Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-03-19
Murder and Cann,sallsm Horrible


tsrman with J. l. Packer, the murderer and
cannibal who killed Eve men near the site Of
lake City nine years ago. After the slzugh.
Ter the sleyeE lived for number CT days IF
the holy Of one OF bis victims. Packer be-
longed to party Of FIVE prospecsers who
were ogsrtaken IL tie winter by famins.
According to statements by him whsn cap.
tursd az Saeuechs few weeks after Che oe-.
currence, tho party we're On the poics Of
starvation, AID egresd among themselves TO
kill each other By lot ~ such times az the
bodies Of victims wer5 required for food.
This story has besa discredi5sd from fiest TO
last By the people cs that county, because the
bodies Of four men were found lying together
three with bullst-holss in the skull and one
with tie head chopped off. Geaeral Charles
Adams. at the time OF the slaughter Indian
Commissioner for Colorado, obssiued The fol-
lowing
STATEMENT FROM PACKER:
81, Alfred Packer, desire to make true
and voluntary statensnt Ia regard to occur
rences IN southern Colorado during the
winter Of 1873. / wish to make it to Mr.
Adams, because 1 made one before about the
Same matter. When We left 0uray Camp we
had about seven days's food for one man. We
travelled two or three days. and it began TO
storm. We came to mountain crossed by
gulch, and CAME on to another. We found
the snow so deep we had TO follow the moun-
tain on top. On about the fourth day we had
only pound of -four left. We followed the
mountain till we came to The main range. |
do rot remember how many days we were
trayelioe then think about ten days, liV-
ing on rosebuds and pine gum, and some OF
the men were crying snd praying. Then we
came over the main range. We carop5d twice
on 2 stream which ruBs into Big Lske, San
III. H. ,oA ~
lake. Next morning We crossed the lake and
cut holes into the ice TO each fish there we're
no fish, SO we tried TO catch snails the ice
Yves thin and sons broke through We crossed
the lake and went into grove CT timber.
ALL THE MEN WE'RE CRYING;
Ona Of them was crazy. Swan asked me to
go snd sea il I could ses something from the
mountain. I took my gun and went up toe
hill and found high rose bush with buds
sticking through the SNOW, but could see noths
ing but snow al around. / had been kiad
of guids for them, but I did ro5 know the
mountains from that side; when came back
TO camp, after being gone nearly all day, I
found the Ted.hsaneG mar, who had besn
crazy, sitting near the fire roasting piece of
meat, which he cut out Of the leg OF the Ger
man butcher, Mills; the latser2s body was
lying further from the fire, near the stream.
His skull was crushed Ia with hatchet; the
other three men we're lying near the FIRE; they
were cut in the forehead with q hatcast !;
some had two and some thrae cuts; c7ne
within rod of the fle, and when the man
saw me he got up with his hatchet and came
toward me, and [ shot him sideways through
the belly hs fell on bis face; tlae Ratchet
fell forward !; l grabbed If, sud hit him on
the Top of the head then lighted g fire and
sat up sll night; the nex5 morning L tried TO
,Nafr,
not make II, the Snow was too deep, and came
back; sat up two sticks then with pine
boughs, and made shelter about three feet
high this was my camp till came out ; I
went back to the fire, covered the men up,
and fetched TO camp piece OF meat that was
near the fire 1 made a new FIRE, cooked the
piece Of msat, and ate it tried TO get away
every day, but could not, SO
LIVED OFF THE FLESH OF THESE MEN
The biggest psrt of the sixty days I was
there I then started up the creek TO piscs
whsre big slide of ysllowish clay seemed to
come down the mountain l started up, but
got my fest wet, and having only q pisce Of
blanket around them, froze my feet under
the toes 1 camped before reached the top,
making FIRE. and staying all night; next
day made the top of the hill and little
over / built fire On the top of log and
L
cooked some of the flesh L had carried with
me for food carried only one blanket l
carried it out with me, and enc gun; the red
headed man, Bell, had fifty. dollar bill in
his pocket; all the others together had only
twenty dollars had no dollars myself if
there was any more money in the outfit | did
not know il, and it remained there at the
last camp; just before [ reached the Agency
l ate my last piec5 of meat; this meat l
Iokk rs, II 49, "a
put it It into bsg and carried the bag with
me ; I could cat but little at time; when I
went out with the party from the Agency TO
search for the bodies We came to the noun
tains overlooking the stream, but / did not
want to take them up further; did not want
to go back TO camp; when | was at the
Sheriff 3 cabin at Saguache I was passed
key made out Of penknife blade, with which
] could unlock my irons went to Arkansas
and worked all summer for John Gil, about
eighteen miles below Pueblo; then went to
Gilbert's ranch. still further down the river,
and put In 3 crop of corn; sold it to John
Gill and went to Arizona.
A Mining Romance.
FOND DU Lac (Wis), March 17th.-Hop.
Z. w. Spence has just returned from New
Mexico, where he has been for couple of
months in the interest of an important law
suit. Several years ago there lived in In.
diana torr brothers, named james, Frank,
Alexander and Samuel Mccain. James was
q coal miner Alexander removed TO Fond du
Lac, where he now lives; Samuel, the
younger brother, is in prison ct Michigan
City; Frank went to New Mexico and be.
came a stage driver, and afterward located
numerous claims. Small pox swept over the
camp in which he lived, and he was one of
its victims. Soon after his death the mining
claims in which he was interested became
very valuable. lie never married and his
three brothers ware his OILY heirs. La Jsr-
usry last Daniel Murphy, of st. Louis, a
mail contractor, set cut 20 buy up the mining
interests. Frank McCain's heird, the broth.
ers. were poor, aad knew nothing of the value
of the property, and were willing TO take
whatever Murphy was willing TO givs. James
was found working ia the depths OF an In
diana coal mine, and his interest was OBJ
tanned fer 81, eco. Alexander made better
bargain, and got So. 600 down and $1,000 On
time. Soon after Alexander had made what
seemed to him a very good sale he became aware
that his brother estate included some of the
best mining properties in New Mexico. He
therefore brought suit for cancellation of the
deed oltsined from him by Murphy, on the
ground Of fraud and Misrepresentation. The
case il now pending in the Circuit Court of
Fond du Lac county, and viii coms on fer
ttt1k 81 Tic meat t-SAts IAc H1LcS lhfNlfCo
are sold TO be worth mora than 81 D00, coo,
and are stocked as much over that figure.
Eerxersian OF Public Lands.
CHICAGO, March 18th The Tribune this
morning. deystes two pages to full statement
as to the methods by which the vsss public
domain OF the United States is being lost,
stolen and surrendered. The Tribune charges
that the land set apart for homes for families
has been made into empires for corporations.
In the story every element of human fault
and fraud viii be seen to BE- st the work of
spolistion Of the land Of the people. Congress
has been extravsgsnt and has failed TO act
when part of the results Of its extravaganza
might have bean saved. The Land Office has
been insdsquately equipped by Congress. and
has on is own seesuat been careless, dishon-
est and trRisorous TO the interests Of the peo-
pie. It has been wax in the hands Of the
great railread corporations, but douhle.edged
steel in the side of poor settlers. 1t has
overturned decisions OF the Supreme Court
and nulliied the action OF Congress TO bstray
It's trusts aad enrich the railroads, but has
refused even 60 exercise its discretion when
the home Of the settler, held by righteous
title, was to be confiscated at the demand Of
corporation greed. Tabular statements are
published. supporting every charge made
The article was prepared by Henry d. Lloyd,
editorial writer of the Tri5ase, and the Issues
attract general attention.
John Mccullough III.
CLEVELAND tOhio), March Il sh John Nc