The Press., 1884-10-09
(Springfeld Republican.l
 NO CANNIBALISM IN THE CREELY PARTY.

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 (Springfeld Republican.l
 NO CANNIBALISM IN THE GREELY PARTY.
 The members of the Greedy relief expe- dition who are with Shock < Golfers 'sStorm Beaten" company are Edward w. Walker, George Ferguson, John McDon- aid and Fred Biggersen all of the Thetis. They give most realistic accounts of their cruise and its thrilling denouement. Sailor Walker once had an uncle in this city. He shipped as hoatswain's mate, and had the good luck to be one of the party which first set foot in the Greedy camp. He makes some very positive denials of many published reports of the condition of the camp and men, and most emphatioally scouts the charge of cannibalism. "Thers isn't word said about eating human flesh, said he, Gin the diaries of the men. I have pack of playing cards, the only one the party took from Fort Conger when they reduced their baggage. The men wrote on these cards very freely, but there is no reference to cannibalism. While we were on the return trip hinted to one of the survivors that there seemed to be little need of starving, and he replied that the idea of eating their comrades never occur red to them, or, at least, was never men, toned All these false charges of canni- balism will be sifted when an investigation is held. For instance, it has been said that there were human bones about the camp. This is lie, for there wasn't bone to be seen, and the photograph of the camp, just as it was discovered, will prove 1t. <. They say, too, that Longs lips were bloody, and jump at the conclusion that he had been eating human flesh, The fact is, Long was the hunter; he shot @ duck the morning of the day we found the party, and it was his privilege, perquisite of his berth, to suck the blood, for it would otherwise have been wasted. And then that story about the other two ducks is all nonsense, for the ducks were taken aboard and I saw shot taken from them, Now, the Greedy party had no shot, so the ducks must have been part of flock that our yarty shot at. They may have flown to the Greedy camp or may have drifted there, but I shall always consider their getting to the starving men as providential as our finding them just as we did,"
 MT. Walkers account of the finding of the starving men is substantially like that published in July, but there are some diff ferences. 'The charges of cannibalism," said he, ''included the statement that the bodies were kept from the sight of the the sailors. I was one who helped to ex- hume them, and know as much IS any one of their condition. Five were mutilated, but none were hacked or gnawed. The job was as skilfully done as surgeon could do it. A scalpel had been drawn around the wrist up the inside of the arm to the shoulder and down the side. The skin had been laid back and the flesh re- moved Then the skin was laid back and stitched here and there. But there is nothing to indicate that the flesh was eat en. On the contrary, it seems highly probable that every ounce of it was used for bait. Photographer George Rice was the fisherman of the party all winter. He caught 113 pounds of shrimps, the largest of which are preserved and measure only four inches long. The report wasn't far from right in saying that it took l, 300 shrimps to make a gallon. Of course it took prodigious amount of bait to catch them through hole in the ice. It goes without saying that Rice didn't use his own scant rations for bait, and the poor fellow died without leaving any record of what he did use. I have asked some of the survivors, including Lieut. Greedy, what Rice used for bait, and not one could tell. They never heard Rice tell and they never asked him. Of course this explana- ton doesn't pretend to excuse the mutila- ton of the bodies, but to my mind 1t re- flutes the charges of cannibalism.. The dead doctor, who was evidently Rice's confdant, took every precaution to do as little mutilation as possible"
 MT. Walker deprecated the publication of the mutilation story, and thought it would never have seen light but for the jealousy of one man in the relief expedi- ton, who became unified and "gave way" the secret. MT. Walkers talks are full of interesting "reminiscences of his cruise. When the small party went ashore to transfer the helpless survivors to the steam launch, they supposed Connel was dead. Walker and another seaman picked him up in his sleeping bag and carried him toward the shore as if he was corpse. Evidently realizing that he was sailing under false colors, Connell mustered all his energy and startled his presarvers with "I ain't dead yet" The Thetis men in town have several relics of note. Their seal suits they got from Esquimeauz in trade for 8 flannel shirt and a pair of trousers. The silk flag which was carried by the squad which reached the point nearest the pole, is divided up among the party.