McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-08-21
EATING HUMAN FLESH.
A Sensational Story Regarding ass Arctic
Explorers.
A Halter Witch Congress sciH Doubtless
Investigate.

w.
the dead bodies Of their comrades, and that
written documents in possession Of the
navy department substantiate the terrible
narrative, created . sensation here, and
Admiral Nichols, acting secretary of the
navy, was shortly besieged by newspaper
men anxions to ascertain something official
concerning the publication. The admiral
says positively that there is nothing in the
navy department that confirms the story,
and he doubted its truth. 1t Is possible,
however, that q report of this nature may
have gone direct to Secretary Chandler, in
New Hampshire, as numerous documents
are forwarded him without examination.
Some persons express the opinion quietly
that there il something In the story, and 1t
is beginning to be known that the Greedy
party was not as harmonious as has been
generally supposed, and that there Is .
story connected with the expedition which
1t was intended to conceal. but which must
now come out in the same way IS the his
tory of the "Jesnnette's' unfortunate
cruise came to the knowledge Of the
public. The Times story was shown to
committal, but finally, with decided empha-
sis, he said: ''There are certain facts con-
nected with the matter that am not at lib
erty to mention. 1t is very probable,
though do not say SO officially, that they
will be made the subject of congressional
investigation next winter. The story con-
tsins some inaccuracy, notably, that In
amputaed limbs of those who suffered the
loss of legs and arms In order to preserve
their lives.o General Hazen was asked
what truth there was In the statement that
young Henry had been shot and his body
being eaten. "That is q subject,' he re-
piled, ''upon which must decline to be
interviewed.o
''Is the report that Captain Schley called
you and Secretary Chandler into the ves-
sel's cabin and informed you that the sur
vivors had eaten their associates falseY'
was asked.
s'That story il untrue"
''There Is no truth, then. In the remain
were eatenp'
81 will not say they are not true. have
but casually glanced at the published story,
other than at those portions which /
deny
eaten?'
''There were rumors Of that kind afiost.
Ny official position would not permit me to
give tho facts in the case.'
''There are facts, then?
81 can't answer that. had q long inter.
view with Lieutenant Greedy, but the sub
ject Of eating the bodies was not referred
to. can imagine = case when cannibalism
would be 1ustifatle and 1t would be case
where men are starving.'
''Do you excuse caunibalism in the
Greedy case?''
"Under the circumstances it would be
s.Has Secretary Chandler received any
report relating to this subjectt''
''Not that know Of. l have received
none.''
els the report that Private Henry was
shot and afterwards eaten fal.e?'
'There were rumors at Portsmouth that
eaten his body, but decline to give any
facts in his case that might know.''
"Will the shooting be subject of inves-
t1gation by the war departmental
"Not necessarily. Men are shot every
day in mutinies and no Investigation is
made. Under some circumstances it might
be proper"
Twill there be any Investigation Of the
reported eating Of the bodies?'
"An inves igation could not be made
either by the war or navy departments.
That is matter that CONGRESS will have to
look into. Then all the facts will be pre-
sented, and until then nothing will be given
OUT
General HaZen says Lieutenant Greely's
report on the entire expedition will prob
ably be forwarded 10 HIM thin s month.
Whrle it was ger eraliv con. eird that there
were no records In Washington that would
substsntiate the story, both tie army and
tie navy officers, All. On.s themselves, did
not view it Is an impOss b lily by any mears.
said a naval officer in the rriior o. the
navy DEPARTMENT.: HThtush there is NO
reason l know of for be'i wing the story, tie
fact that there are no records to substantiaie
1t does not disproVe it at all. Look at it as
true-is there anything improbable about
1t? You and |, standing here with all the
comforts about Us, view such matt with
dread and horror, but you must remember
those men were reduced % such condition
that their moral facu'ti were blunted.
They should rot be con tered, in fac :, re-
spo. sible agents. Self prt serya:iOn WAS
their only thought and they could not be
exp. cted to mOraliz. upon it,
LATER FROM SERGEANT BRAINARD.
The Louisville Evening Times publishes
the following correspondence: Sergeant
Brainsrd, who, with Lieutenant Lockwood,
march ID to the highest northern latitude
ever trod by the foot Of man, writes as
follows to Henry Clay. of Louisville:
MY YARD, PORTSMOUTH, n. H., Au-
gust 12.-Mr. Henry Clay, Louisville, KY:
Dear Sir-In behalf of the few of my COM
rades now living and the many who strug-
gled so bravely for life, but had finally to;
succumb to starvation, l desire most earn.
estly to thsnk you for the Kind letter of
May, 1888, written in our behalf and pub
lished in the Courier-Journsl. The advice
was sound, practical and, as 1t seemed to
us then and afterwards trsnspired, pro-
phetic. With our own views Of what was
required for our safety it conceded per.
fectly. 1t was found in the .'Proteus'
cache, landed by Lieutenant Darlington,
near Cape Sabine, and was read and re- read
in the gloom and darkness of cherries,
miserable howell. In appreciation OF your
noble efforts to succor your former tried
comrades, the camp in which we were then
located received your name. remain very
respectfullv, D. L. BARNARD,
OF the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition.
A special from Portsmouth, N. H.,
SAYS: Early this morning Colonel Kent OBJ
tanned an interview with Lieutenant Greedy,
who admitted that Henry had military
execution on The OH of June. As cary as
March it was suspected that Henry was
stealing the limited food which bad been
ont m the sIIryrynPS and This