Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1899-01-21
BITTER ATTACK ON NILES.
Commissary General Eagau Calls
His Superior Officer Liar.
APPEARS BEFORE WAR BOARD.

0GnCI6A OndI1CS 1zd0Gn Yesterday
reappeared before the war investiga-
ton commission to answer the charges
% General Nelson a Miles concerning
the eommissary supplies furnished the
army during the recent war General
Eaganis statement furnished the sensa-
ton of the war commissions history.
ard was regarded by old army officers
as one of the most remarkable attacks
ever made, in the history of the service
Eagan read his testimony from
large written statement. He denied
numerous statements of General Miles;
charged that the latter's testimony
constituted severe reflections upon the
commanding generals of the eNpedi-
tions. He referred TO Miles as this
same commanding general, Nelson =
Miles" and said whoever called the
beef furnished 'embalmed beef was
'.liar"
General Eagan referred to the fact
that General Miles had refused to be
sworn and commented on the fact that
he was the only one of 500 witnesses
who had so refused. General Eagan
said he himself preferred to be sworn.
General Eagan referred to the mys-
teriOus manner in which papers disap-
peared from the files of the War de-
partment.
General Eagan's testimony regard
ing the enbalmed beef was as follows:
General Miles was asked by your
committee how timed fresh beef be-
came q part of the army ration. His
answer is: You had better ask the
secretary of war or the copmissary
general. think they can tell you. 1
know it was sent to the army as food
and the pretense is that it was sent as
an experiment
General Miles in saying that this
food was sent TO the army as a pre-
tense for an experiment says that
which implies corruption, which nine
ty-nine out of every 100 people will
understand to mean corruption, be-
cause it was "a pretense of expert
ment. he says, not even giving credit
to me for furnishing it as an expert
ment, but that I furnished it under
the 'pretenSe of an experiment.
This is a serious charge. and should
not be made by ally man lightly nor
without ample evidence to support it.
Taking the statement in the sense it
was probably intended, the sense that
will be accepted by the country at large
the sense that already the press almost
wholly of the United States has accept
ed it-indeed some of that press be-
cause of it, called for my dismissal
from the army and my court-martial-I
answer that il was not furnished I'M
der the prctense of experiment, nor
even as an experiment, and if when
General Miles charges that it was fur
nished as a 'pretense of experiment
he lies in his throat, he lies in his
heart, he lies in every hair of his head
and every pore of his body; he lies will
fully, deliberately, Intentionally and
maliciously.
t'If his statement is true that this
was furnished under 'pretense of an
experiment. then should be drummed
out of the army and incarcerated in
prison with ether libelers.
His statement is scandalous libel,
| rejecting upon the honor of every Off
Ger in the department who has con-
tracted for or purchased this meat, and
| particularly on the commissary gen
eral-myself.
'sIn denouncing General Miles as a
liar when he makes this statement l
wish to make it as emphatic and as
| COdTSG dS GuO-SIdlCuCuG 1lSOlA Il w Is II
to force the lie back into his throat,
covered with the contents OF a camp
| latrine.
81 wish to brand it as falsehood of
whole cloth, without a particle of
| truth to sustain it, and unless he
can prove his statement he should
be driven out of the clubs,
barred from the society of decent
people and SO ostracized that the
street bootblack would not condescend
to speak to him. for he has fouled his
own nest, he has dispersed the
honor of brother officer with
ont particle of evidence or fact to
sustain in any degree his scandalous,
Hbelous, malicious falsehoods-viz.,
that this beef or anything whatever
was furnished the army under pre-
tense of experiment
General Eagan made a vigorous at
| tack on the inspector generals de-
! partment in connection with this
investigation. He asked why were
not those inspections made while the
armies were in the fields
General Eagan referred to the re-
ports from officers, and submitted BY
General Miles, concerning beef fur
nished, as irresponsible statements.
WASHINGTON. Jan 1.-THE war in
vestigating commission passed to-day
a resolution of censure of General
Eagan for the language he used yes
tcrday, and returned to him the care
fully prepared typewriter statement
which he left with the commission
after reading it to that body. With
its return was sent letter explaining
the reason for this action and copy
of the resolution passed to-day.