers re
turning home on the transports Tartar
and Newport. as told in today's Asso-
ciated Press dispatch from San Francisco,
Major Rofter, surgeon general Of the
Twentieth Kansas, telephones the follow
ing from his home at Holton, Kansas:
The troops on board the Tartar were
given every attention possible with the
facilities we ha dior taking care of them.
The ship was greatly overcrowded, with
10 hospital room for the sick. The car
rying capacity of the ship was 751, and
there were 400 passengers on board.
There were places in the hospital FOR
6wenty-four sick men only,and we had
about 200 sick on board. The bunk fac
ilities were not nearly sufficient and part
of the men had o-sleep on the decks, |
while the sick had 10 sleep in their quart
ers below. They had every attention and
every care that could be given them. Dr. !
Charts f. Huffman Of Columbus was in
charge of them part Of the time, and Dr..
Henry D. Smith part of the time, while
] had general supervision. 7 knew that
the board of survey met in San Francisco,
but II was more to inquire in reference /
to the mess furnished the soIdirs
knew nothing concerning the charges of |
Tnistreatment OF the sick"
Lawrence, Kan, Nov. 4-When shown |
the San Francisco Examiners statement /
today, General AIetcalf said: There |
was a boar dof officers conducting an ex-
amination of the management Of the .
transport service during our wait in San ,
Francisco. Many of the officers Of the /
Kansas regiment testified before this /
board. I never heard of any testimony |
which reflected in any degree upon any
officer of the Kansas regiment Regard /
ing the care of the sick, 1t is perhaps /
sufficient to say tnat I never heard a
word of complaint from the sick on board /
the ship. I called daily at the ships .
hospital to inquire after The health Of the !
r.en. and I talked daily with dozens of /
those who were more or less sick and WHO /
reeded medical attendance and special |
diet. who were not sick enough to so to .
led, and I never heard a word Of com /
Tlaint or an xprssion Of want unsa-isfed |
] know nothing Of any serious crciticism
Il Major J. A. Rafter, the reglmeutal /
surgeon. 1 instructed him before en-
barking, TO be sure to supply his depart
ment with everything necessary for the
proper care of~the sick, and regarded him |
IS competent to manage his own depart
ment. I do not believe that any sick man
on the Tartar lacked proper medical at
tention."
Some Of the men intimate that Surgeon