Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-13


WAsHTSoToS ID. o.. Aug. IA hor
rlble story, published in the New Yorl
Times, that the starving survivors Of
tie Greely party. crazed by starvation
fed on the dead bodies of their com
rades, and that written documents il
| possession of the Navy Department
substsntiate the terrible narrative
| created great sensation here. Ad
miral Nichols. Acting Secretary of the
| Navy, was shortly besieoed by news
paper men, anxious to ascertain some.
| thing official nee rnIng tue pubIica-
ton. The Admiral SAYS there is also
lutelv nothing in the MY Department
confirming the story. and be doubted
its truth. Il IS possible, however, that
report OF this nature may have gone
direct 10 Secretary Chandler. III New
| Hampshire, as Rumerous Documents
| are forwarded to him without examina
ton Some persons express the opin-
len quietly that there Is something in
the story, and say that il is beginning
to be known that the Greedy party Was
not as harmonious as has been geuer-
ally supposed. aid that there is story
relating TO the expedition which il was
intended to conceal, bat which must
come out in the same wav that the
Jeannette's unfortunate cruise beca ule
known To the public.
GENERAL HAzES INTERVIEWED.
The Times's story vas shown General
Hazen, who Was at first very non
communicative, but finally said, with
decided emphasis There are certain
facts connected with the matter that
am not At liberty to mention. IL is very
probable, though | do not say so of
ticislly, that they will be made the sub
iect of a Congressional investigation
next winter. The story contains some
Inaccuracies, notably that in reference
to devouring the amputated limbs of
those who suffered the loss of legs and
arms In order TO preserve their lives"
General HaZen was asked what truth
there was in the statement that young
Henry had been shot and his body
eaten.
That is a u'ject," he replied,
upon which / must decline TO be in
terviewed."
us the report that Captain Schley
called you and Secretary Chandler into
the vessels cabin and informed you that
the survivors had eaten their associates,
falseT was asked.
That story is untrue"
There is, then, no truth in the re-
mainder of the published stories?'
II will not saw they are not true. |
have but casually glanced at the pub
lished story other than at those portions
which deny"
Did you hear any rumors while at
Portsmouth that the dead men had been
eaten?'
There were rumors of that kind
afieat. My official position would not
permit me to give the facts in the case"
There are facts then!'
II cannot answer that. | bad long
interview with Lieut.. Greedy, but the
subject of eating bodies WAS not referred
to. can imagine q case when canni-
balism would be iustitiable, and it would
be the case where men were starving"
Do you excuse connibalism in the
Greedy case p
Under the circumstances it would
be excusabIe."
HAS Secretary Chandler received
any repeat relative te this subject p
Not that know of. have received
none"
is the report that Private Henry was
shot and afterward eaten false ?"
There were rumors at Portsmouth
that he had been killed and that the
survivors had eaten his body, but l de-
cline to give any facts in his case that
might know"
will the shooting be subject to iuf-
vestigation by the War Department ?"
" Not necessarily. Men are shot every
day In mutinies and no investigation is
made. Under some circumstances it
might be proper"
will there be- any investigation of
the reported eating of the bodies ?''
The investigation could not be by
either the War or Navy Department.
That is matter which Congress- will
have to look into. Then all the facts
will be presented, and until then moth
ing will be given out"
General Hazen says that Mr.. Greely's
report of the entire expedition will
probably be forwarded to hun within a
month. While il was generally con-
eeaed that there are no records in
Washington that substantiated the
story, both arUy and navy officers,
among themselves, did not think it an
impossibility by any means.
WHAT NAVAL OFFICER SAID.
Said naval officer in the corridor of
the Navy Department Even if there
was no reason for believing the story,
the fact that there no records to sub
stantiate il does not disprove il at all.
Il looks as il il is true"
is there anything improbable about
it?"
"You and /, standing here with COM
forts all about as, view such things
with dread and horror I; but you must
remember that those men were reduced
to such a condition that their moral
faculties were blunted. They should
not be considered, in fact, responsible
agents. Self preservation was their
only thought, and they could not be ex-
peoted TO moralize on it."
CHANDLER WILL NOT TALK.
PORTSMOUTH IN. H., Aug. 12.-Secre-
tary Chandler returned here today.
Tonight an Associated Press agent Wis
tied him on the ralapoosa to inquire
concerning the truth of the article in
today's New York Times. The Score
tary appeared to be considerably aQi-
tated. He said: You may say that
have seen she New York Times, and
that the Navy Department has received
no such reports of the shooting of
Henry and oannibalism as the Times
gives. OF course, you naturally ask
me II the story is true. | say that de-
cline to answer; | refuse to say any
thing further about the matter"
STARTLING INTEREST.
LINCOLN (Neb.), Aug. 12.-Startling
interest has been excited here by the
story of Henry being killed and eaten
by the Greely party. Henrv's real
other friends in this city, who will push
an investigation.