The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-10-08
a WHITE CANNTBAL.
Horrible Dead in the Wilds Of the Rocky
MOuntains-A Miner Kills and Eats
Five Of His COmmpani0uS

40 VI AI1O SOAAAlH 'cNA4OAAo
The particulars Of horrible murder in
the Rocky Mountains have been received,
and for diabolical ferocity this deed, exceeds
anything known in the annals Of modern
crime, The murderer, Packer, is still at
large, having escaped from his captors
but the authorities of Nebraska have offered
$500 reward for Packers apprehension,
and it is believed he soon will be taken.
He was last seen near Del Norte.
The names of the murdered men are
Israel Swan, Samuel Bell, George Noon,
James Humphrey and George Frank. They
were all from Salt Lake, Utah, and the
bodies have been identified by Mr.. Burke,
who knew all the actors in the tragedy.
Packer started out with these men last
spring from Utah for the San Juan mines,
and Mr. Burke knows that they were all
in company. Several other parties started
ont about the same time aad encountered
deep SHOWS and suffered great hardships.
1t is probable Packers party got lost in
the mountains, and wandered about until
nearly frozen and starved Two men,
Frcnchy and Martformer, saw them, and
they were then enduring many priyatiohs
Frenchy and Marttormer made their way
into the Los Pinos Agency, which they
reached only after great exertions, and in
a footsore and almost furnished condition
They reported the condition Of Packers
party, and believed they would make their
way in, but none Of them ever came except
Packer, the murderer OF his unfJrtunate
companions.
\ short time ago Captain Graham, while
out prospecting with party on the south
branch of Gunnison's river, came upon the
dead bodies. They were all lying under
large pine tree, the branches Of which swept
the ground. Ii stood in a secluded spot,
and the men had evidently taken shelter
there from the cold and storm. The dead
men were five in number and Law near
together.
-Four of the bodise had the flesh cut
from the breasts, thighs and calves of the
legs. The remains OF two of the bodies
were in state of perfect preservation,
except where the flesh had been cut off
Al the bodies showed bullet holes One
had the skull crushed in and another had
the head severed from the body, and it
could not be found. One of the men lay
a little apart from the rest, bullet hole
| in his breast, and his skull crushed with
some blEnt instrument Ike a hatchet 1t
is believed this was the last man killed, and
that there was struggle between fhe
victim and the murderer Packer finished
him with an axe or hatchet Israel Swan
was an old man, whose hair was quite
white, and near his body lay pocket-book
open, and by it note torn III two. The
note was much wcather-beaten and almost
illegible, but enough could be read to show
it was for $500, and drawn in favor OF
Israel Swan. No signature or date could
be made out, both being efached by water,
wind and weather. Swans body had been
but little mutiated, only little of the flesh
being cut from the thighs No arms of
any kind could be found, but two old blan-
kets and three tin cups lay near the bodies.
Captain Graham thought the bodies had
lain under the tree about four months. A
camp, where a single man had apparently
stopped couple of weeks, was found some
distance of, by the side Of little lake.
1t is believed Packer was actuated by
the double motive of selfpreservation and
robbery in committing the murder of his
companions. lie may have meditated
as King some to Kill the others and eat them :;
but, fearing he could not bring them to
his purpose, kept his cou..ssl arl killed all