Evening star., 1899-02-03
PREPARING ITS REPORT
The War Investigating Commission Confer
ring Behind Closed Doors.
Investigating the Record of Farnan
Who Made Charges Regard
ing Army Beef.

The war investigating commission con-
tinued the preparation of the report to the
President behind closed doors as usual to-
day. No reply has been received to the
telegram addressed by the commission to
James Farnan, at Chester, Pa. requesting
him to come here for the purpose of testi-
fy.hg to the alleged embaiming of beef
for the army which he has stated that he
saw while at South Omaha last year. 1t
is not expected that he will come and even
if he did the commission is not disposed
to place much faith in what he may state
in view of official disclosures as to his rec
ord while in the employ of the government
Statements in certain New York paDers
that the development Of new phases in the
inquiry into the character of the beef fur
nished the army may cause delay of
twenty days in the work of the commission
appear to be without foundation.
Former Governor Woodbury. of the COM
mission was seen by Star reporter today.
and when asked Are more witnesses ex-
pected today?' replied, No, sir"
Has the commission heard from Far
nan?'
1T has not, and 1 think it does not ex-
pect to-"
''Will the report be delayed another
twenty days in order to hear additional
witnesses as to the beef?"
be submitted"
When the letter from Tarnan appeared
in the newspapers recently. stating he had
witnessed the 'embalming" process The
commission at once Instituted INQUIRY in
the government departments to learn his
connection with any one of them 1t was
at first thought that he had been nmploved
as an inspector by the Agricultural Depart-
ment, but Secretary Wilson soon discov-
cred that Farnan had not at any time
served under him. Later it was disclosed
that he had been for time in the service
OF the supervising architect of the treas
ury Concerning Farnan, Supervising
Architect Taylor makes the following state
ment
Fnrnan Was Dixcear;sed.
'F'arnan's home is at Chester. Pa, as I
remember. He was first employed as ST.
rerVisor Of the constrt ction of a public
building at Chester and acquitted himself
very creditably. From Chester he WAS
transferred to Meridian, Miss, where he
had charge of the construction of the fed
eral court house and post office There Mr.
Farnan made a very good record After
lfat he was transferred to Omaha where
ne assumed direction of the construction of
the government building for the transmits
slsslppl exposition. At that place we began
TO near complaints about him They did
not seem to be 50 serious, ana on the whole
MS work there appeared fairly good
When the work on the government build
ing had beel completed Mr. Farnan was
given charge of the construction of the fed
eTal building at South Omaha. The conn
plaints about his conduct, which had begun
Whlle ne was at Omaha, multiplied. 1t was
charged that he drank heavily kept bad
company, and finally that he went about in
thc uniform of a captain of engineers,
United States army. Officials of the Sc
cret service We're requested to investigate
Mr.. Farnan's case. They made no very full
report, hut advised us TO get rid of him as
a G Nv.
thereupon discharged from the employ of
the Treasury Department."