The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-16

| inquiry to-day proved to be sensa tional
He was an officer of the regular army,
First Lieutenant M. F. Davis of the Isl
cavalry, called at the request of Major
Lee, representative of General Miles.
Lieutenant Davis testified that in Cuba
one-half the canned beef issued to the
soldiers was thrown away because it
| was unfit to eat.
He testified that he had opened one
can himself and found maggots in it.
Major Lee asked: elbow did the
maggots get in there?'
"They were canned In there" the
witness replied.
| Colonel Davis: "Are you aware that
in the process of canning this meat un-
| dergoes such an intense heat that no
animal life could survive in it?''
Il don't mean to say they were alive;
they We're dead.'
The board left for the West tonight
Inspection of the stock yards will be
made at Omaha ana Kansas City and
at the latter city some evidence will
be taken. The intention of the court
is to return to Chicago by next Tuesday
and proceed with the examination of
witnesses here.
The evidence brought forth to-day
was largely cumulative in its nature,
mainly with reference to the condition
| of canned and refrigerated beef when
issued to the troops on shipboard and
in Cuba and its effect upon the SOL
diers.
Refused to Eat It.
DR.. John B. Shaw of Joliet, ILL.,, sur
geon of the Sd Illinois volunteers, testi-
fed that on the voyage from Newport
News to Porto Rico canned roast beef
was issued and there was a great deal
of complaint about it. 1t was stringy,
pulpy and nauseating and did not seem
to nourish the men. Much sickness
followed the use Of it. The witness at
trbuted the sickness to ptomaine pois-
oning. He believed ptomaines would
develop in the hot sun in five or six
minutes after can was opened. If the
meat were properly sterilized
ptomaines would not develop. While in
Porto Rico, 25 miles from Ponce, the
matter of rations was taken out of the
regiments hands to a great extent
General Grant seemed to know more
about it tain anybody else The wit
ness took no particular interest in them
because of the action of General Grant.
"He cannot violate the law"
He did,
Did he issue orders?"
"He issued whatever he saw fit"
THE law requires the surgeons to
supervise the cooking of that which is
issued. Did you interest yourself to
ascertain what was being issued to the
enlisted menu
I'VE saw what was issued and took
1T because We could not get anything
else. We had canned roast beef nearly
all the while, and the men refused to
eat 1t. 1t was ordered condemned and
we buried lot of it. One of the men
said if we did not bury it, it would bury
us. board of survey was ordered,
but 1 never heard anything more about
it. AS to the refrigerator beef, very lit
tie of it was used. as at least three
quarters of it would have to be cut off
l do not think any chemicals had been
used on the meat 1t was simply spoil
ed. The meat had undoubtedly been
acted upon by the heat which had soft
ened It, The fat and grease and gela-
tine had all intermingled with the
fibre"
Poisoned by the Beef
Under cross-examinatio tion. Dr. Shaw
told him about being called out one
night to look after the men of Com
pany A. who We're reported to have
been poisoned by eating canned roast
beef. He said they vomited fearfully
and it seemed that hypodermic iniec-
tions of morphine would hardly relieve
the pain. They We're sick for some DAYS
afterwards with a great deal of diar-
rhea and intestinal trouble.
When the men ceased eating the
canned roast meat, was there any i'm
provement?" asked Major Lee.
Yes: the canned roast beef generally |
gave them the diarrhea and CASTRO |
enteritis.'
Did you. in an official way, recon-
mend its discontinuance?
Yes, sir; to my immediate COM |
mander."
Did the commissary come around |
and find out how these things were?"
He came several times and told us |
1t was all right. ! think it was Cap !
tain Piper. He told us it was all right |
and we would have to eat it. Some |
times we substituted what they called |
bacon, but great deal of that had |
maggots In it and had to be condemned. |
If we had depended upon the army ra-
tions the troops would have been |
starved to death. They spent all the |
money they got to buy things to eat.
either at the commissary store or in
the city,
What was the brand on this canned
roast beef?"
4 think it was Libby. Mcneil & Lib
by: l am not sure. I tried to eat some |
OF 1t. but could not; it was absolutely
revolving
When the beef was eaten from cans,