Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-14
A CANNiRAl
Details Of Crimes "a Told BY . Heartless
Murderer.

Details Of Grimes as Told BY q Heartless
Murderer.
LAKE. CRY, Col, April l3.-The case OF
Alfred G. Parker, the murderer Of five
comraoes, went to the jury yesterday.
Parker made statement lasting two hours
in delivery, in which he reiterated his
story Of having had to eat the dead bodies
of his companions after they had been
killed by one Of their nvmber who had be-
come insane, and whom be had killed in q
hand. to.hand fight.
Several witnesses were called TO prove
that Pabker had possessed himself Of the
money and valuables Of his companions.
the fudge delivered his instructions to the
Jury and arguments began.
Details OF the Tragedy.
Packer is a man of middle age and has 9
repulsiye countenance. He Is q Pennsyl-
yaniap, and has been in the West mining
for twenty years. His crime was commit
ted while on a prospecting expedition nine
wears ago. In the early part OF the winter
of 1873, a party Of Adventures, eighteen in
number, left Salt Lake. When it was pro-
posed TO go from Camp Ouray to
Los Pinos Agency, Packer pro.
posed 10 take cutoff route
instead OF the circuitous trial which oursy
recommended. Five men decided to fol.
low him. These were VIM. Miller, Albert
Swan, James Noon, VIM. Bell and Ed.
Humphreys. Packer, in a confession made
to Gen. Adams, vino had him arrested At
Saguache, Cal, after describing the strug'
giles OF the party through the snow when
they had got out Of provisions, gave the
following account OF the crime;
Swan asked me TO go and see III could
not see something from the mountain. ]
took q gun. went up the hill, found Q big
rose bush with buds sticking through the
snow, but could see nothing but snow all
around. | had been 0 kind OF guide for
them, but did not know the mountains
from that side. When ICame back 10 camp
after being gone all day ! found the
red headed man, Bell, who bad been crazy
in the morning, sitting near the fire roast
ing a piece OF meat, which had been cut out
Of the leg Of the German butcher, Miller.
The lattcrs body was lying the furthest oil
from the fire down the stream. His skull
was crushed in with hatchet
The ether three men were lying near
the fire. They were cut in the forehead
with the ha'chet Some had two and some
had three cuts. ] came within a rod OF the
fire when the man saw me. He got up
with his hatchet toward me and shot him
sideways through the belly. He fel on
his face The Ratchet fell forward. |
grabbed it and hit him on the head. lcamp.
ed that night at the fire.
what Became OF the Money:
He then described his futile eiiots to get
out Of the mOuntains and stated that
for she greater part OF sixty days he lived
Of the flesh OF the dead prospectors. There
was, he said, $50 among them, all Of which
he took with him when AT last he made
his way 10 the agency. or this, Bell had
$50, Packer himself $50 and the others tO.
There was known to have been nearly
$1,000 IN the party. Then, again, four OF
the bodies when found were lying side by
side. the cause OF death evidently having
been pistol shots in the head. The remains
Of Miller, NhO was butChered, lay separate
some distance. The statement OF Packer
apparently adds perjury to his other
crimes,
Lynch Him.
When tie train on the 2lst OF March,
which bore Packer, arrived at the jnion
Depot. Denver. from Cheyenne, a great
crowd was waiting. As he alighted from
the train. heavily irOned and between tSo
officers. the excited men, women and chill.
dren throngcd around to get q glimpse OF
him. il was only after the greatest
difficulty that the United States ana cou q.
ty officers succeeded in getting him through
the waiting room 10 q conveyance. The
fear that stamped itself on Packers face
with the hue OF death as he surveyed the
mass Of people from the car steps was not
relieved by the remarks and mutterings
that met him at every step.
He ought TO be lynched right here"
said q San Juan miner, whose remsm.
bronce OF the awful crime was heightened
bv the coloring tradition had given 1t.
There he goes" shouted another; look
al him, Hacker, the ghoul." "A civil
lied cannibal,' shouted q third. As he
shsmbinp along in his clanking shackles,
Packer eyed the crowd furtively, with in
cressing palor. When he was comfortably
seated within the hack provided for his
transit TO the jail he beaved glad sigh and
muttered a thankful Well, I'm glad that
part OF il is over with.