Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-04-14
A HORRIBLE CR:ME.
A Frontier Desperate Who Added Cannibal-
ism TO The Crime OF NIurdsr-Five GOld
Seekers Killed by Their dsuide-Cnptured
After Nine Years.

After Nine Years.
A recent letter from Denver. Col,
to the st. Louis GloLe- Democrat says
After nine years one of the great, st
murder myster es Of the frontier has
been cl ared up by the capture of the
murderer at Fort Fetterman, Wyom-
ing Territory, and his confession,
which General Adams, of the pos :
Office, received here by telegraph.
The affair has long since become a
story of crime that for atrocity and
fiendshness is MT surpassed in the
criminal hi tory of the country.
Mine years ago, when the san Juan
mining excitement broke out, party,
composed of eighseen frontiersmen,
left : alt Lake City to penetrate the
new III Dorado by way of the old Nor
mon trail through the Ute domain.
On arriving a. the confluence OF the
Gunnison and Grand rivers, early in
Fe ruary. they separated into two
bodies of twelve and six respectively.
Their supplies had diminished to so
small an amount that when they were
divided there was barely rations
enough for two days. The larger de-
tachnent followed the Granl river to
Cochetopa river. while the smaller
crew. which consisted of Messrs. Mil
Ter, Bell. Swan. Humphreys, George
Noon and Alfred Packha, pursued the
Gunnison south. Packha was selected
for Ii adler. General Adams was agent
for the Unnompahgre Indians at Los
Pinos agency at the time. Late in
March Packha appeared at the aean-
CIV in an a most naked condition and
starving. He was unable to eat for
several DAYS and it required careful
me lical treatment to save his life. To
Gen, rAl Adams Pacxha said he had
been de erted bv his comuanions and
left to die in a snow-storm. He was
taken to Laouache. the nearest from
tier settlement. for treatment. Two
days after the agency escort departed
with him q co1ple of Utes arrived
with strips of supposed meat. which
thew showed to Gen ri Adams as
white mans e sh." Suspecting foul
plav. the general immediately dis
Matched a second marty to brNno Pack
ha back to the agency as a prisoner.
Upon being shown the human flesh
and CHARGED with murder Packha
seemingly broke down, and confessed
that the five men were killed, one
bv the other. to provide food for
the survivors. One, dav when he
was ABSENT from the camp hunting.
he said. his five companlons drew lots
for death and Swan drew the unlucky
nnmher The victim was being cut
nm. he said. when he returned to camp.
Miller Hnmnhrev an l Noon then fell
nnder the hatchet. and in the order
stated their flesh was dnyoured. Bell
then tried 70 murder Packha. but the
inter d, tacting him in the act. felled
him dead with an AK before he could fire
a eecond shot Pa, kha wound nm his
somewbat crooked story with an account
of his hind tourney throuqh the wilder
ness in which he preserved his life
arainst the winter cold and stor ms bv
carrving from nlac, to nlace burn no
Goals in a coffee-not. RelPs flesh was
what he fed on Meanwhile during
tbe in nJestigation a stra0cler from the
n,rtv of twelve turned 1p almost dea
RON starvation. He described as
nearly as possible where he had left his
comnaniops in n DYING con lition. and a
reliaf marty sent ont with food found
them IN a camp ON the Cebolla river.
and thew were brought into Los Pinos.
On being told Packha's s experience th' y
refused to credit it. and demanded a
scout. Packha offered to guide a
party to the remains. An ex-
pedition of whites and Indians
,yaa orranized under the leader