The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-11
A CHAT WITH A CANNIBAL.
Surprising and Killing Man Who
Was Roasting a Human Leg.
Packers Terrible Story of Subsisting Sixty
Days on the Body of COmrade-Hu-
man Flesh Tastes Like Bacon.

the gallows. He was to have been hanged
May 10TH but his counsel obtained stay OF
the execution upon the ground OF the uncon-
stitutonality of the law under which he was
condemned. Learning that Packer, in con-
versation had manifested an inclination to
break mis- long-continued and studied silence,
an Enquirer correspondent visited the prison
and without much ceremony was ushered
into the presence of the man-eater, He is
about six feet in height and about forty
years of age. A perfect specimen in the
brute sense, he doomed up in the gathering
gloom like some terrible ogre, and percepti-
bly, quaked at the frightful object, His face
is not prepossessing by any means His nose
is large, and from beneath shaggy brows q
pair of small sinister black eyes CLEAN as
restlessly as those of a snake. His hair,
which grows upon his head like prairie sage,
coarse and dusty, is. and has been for
some time apparently, perfectly innocent of
anything resembling a comb. The mustache,
though not as long, matches his hair in
coarseness and color, and grows out and
over partially concealIng, the full, repulsive
lips and the unnaturally large mouth. A
leathery skin complete the portrait. +"
In the winter of 1878 party of prospect
ors, numbering about twenty men, left Salt
Lake City and started across the country to
prospect in the new San Juan region General
Adams was then Indian agent of the agency
in Saguache county, and for that agency the
prospectors started In December the party
reached the Ute camp in Uncompahgre
nntu Af in 70
circumstances. Ouray the chief tried
to persuad them to remain with him
all winter, warning them that
if they attempted to cross the mount
aims at that time it would be at the risk of
their lives. With visions of fabulous wealth
floating through their brains, they couldn't
understand the wisdom of the old chiefs ad-
vice. Ouray, finding them determined, told
them to follow the Gunnison river on the
ice until they came to a large opening, where
was built cattle ranch, where they might
stay should they by this time regret their
foohardness. This ranch, which they
reached in due time, is now the site of the
city of Gunnison, aud the Jail in which
Packer is confined is built upon the ground
used as the corral. After consultation the
majority OF the body took Ouray's advice
and returned, leaving AL Packer. George
Noon, Bill Swan, Tony Humphreys, James
Bell and George Miller behind to pursue
their way over the mountains to the EldoradO
of their Imagination Packer was the only
man of this adventurous party ever
again seen alive. About six weeks after
leaving Ouray's camp almost starved and
perishing from exposure, he reached the
agency. He told how, after starting out
with the party, he had become lame, and,
being unable to walk, his companions had
deserted him, and had gone toward the Rio
Grande in u southerly direction, while he,
after waiting some days and growing better,
had made his way painfully cast subsisting
on berries. He had no doubt, he said, but
that the Others were safe at Silverton or Las
Animas forks. General Adams believed and
assisted him
THE KILLING OF BELL.
II told them this at the agency" said
Packer 81 was afraid to tell them different,
for they would have strung me up to the
nearest tree. The fact is, wanted them to
find out the truth themselves, and in the
meantime l would have escaped and explain
ed the affair as now for the first time ex plain
it to you. 1 killed Bell and then ate him.
! admit the guilt if guilt it can be called
but did it in self-defense Al sthe end of
the third day, after the separation at the
ranch we ran out of provisions and lived
on dead buds of wild roses and pine gum.
At the tenth day several of the men broke
down. crying and praying at every step. 1t
was pltlIul. II makes me Snuuuer Wnen
think of it, Arriving at lake we tried to
fish through the ice, but there were no fish.
We tried then to catch snals, but with poor
success. Our warnings tor food had now
almost crazed US. We even dug away the
snow with our bony fingers, and tried to suck
sustenance from the frozen ground. In each
others eyes there began to CLEAN an I'M
earthly light, and with the wild furnishing
look of a beast did each starving wretch eve
the other. The savage expression betrayed
thoughts that lips refused to utter. 1t was
only a matter of a few hours at the
if help did not soon come the
wolish instinct that inpels the
beast with ferocious strength to bury its
fangs in kindred blood would overleap all
control and satisfy its appetite. Humanity
had fed and in its place had risen a mightier
influence which seemed to paralyze our
moral natures, God help the first to
weaken and fal' was the thought and prayer
of each man. | felt my own knees sinking
under me, and as | Involuntary turned to
my comrades | saw with horror that crazed
look bent full upon me. / tell YOU it was
awful. l could see them fighting over my
dead and mutilated body like the wolves
they we're. In Imagination / saw their Jaws
streaming with blood and their mouths filled
with my flesh. The thought was enough to
stir up dead man. With big effort braced
myself up, and jumping back beyond the
cluctch of their fingers l raised my rife as if
to fire. They understood the move, and tax
ing advantage of the hesitation | had un-
eXpectedly caused | retreated from the
camp. 1 tell you, my heart went out to
them, especially to Bell, who was becoming
violent. He had prayed the most and of
them all seemed to be the least sanguine
His mind seemed to dwell upon his home
and his constant thought was of his mother
1t was almost evening when returned to the
camp. AS | approached the fire the air
seemed unusually still The cries had ceased
and, although I strained my ears, / could
hear no supplcating voice. All l could hear
was the insane chattering of Bell who, to
my horror ] saw sitting by the fire roasting
human leg. The shoe was still on the foot