The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-26

Department. but were to be printed. SO he
said. In the next report.
Major Lee applied TO the court to order
a copy of Governor Roosevelts report and
to be made a part OF the minutes OF the
proceedings. General Wade ruled in COM
pliance with the motion, ard Governor
Roosevelt said that there were some sup
Elementary reports 10 the report of Sept
10. which he considered very important.
They include he said, 'the statements of
two captains, four lieutenants surgeon
and Captain Brown. of the regular service"
''will you tell us" asked Major Lee,
"what, In your opinion. is the value of the
canned roast beef issued at Cuba and else
where as an army ration?'
II wish to say unhesitatingly that it was
utterly unfit ard unwholesome for troops
doubt or question that at its best the canned
roast beef was unpalatable. and at its worst
it was uneatable and unwholesome.'
No one had any further questions to ask
the Governor. and the hearing was closed.
The court adjourned to Governors island.
AT GOVERNORS ISLAND.
Eugene McAlexander. of the quarter
masters department, who was on General
Kent's staff in Cuba. was the first witness
at the Governors island session. He said
the cans of roast beef when opened pre-
sented n gelatinous. whitish mass with
some fibrous-looking meat beneath which
looked as if it had been boiled.
WAS the meat good to eat?" asked Col.
Davis.
1.-THE majority of the contents of the cans
/ saw could not be eaten. The men refused
to eat it, replied the witness.
McAlexander said the greater part of the
refrigerated beef appeared very fair. 1.-THE
men complained they could eat only very
small portion of each can of roast beef. if
any at an," continued the witness. Under
the conditions that surrounded us it was no
use to complain. 1t could not be bettered.
of each two-pound can was meat. 1t looked
as if 1t was boiled. 1t did not look as If it
had ever seen roaster.'
Sergeant James ID. Guthrie, Company d,
Fifteenth Regiment. testified that the
canned roast beef was not of good odor and
had 10 nutriment. 1t became tainted after
the cans had been opened five or ten min
utes. None of it was very good. Only about
eight ounces in each two-pound can was
eatable at ALL He only ate the meat once,
and then it made him sick to vomiting AS
rule, the sergeant said. the refrigerated
| beef was good, although perhaps 20 per
cent. of it was tainted.
Captain M. B. Saffold said he had only
| tried the roast beef once. He was told that
| ii made the men sick and he made an in
| spection.
'It looked said Captain Saffold, like
| boiled meat with all the strength boiled out
| of 1t, and it tasted like tallow and water"
| Had you any reason to believe the re-
| frigerated beef had been treated with chem
| icals?'
Absolutely none,' answered Captain SAT-
| fold. 81 never thought of such a thing. The
refrigerated beef. so far as / knew. was
| good.'
Corporal Kelley, CT Company B, Thir-
teenth Infantry. was the first witness to
! say any good word for the much abused
| canned roast beef. He said: II found nc
bad roast beef. I thought it stringy and
no salt had been used in the cooking.
| did not eat much of ii. j ate 1t perhaps fif'
/ teen times. 1t did not look like roast beef
| The court then adjourned till Monday al
2 d. M, In Wash.ngsat LieutenaistssFssW
| Ruger and z. b. Gose. who were TO have
| testified to-day will do so In Washington.