National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-26
CAPITOL AND DEPARTMENT
A RARTT OF MINERS ON THE PLAINS
MILL AND EAT EACH OTHER.

KILL and EAT EACH OTHER
A sTERRIBLE STORY OF CANNIBALIsM
FROM CoLoRADo-INDIAN TROUBLES IN
TEXAs-THE CIVIL sERYICE-PRoPOsED
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION
HAzISG AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY.
The following letter was received at the In
teribr Department yesterday:
LOS PINOS INDIAN AGENCY
COLORADO, May 6, 1874.
Hon E. P. Smith, Commissioner Of Indian n
Jdirs, Warrington, ID. C.:
8fR: have the honor to report herewith
briefly to the Department the circumstances by
which five men lost their lives lately while on
the Ute Indian reservation.
IN my report for the month Of February, un-
de- date OF March S, 1874, made mention of
tha fact that party of twenty-one miners had
euassEored to reach from Utah, crossing the
reservation in midwinter, the San Juan mines;
that happily they. had. arrived at 0uray's
camp, on the Nucompagee, and had been well
Created and fed by him; that five of this party
bad, against the advice of Ouray, endeavored
10 reach the agency in Febrnary, and had been
found IN starving condition by my herders
near the GuhRlson Cattle camp.
have now TO report that soon after the first
party left iourayss camp another party, consist
against the advice of oursy, with the intention
OF Teaching this agency:
They left camp about the first of February,
and on the 10Th day Of April one Of the party,
A.G. Packer, after being out two and a hall
months, arrived at this agency evidently In
go0d health and condition. ...
Upon being questioned Whist had become of
his companions, he said that shortly after leay-
ing 0uray's camp he had frozen his feet, that
his companions had let him some provisions
and rifle, and that. amer getting we'll he had
msnaged to get through here by himself, and
that his companions had probably died from
hunger and Geld since they left him to his fate.
This story at first l believed, and made ar
rangements to send out and find the bodies,
but, after closer investigation and taking into
consideration such suspicious circumstances as
the possession of money and articles which
were recognized as belonging to his compan-
ions, Mr.. Packer finally confessed, under oath l.,
that one after another of these Eve persons had
been killed by the remainder to be used as food
by the rest, and that he himself had killed the
last remaining man within only about twenty
miles of the agency. He excerpts only the two
first victims, Of whom he speaks as having died
from starvation, and that they had eaten the
dead bodies first before commencing to kill
each other.
believe this to be in the main correct as Mr..
Packer looked quite fat when he arrived here
and has since shown traces of mental aberra-
ton, which is said to be the consequence of
eating human flesh.
have turned over Mr.. Packer to the civil
magistrate who viii investigate the affair by a
regular inquest, and he will be proceeded with,
IN accordance with law. OF course shall ex-
tend all the assistance in my power to have the
affair cleared up, as it happened upon the res
erVation.
The remainder of the original party, ten
men, who took the advice of Ouray have since
also come in, being guided by the Indians, and
speak in highest terms of Ouray and his In
dians 81.
These men remained quietly at the Indian
camp on the Nucompagee until the road was
clear and so have suffered comparatively very
little.
/ have the honor to be, very respectfully,
your ebedient servant,
CHARLES ADAMS,
United States Indian Agent.
THE INDIANS IN TEXAS.
Lieutenant L. II. Orleman, of the 10th cav
airy, reports to army headquarters, dated Fort
Richardson, Texas, May Q, that in passing
from Fort Sill to Fort Richardson via Camp
Augur, he found three hundred Indian warriors
eneampcd on the south bank of West Cache
creek, had talk with their principal chiefs,
Big Spotted Horse and Indian Frank, and was
Informed by them that their party consisted of
Wv 6uQ s4All buu OuE uuL-
dred and forty Wichitas. They were well
armed with improved firearms, and well
mounted. They claimed to be out on buffalo
hunt with verbal authority from their agent.
Theydemanded rations and ammunition from
him which he refused them. They further stated
that they would start for Red River the next
day. He told them that there were no buffalo
anywhere in that part Of the country, and ad-
vtsed them to return to their reservation, and
they remarked that they wanted to see the
country anyhow. He says
The fact that they had no squaws or chill
dren with them, and no pack animals, and
that they were far east Of the buffalo region,
aroused a suspicion In my mind that they were
on r2iding expedition into Texas. On my
departure from Fort Sill, the commanding
pfiicer OF that post desired me to make the fol-
lowing report to the commanding officer at
Fort Richardson:
<1st. That Lone Wolf had left the reserya-
ton on or about the first instant, with from
forty to fifty warriors, to remove the remains
and avenge the death Of his son, killed last
Decem6ef in fight with Lieut.. Hudson.
Second. That large party of Comanches
had left the reservation and gone south along
the eastern border Of the staked plains, to at
tack the Tonksws Indians at Fort Griffin,
Texas. That they claimed to have taken
enough warriors along to fight the troops at
Fort Griffin in case they should interfere with
them. They stated they were going to avenge
themselves on the Tonkawas for the death Of
the Comanches killed in Colonel BuelPs fight
last winter, in which small patty of Tonkawas
took Part.
would further state that the Indians Of the
Fort Sill reservation came into that post 9 few
days before left to draw their annuity goods
and rations. There were fully three thousand
IndIans-Comanches, Kiowas and Apaches-
and their behavior at the post during their
short stay was very insolent, and showed &
bad disposition. Some of their young men
strung their bows and pointed arrows at the
sentincls. All OF the warriors were excellently
armed-a great many Of them with lew Henry
rites and their carbiDes-and their stock was
in very fine condition. A solder Of my escort
assures me that he saw Big Tree, OF the
Kiowas, at one Of the camp fires on the West
Sache Greek.
General Sheridan, IN forwarding the above
to army headquarters, endorses II as follows:
Respectfully forwarded for the information
of the General Of the Army and the Indian
Bureau"
This looks very much asthough the Indians
named within contemplated raid into Texas
for the purpose Of stealing horses.
TIRE NAVIGATOR ISLANDS.
Representative Houghton yesterday intro,
duced bill to authorize negotiations for the
purchase of harbor privileges and lands for the
establishment OF naval anu cOallng STATION III
tie Navigator or Simeon Islands. It wal
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
The bill provides that tie President b
. authorized TO enter into negotiations for the
purchase of all such harbor privileges, landing
grounds, beach property, and lands in and ad
5oining the harbor of Pago-Pago, on the island
of Tutuiia, on,the Simeon group Of Polynisiar
Islands, in the South Pacific ocean, and alsC
all sucL other harhor privileges and lands or
the island of Upolu Of said Simeon group
which may be required by the Government o.
the United States for the establishment Of {
naval and coaling station as harbor Of refuge
and for the protection Of the commercial in
terests of the United States of America, and al
q supply station for the United States navy
provided, that the aggregate area Of lands 81
to be purchased shall not exceed ten THOUSAND
acres; and provided further, that this act shall
not be so construed as to authorize any negoti
atoms for the annexation or political control o
said Islands; and provided further, that eefort
said purchase shall be finally executed,
treaty with the native sovereign authorities o
the said island shall be secured; so to protec
the Government of the United States in tn,
sole and exclusive occupation, use, and gov
eminent Of the said rights and lands with du
regard TO the proper necessary use OF the sam
bT the natives of said islands; and provides
further, that the sum to be paid for said rights
privileges, and lands shall not exceed the sur
bSt,vo hundred and fiffV Thousand dollars.