Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-08-20
TERMS: Two Dollars Per Annum, in Advance.

TERMS: Two Dollar
transportation to the steam.launch and
to the ship. These coverings of blankets
were never removed, and when the iron
caskets were prepared at st. Johns they
received the remains without single
blanket having been disturbed, and the
lids were riveted on the cofins. Clean
waste was packed about the bundles in
the caskets to prevent their rolling
about. Everything was done in careful,
painstaking, reverent way, and only to
the officers and few sailors-not more
than three or four-was it known to q
certainty that the bodies were mutilat-
ed. Some of the men had been little
more than skin and bones when they
died, but the Ittle flesh they had was
gone in places, as on the calves of the
legs, on the hips, thighs, and arms.
Some of this, it is thought, was used as
bait for shrimps, some to sustain the
wasting life of the survivors. There
seems, from the condition of the bodies
that there was no concerted action on
the part of those remaining to sustain
life in this way. But rather, it seems,
that the perishing men went to the
bodies when hunger became unbeara-
BILE and supplied themselves as best
they could.
The bodies were found buried side by
side in shallow graves in the ice. Lieut..
Greedy kept a diagram OF the place, and
had SO arranged it that if no one was
rescued the diagram would enable
the finders to know where each man
lay. First in the line of graves
was Sergt. Cross, who died on
January l. He was the stoutest and
apparently the most robust man in the
party. The sailors say that he stole
alcohol and drank it, and that this, it is
thought, fastened his death. There is
no doubt that Henry was killed. I
have heard that Henry tried to take
more than his share of rations,
and was court-martialed and
shot. We found the headless re-
mains of man near the other bodies
and we're told it was Henry. The flesh
had been cut from the lower limbs and
there was little more than the bones
and heap of skin left. It was thought
he had been shot in the head. The
body of the Esquimaux who died on
April 5 was not mutilatea. I don't be-
ieve that Lieut.. Greely knew about
any of the bodies having been cut until
they we're taken from the ice. It
seemed as if it had been done secretly
and at different times. Some of the
sailors insist that DIR. Octave Pavy, who
is said to have died on June 16, COM
mitted suicide by taking ergot. One OF
the crew of the Bear said this was
stated in Lieut.. Greely's report, which
had been left in charge of the COM
mander of the Bear before being for
warded to Washington.
All denials of the story that the bod.
les of the dead had been mutilated by
the famished survivors are simply in.
dignant evasions. The facts may be
distorted somewhat, but there seems to
be no doubt but that the starving band
was reduced to the horrible extremity
of cannibalism.
PORTSMOUTH, N. H., Aug. 13:-Lieut
Greely gives the following account o1
the shooting of Chas. B. Henry: About
November ! the party began to be
served with One-quarter ratiOns, an6
debilitated health soon showed thu
effect of this insufficient amount o.
food. The men were not before this II
as good condition to withstand Arctic
weather as they had been year before
About November l provisions were
missed from the stores, and it was con
cluded that they must have been stolen
Much complaint was made by the men
and threats against the thief were loud
January "a the party was rear perish
ing from asphyxia, and several OF it&
members were unconscious. Private
Henry, during this terrible experience
was seen by one of the Esquimaux te
steal some of the bacon from the stores
He soon afterward was taken ill from
overlooking his stomach and vomitee
up bacon undigested. An investiga
ton was had and Henry was proven
guilty, not only of this, but of severa
previous thefts. 1t was terrible STATE
of affairs. Henry's indignant comrade
demanded his death. Over and owe
again Henry promised to reform, bu
this did not still the clamor for his life
Lieut.. Greely demonstrated with tn
men, and all quieted. Taking Henry il
hand, Lieut.. Greely represented to hin
the enormity of his ofense and pointed
out to him the necessity for concerted
action in the party, if all would b.
saved. Henry was then placed unde
guard for several weeks, until the in
creasing feebleness of other member
of the party rendered it necessary fo
them to avail themselves of Henry
personal services. Shortly afterwart
he stole liquor from, the steward AM
became intoxicated. Again his com
rades clamored for his life, and agai1
Lieut.. Greedy restrained them. June s
he again stole and carried away some O
the provisions. Lieut.. Greedy spok
firmly to Henry and told him it woul,
be policy for him to stop. Sai'
the lieutenant: "For Gods sake
Henry, as you seem to have n,
moral sense, remember our lives de
pend upon our holding together" Will
great earnestness Henry promised no
to be guilty of theft again. Lieut.
Greedy felt he could not trust Henry
After revolving in his mind their Gil
cumstances, the lieutenant, on his owl
responsibility, issued. a written order
now in possession of one of the SUI
vivors, commanding Henry to be sho
on sight of the commission of any NOR
thefts of food. At this time the part,
bad left, as last resort, only pieces o
sealskin and such shrimps as they coult
procure. About June 6 Henry went T.
the old winter quarters at Camp Clay
near Cape Sabine, and stole some o
the last sealskin, which was the onl,
food left. He also took the last pair O
boots in tle stores. Beng closel,
questioned by Lieut.. Greedy he ad
mitted his guilt. He was again ready
with promises to do better. His fat,
was upon him. He was, on the after
noon of that day a little distance a
the rear of the summer quarter1
alone nv himself. The written orde]