Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-08-15
WIN Did They Deny IT.

:.
why Did They Deny II!
Lieutenant Greely's report OF the
execution OF Henry is permitted to be
published after the fact of the shooting
had leaked out and now some Of the
officials who celebrated the return of the
rescued at Portsmouth, and participated
In the honors to the dead, are complain
ing that they we're thus led to honor the
remains Of one who was shot as thief.
There is no doubt that these invited
guests at Portsmouth who honored
Henry's remains have been somewhat
abused, and that Secretary Chandler,
who Ii responsible for the deception, is
in an awkward predicament. So is
Commander Schley, who aided IN the
deception, and in fact seems to have
nursed IL in the beginning before
Chandler was communicated with
and assumed the responsibility
Of confirming the effort to de-
ceive the public. Lieutenant GrecIy
and Commander Schley guarded their
secret we'll until they met the secretary
of war. 1t was undoubtedly intended TO
keep the shooting and the man eating a
secret forever. Commander Schley's
plan Of sealing up the bodies in metallic
cases was certainly for no other reason
than to secure them from inspection.
The kilograms sent to the undertakers,
cautioning them not to open the caskets
under any circumstances, showed the
nxiety of the authorities to conceal the
mutilated condition of the remains, aud
the story of the cannibalism. Com
mander Schley would have been good
deal smarter If he had left the bod les
behind him. 1t WAS stupid in the ex-
treme to fetch them along, shut them up
iu iron boxes and expect them to be
unseen until the resurrection day. One
would never have thought that Secre
tary Chandler would have been simple
enough to have had hand in such
a silly business, because he is
smart rascal. He must have wanted
to shine in that Portsmouth show ''pow-
erfu, bad :" and no doubt the shooting
of Henry and the eating of him would
have been damper on the demOnstra
tion upon the rescue Of the canniba's
and the remains of their comrades. We
believe that the Survivors were entirely
upon them 10 prolong their lives. We
do not think that this admits of ques-
ton. But the public is not altogether
reasonable; and 1t is true that men who
had been forced to this extremity would
not have been welcomed home with
such enthusiasm as though this expert
ence had not been theirs. The feeling
aroused will be one of horror at the sad
ness of the condition of those who died
and those who lived and there will be
no room for rejoicing in the presence Of
such feeling.
The raising Of the body of Lieutenant
KisliDgbgyy sh0ws beyond a question
that it had been cut up for food. Lieut..
Greely says that the eating of the bodies
Of the dead did not come under his ob
servation, and that the acts were indi .
vidual ones il anything Of the kind was
done. This statement is evidently not
ingenious. If these bodies were eaten,
clearly the commander of the men knew
it. He had nothing to do but to keep
his party alive. 1t was his duty to see
TO it that the food was properly por
toned to each, He failed in his du,y il
he permitted individuals under his com
mand to appropriate the bodies of The
dead. If they could properly be used
they should have been justly distributed.
Lieutenant Greedy evidently tells no
more than he can help, There is mani.
feStly part of the truth being kept
back. This desire for conCeaiment leads
to the suspicion that something dis
creditable is yet to be discovered. There
are rumors anoat about the violen,
death Of the surgeon and of c0nhc's )
between the commander and members
of his party; and the lying that has
already been officially done and touud
out, leaves us in frame of mind to
believe the worst.