The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-26
CANNIBALS IN COLORADO.
The Terrible Confession of Alfred
Packer, h Murderer.
killing Five Men for Money, and Living
for Many Days on Flesh Cut from
Their Dead Bodies.
Denver Correspondence Philadelphia Times.

Alfred Packer, a long-hunted outlaw, is
safe in Jail in Denver. He is charged with
the murder of five men, and by his own con-
fession he lived for many days by eating
human flesh. The crime was committed in
the winter of 1873. Packer started to guide
to the silver mines of San Junan William
Miller, Albert Swan, James Noon, William
Bell and Ed. Humphreys, a party of MEN
drom Salt Lake. That was the last seen of
them alive. In February, 1874, Packer
turned up in Los Pinos agency and told
a terrible story to General Adams, In
dian agent. He said they had started
out from Chief Ouray's camp, with
provisions for a long journey. Almost be-
fore they knew it their food had disappeared,
and nothing was left but the few rabbits
which they might kill with their rifles. These
were hard to find, and in a day or two they
found themselves on the point of starvation,
Roots were dug out of the frozen ground,
and on these they subsisted for some days.
But roots, as a means of sustenance, were
found not to be very nutritious. Soon there
came into the eyes of the men alook OF long
ing, restlessness and determination which has
been described in sea stories, when men were
offered up in sacrifice to save the life of
others. They looked at each other and
thought of how their lives might be saved
by the flesh and blood of others. One day
Packer went out to gather dry wood for the
fire, and when he returned he found thatin
his absence the first life had been sacrificed.
Lying upon the ground, dead, was the Oldest
IMAM in the party, Mr.. Swan. His skull was
fractured, and his death had been instant
aneous.
Packer said that he was Mortified to see the
remaining four men seated about the MUIR
dered man engaged in cutting up the body.
Large pieces and strips were cut from the
calves of the legs, thighs and breasts. Swans
money, amounting to several thousand dol
lars, was divided among the men. In two
days the party was again out of food, and it
was decided by three of the survivors that
Miller, a young man, well-built and stout,
should be the next to go. Packer confessed
that Miller was chosen because of the great
amount of soft flesh he carried. Miller was
killed with a Ratchet while STOPPING for a
stick of wood. His body was dissected and the
best parts eaten. Humphreys and Noon fol-
lowed in the same way, leaving only Packer
and Bell. In his confession Packer de-
scribed fully the feelings of the men toward
each other-the distrust and fears entertained
and the tendency or the men to wander off
tOilC u llVNlil6 Win bACiA "a ~
The hands of their companions. Meanwhile
The men had been travelling slowly, and
when Packer and Bell found themselves
alone a solemn compact was entered into be-
tween them, each one pledging himself by
the living God not to kill the other. One
day, however, Bell could stand it no longer,
and raised his rife to shoot, but Packer was
too quick, and killed Bell instead. He cut
0p the body, packed up as much flesh as he
could, and resumed his tramp, at last arriv-
ing at the agency. He acknowledged that
ne had grown quite fond of human flesh,
and coolly said that he found the breasts of
the men the sweetest meat he had ever tasted.
He had thrown away the last pieces of flesh
when near the agency.
THE BODIES FOUND.
The men at the agency did not believe
this story, and Packer said he would take
them to the place. H.. +. Lauter, then clerk
Of the agency, headed an expedition. 1t was
out two weeks, and then Packer said he had
lost his bearings and could go no further.
On the trip he tried to murder Lauter, and
on the return to the agency he was hand
cuffed and sent to the sheriff, at Saguache.
The handouts were rude in construction and
Packer had 10 difficulty N escaping. He
was sought for, but in vain. The bodies
were finally found in June by photographer
named Reynolds, from Peoria, ILL.,, in
the employ of the Harper Brothers,
while sketching along Lake San Chris
rtoval, near the present town of Lake
City. He came across the remains
of the five men lying in a grove of hemlocks.
TIL spot was the same described by Packer
as the place where Bell met his death. Four
of the bodies were lying together in a row,
and the fifth was lying away a short distance
with the head completely severed. There
we're traces of a struggle about Miller, show
ing that the man had fought hard for his
life. An examination showed that all five
mad been assassinated. Holes made by rifle
balls were found in the heads of Bell, Swan.
Humphrey and Noon. Miller was dubbed
to death. the instrument used being a rifle.
which was found near by, broken in two.
The four men lying together were undoubt-
eddy asleep at the time. Blankets were
found wrapped about two of them. The
blankets had been removed from the other
two for obvious reasons.
There was every reason to believe that the
men had been murdered for their money.
Valuable articles and money, which the men
were known to possess, had disappeared. An
inspection of the bodies showed that Parker
had actually been guilty of the revolving
crime of cannibalism Miller was badly mu-
tilated, and tine breasts of two other men
were cut away. leaving the ribs bare. Two
men, those with blankets around them, were
untouched. About one hundred yards from
where the bodies were found, and Just out
side the grove, a brush cabin was discovered.
A beaten path led from the cabin to the spot
whore the bodies were found. In the cabin
were found blankets and other things belong
ing to the dead men. The indications were
that the crime had been committed before
the provisions of the party had been used
up. After the murders Packer lived for
some time in the rude cabin, aud when tho
provisions had given ont he fed upon the
bodies of his victims. The discovery of the
bodies created great excitement. 1t was re-
membered that Packer had been very flush
with money. An inquest was held and
Packer was charged with the murder. When
the proper officers went to Saguache to serve
a warrant upon him it was learned that only