The Bear That Wasn't: Seattle’s War Department Scandal
A federal court of inquiry clears the city of corruption but exposes a bizarre military blunder involving refrigerated beef and embalmed meat during the Spanish-American War.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
THE BEAR DID SCREECH
Yesterday was a hot day, and the "Ye, Ye!" of 100 or more screeching birds could be heard from one end of the city to the other. The out-of-town birds were given an accentuated welcome by their parent society, Seattle No. 1.
Since organizing, one year ago, this society has had a phenomenal growth, having extended its branches all over the state. There are now nineteen lodges in Washington, all of whom are represented here in celebration of the anniversary of its birth.
ALL NIGHT TILL DAWN
At 11 o'clock last night, led by three bands, more than three hundred members marched through the principal streets of the city. The procession was led by a platoon of mounted officers of the Seattle Guard with red white and blue war colors carried, while the birds with majestic mien passed in their ranks.
After disbanding they gathered in a grand feast at St. James Hall, hosted by many local societies, among them being the thirty-third Masons.
A social session was held in the Palm Grove. Speeches were made by Mayor Humes and Maurice Gass.
THE EAGLES DID SCREECH
Yesterday was a hot day, and the "Ye, Ye!" of 100 or more screeching birds could be heard from one end of the city to the other. The out-of-town birds were given an accentuated welcome by their parent society, Seattle No. 1.
Since organizing, one year ago, this society has had a phenomenal growth, having extended its branches all over the state. There are now nineteen lodges in Washington, all of whom are represented here in celebration of the anniversary of its birth.
ALL NIGHT TILL DAWN
At 11 o'clock last night, led by three bands, more than three hundred members marched through the principal streets of the city. The procession was led by a platoon of mounted officers of the Seattle Guard with red white and blue war colors carried, while the birds with majestic mien passed in their ranks.
After disbanding they gathered in a grand feast at St. James Hall, hosted by many local societies, among them being the thirty-third Masons.
A social session was held in the Palm Grove. Speeches were made by Mayor Humes and Maurice Gass.
THE BEAR INCIDENT
Hear What the Board Says.
The findings of the court martial appointed to investigate the bear furnished by Major General Miles in regard to the beef furnish are now made public.
Major General Miles, commander of the army with the Philippines, says not a single one of the charges against him is sustained. He denies every charge that the meat was of any character of the kind mentioned in the report containing the name of some bear.
The court also finds that there is no ground for any imputation whatever of any accounting motive on the part of the commissary general, than the court's desire to procure the best possible food for the troops. The court pronounces his act of the Commissary General of subsistence a gross error, for which there is no palliation.
The report also states that the chief officers were not at fault. The bear accepted by the army was as fit as it could be. The rest of the trade.
Though the report did not minimize the court's criticism, the court finds that the conduct of General Miles and his staff officers should be free from any breach of duty.
The court also finds that the duty of general commanding the army had no sufficient justification for alleging that the refrigerated pork was embalmed or was unfit for service to troops. It also finds that he committed an error in that, having been given knowledge, as he claimed, that the food was unfit; that caused great distress; that some of his officers believed under the pressure of experiment; that other beef was embalmed, he did not immediately communicate such knowledge or belief to the secretary of war, to the end that a proper remedy might be promptly applied.
Commissary General Knox was very critically and rebuked as follows:
"In regard to the little 'squeak' that has been made of this beef in the regular army, the probability that the volunteers were entirely ignorant of it; that its use as part of the field rations had never been sanctioned by the president and secretary of war, the court also characterizes the action of the commissary general of subsistence in unwarranted and reckless in that he entered the purchase of such enormous quantities of food that was practically untried and unknown, and the court finds.
The court also finds that there is no ground for any imputation whatever of any accounting motive on the part of the commissary general, than the court's desire to procure the best possible food for the troops. The court pronounces his act of the Commissary General of subsistence a gross error, for which there is no palliation."
In 1899, Seattle was still grappling with its identity as a major port while simultaneously being dragged into national military scandals. This report on the "Bear Meat" scandal highlights how local citizens were directly affected by federal bureaucratic incompetence during the Spanish-American War, a precursor to modern debates over government procurement and transparency.
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