Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-05
MENRY,s FATAL Hrxn.-

hi. .ne Ration.
poned Until After His Th,ra " Po.l
An Investigation Asked h, Uhense1
tives All Rel
BosroN, Aug. 14.-A special from !.
mouth, N. H., says: "Early yesterdavns
ing Colonel Kent obtained an %intervi.,, 'Aoa
Lieutenant Greedy, who admitted tha. wig v
vate Henry had a military execution ~
9th of June. AS early as March Henr. "'A
suspected of stealing the limited Sa
which was apportioned out to the s,,r,;l aoN
and, the fact being finally and positivns,,'o fd
certained, Lieutenant Greedy had thsray y
hard work to protect the mans life. ' IN
came necessary, in order to kaon II
discipline, to inform Henry that
would be shot if the practice n'l
continued, and that a similar va
would be meted out to any, laa
member of the party detected in . V, ny
crime. If Henry had been permit, "
continue his stealing unmolested fila
mainder of the party would surely h., ss
starved to death, and Henry alone A ssl
vived. After, and in spite of these ws s'
ings, Henry was again detected sts,1la
provisions, among the food taken beiny .al
pounds of bacon, the eating of so much "
which made him sick. A sas,.s
was then instituted, when it VT.
found that Henry had, an" "a
other articles, stolen and secreted a nair
sealskin boots which had belonged ia ~ y
hunter of the party.
Being closely questioned by Lieuten,,
Greedy he admitted his guilt. lie wa1
again ready with promises to do betss
His fate was upon him. He was, in II t1
afternoon of that day, a little distance
the rear of the summer ouart.s
alone by himself. The written ~
der for his execution was COMMITS
to three OF the party. They were orders
to shoot him, %encountering as little danss
to themselves as possible, as Henry vast.
strongest of the party. Sadly the men d
dacted on their terrible errand. Their ca
rades left in camp turned their ewes ia m
ocean,. In a few minutes a breeze bore
their ears the sound of two ovis1
pistol shots. All at the camp war;
silent. Slowly, after a short interval, m
men returned, the written order was banda
to Lieutenant Greedy, and the horrible bT
necessary execution was over. Henry wa
never seen again by his comrades and N
body was understood to have been interrs
at the foot Of the northwest ice foe.
The order for the execution of Henry wa
that afternoon read to the survivors. and II
concurred In the justice ndnecessity of I'M
act. No;report of the manner of his dealt
has ever been made to Liuetenant Grcely
and the survivors tacitly ignored the terri
bic remembrance.
AS to the alleged cannibalism, Gree7
says that if there was anything of the kim
it must have been an individual act and no
general. Nothing of the kind, however
came under Greely's personal observation
Sergeant Brainard, who is in the hospital
at the navy yard, confirmed LieutenapI
Greely's statements. More than a weeH
ago Lieutenant Greedy forwarded TO td
Secretary Of War a detailed report of Hem
RVS execution. Upon proper representa-
tons to Secretary Chandler, a court of inl
quiry will undoubtedly be ordered.
NEW YORK, Aug. 14.-The Captains o
the Thetis, the Bear and the Alert left thei.
vessels to-day with Commander Schley and
went out Of town. 1t is said they were I'd
meet the naval authorities and confer with
them. All the officers know that three d
the bodies were found lying naked and
exposed above ground, with long hunks
flesh cut from their bones. The other nj
bodies were buried, and only CommmS
/ Schley, Ensign Harlow, Engineer MelWi
and DIR. Green know positively wletd
these also have signs Of mutilation.
One of the officers warmly defended le
action of Greedy in ordering the executM
OF Henry. ut was the only recourse" ID
said, ''this killing of Henry, and l honS
the man for his courage in issuing the death
warrant. The survival of the fittest is tt1
greatest law that prevails when a body d
half-starved men band together to help
each other to keep alive. Henry's tHt
and second thefts were pardoned. lie
was warned that a third attemN
meant death. Mad with hunger HI
again offended. He was stealing his cor
rades very lives, the life of Greedy himsAs
and he merited the death that awaited lin,
1t was a terrible penalty to pay-a lilo fr
two pounds of bacon-but you uust2.
member those were terrible times. Had he
been left alive to steal the food that b.
longed to others we would have round only
the dead bodies of the brave little band, and
this example had its effect. Every Survivor
knew, and knew positively, that any tam
pering with the little handful of food
meant death. In justice to his men Lieu
tenant Greedy had to kill Henry, so he va;
shot. No one will ever know positively
that the bodies were eaten-Eot even Lien
tenant Greedy. He will know whether he
himself has eaten of his comrades, but he
does not know what his men have done,
and the world will never know. There
will always be grave suspicious Of
cannibalism. The facts are plain
and simply that these bodies left naked al
dead on the ice were cut into with saHol )
sheath-knives. The fattest portions OF tile
legs and arms were slashed from the bones
so much can be proven. This human flesh
may have been used for bait or may hare
been eaten. But you nor l nor Lientenalis
Greedy will ever know what was done VIII
those raw shreds of flesh"
The Coroners of Queens County are dis
cussing the ACCESSIBILITY of exhuning the r,
mains Of Charles B. Henry, who was buried
at Cypress Hills Cemetery. The burial pei.
nit was made out in New York, and ewes
as the cause Of death starvation, anu ''
date June 6.
CHICAGO, Aug. 13.-The horrible recln a.
of the death of Henry, II of the Gree!
expedition, by one Of the survivors Has
caused William Helms, a cousin OF the W.
ceased and a resident Of this city, Wis'
quest of Secretary Chandler all official III
vestigation into the circumstances ~ ~.
his death. The real name OF I Is
deceased was Henry Book. IN
was born in Hanover, Ger!'aD%
where his mother and brother NOW Nv
reside. He also has a sister living IN
Lincoln, Neb. Henry, or Book, enlisted ~
the Fifth United States Cavalry at C!Sc a.,
natl under the formar uama ard when NV