The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-04
THE BEEF WAS PUTR|O
Wouldn't Keep Long Enough to
Be Cooked.
KEPT ON SHORT RATIONS
Green, Shiny Refrigerator Beef Made the
Soldiers S!ck-The Court Declines
to Admit Letters Written
to General Miles.

VelOpment of the war department |
court of inquiry into General Miles
beef charges was the appearance to-
day of Major Jesse Lee as counsel for
the general commanding the army.
Major Lee was so introduced to the
court by the recorder, Colonel Davis,
at the beginning of the afternoon ses
sion. He began to cross-eXamine wit
nesses al once, and with the first one
antagonized the court to the extent of
demanding the admission of certain let
ters as evidence, but was refused. The
proceedings were not marked, however,
by any evidence of unpleasant friction
between the court and the new coun-
sci.
Captain Groom of the Philadelphia
city troop was the first witness before
the war inquiry to-day. About two
weeks out of four while in Porto Rico
his command lived on canned roast
beef. 1t was our food and we ate
it" said the witness. That was about
all there was to it. We never ate it
cold, but had it made into stews with
such vegetables as we could get
OF refrigerator beef. Groom said it
was occasionally tainted on the edges.
and had to be trimmed otherwise it
was excellent meat
Col. J. A. Case. 4th Pennsylvania.
who served in Porto Rico. said he had
had about six days experience with the
canned roast beef At first the men
tried to keep the meat after the cans
We're opened but it spoiled between
meals. He ordered the company cock
to make stews of whole cans at time
and it proved very satisfactory. There
was some complaint over lean tough
hpaf furniSbaI from
Capt. A. M. Gray of the 9th Massa-
chusetts, which went to Porto Rico on
the Yale, when she carried General
Miles south, said the principal cause of
complaint among his men was not as
to the quality of the rations. but be-
cause they were short in quantity. He
said that the transport went first to
Cuba and the troops We're aboard long
er than had been expected, so he under
stood the men We're put on short Ia
tfons for fear there would not be
enough to last.
Did not the Yale carry provisions
in her cargo aside from the mems trav-
cling rations?" asked Colonel Davis.
II understood that she did"
Did you report this state of things
to any higher authority?"
Il reported to my colonel"
Was there any higher officer on
boardo"
manding the army.
While on detached duty on shore the
witness said his men got hold Of one
! lot of very poor canned beef, two-thirds
| of which was spoiled and the remand
er of worse quality than he had seen
elsewhere.
Alfred F. Foote of Holyoke. Mass. a
sergeant of the I'd Massachusetts, which
served at Santiago. also discussed roast
/ beef He said it tasted "bleached."
/ Some of it seemed TO be simply boiled
! to death and the other was absolutely
| putrid Probably one-thrd was spoil
| ed in this way. The men talked the
| meat over. abused it privately and
| some declined to eat it. but they did
/ not complain to their officers His
! command got comparatively little re-
! frgerator beef, most of it spelling be-
fore i could be cooked, and falling,
| after it was cooked. to keep from din
ner to supper. The only time ashore
| when the regiment was very short of
rations was while digging trenches on
San Juan hill. Here for As hours ra-
| tions sc men of his company received
only So hard tack in all and a half Of
pound of bacon to each man. The
shortage was due to lack of transpor-
| tation.
Capt. NJ. b. Critchfeld of the sth
Ohio, who also served in Cuba. de-
scribed the voyage south on the ST.
| Paul as a feast of plenty, corned ard
roast beef being piled up by the ton on
the deck. where the men could get it
for the taking. Witness said that from
the landing. on July 10 to the surrender
| on the 18th. there was little or no com
plaint as to the ration. After the sur
render the regiment was camped at
Seville. about six miles east OF the city
Here they got an issue of refrigerated
beef that the men refused to take. He
insnected the meat, cut the quarter in
half and found LAT it was apparently
good on the inside. though green and
Shiny on the surface. He cut some
from the inside. cooked it and was
made very sick by eating It. SO We're
other men who tried it. The surgeon
ordered the beef buried and no more
was drawn for month. AS to chemi-
| cal treatment of the refrigerated beef
witness said he had not vet made up
his mind one way or the other. He had
never suspected such a thing while in
Cuba Since the discussion Of the ma :
ter On returning home certain things
had seemed to him suSnicnus. among
others that the flies did not seem to
! bother the refrigerated meat.
The court then went int0 executive
session to consider the rcply Of General
Miles TO the inquiry Of the court as 10
whether he wished to be regularly rep
resented by counsel. and it was stated
| after the session ina Major Lee VIII
hereafter appear as the regularly aC-
credited counsel FOR General Miles.
The "nnearance of Major Lee in the
case - tn" elimination of cpnsidera BILE
/ COrrespOndence between General Miles
! and the court as to the accuracy of
some statements made by witnesses on
the stand. and which General Miles
considered he had official data to prove
incorrect. 1t began with the testimony
of Colonel Woodruff, several days ago
that the beef herds We're seldom il ever
driven with the troops in the Indian
campaigns of the West. General Miles
called the attention of the court to this
case and was Informed hv letter that If
he chose ii was within his right TO b.
present or tn be represented by counsel
to ks"p track of the examination.
General Miles re"led that II was
sometimes the custom in ccHrts cf in
Quiry to have present an officer to as
| sist the recorder in keeping the records