The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-08-22
ARCTIC HORRORS.
The Greedy Survivors Said 90 Have
Eaten Their Dead Comrades.


The New York Times contained, few
days since, shocking story to the effect that
the men of the Greedy expedition who died
were eaten by the survivors, and that Pri-
vate Charles B. Henry, young German, was
shot for stealing food and then eaten The
story rests upon rlmors and the gossip of the
sailors upon the relief vessels Thetis and Bear.
1t is given a color Of truth by the refusal Of
the officers of the relief expedition to deny or
confirm it. According to the published story,
the suspicious of the friends Of the dead
men were awakened by the extreme
care taken to prevent anyone from seeing the
bodies. 1t was understood that the bodies
were found in a horrible condition. and after
being wrapped in many thicknesses of cloth
were placed in metallic collins at st. Johns.
According to the gossip of the sailors of the
expedition, the bones of the dead were really
found stripped of all flesh, each bundle Of
bones wrapped in a blanket, and marked with
the name. 1t has been published that after
the game gave out early in February the
party lived principally on sealskins, lichens
and shrimps. As a matter of fact, is alleged,
they were kept alive on human flesh. When
the rescuing party discovered the half-starved
survivors, their first duty was to look to the
two men who were insensible from cold and
privation, even to the point of death One OK
them German, wild in his delirium.
of him to lift him tenderly, don't let them
shoot me as they did poor Henry. Must be
killed and eaten as Henry wasl Don't let
them do it, DON'T Don'tl"
The sailors We're Mortified, but at once re-
ported the mans words to Commander Schlev
When the horrible reality was brought out
before an investigating committee, as as
serted, Commander Schley instructed two or
three gentlemen, among whom was DR..
Ames, the surgeon of the Bear, to make a
careful examination and put their conclusions
in writing. This was done, and the reports are
now in the hands of the navy department
Lieutenant Greedy was decidedly averse to
having the bodies of the buried dead disturbed
He thought it wise, as they had leen buried
so long, to let them remain in their Arctic
graves. Commander Schley did not agree
with him The bodies were dug from their
graves in the little hill just back of the per-
mantnt camp established in October, 1888
Most Of the blankets, it is averred, contained
nothing but heaps of white bones many of
them picked clean.
Charles Henry was without any relatives
in this country, and joined Company Z, Fifth
Cavalry, in Cincinnati. Driven to despair by
his frightful hunger Henry saw his opportu-
nifty to steal a little more than his share of
rations, and he made the attempt He was
found out, it is said and shot for his crime.
In the published official report the death
Of this man is set down as having occurred
on June 6. When the body was found
his hands and face, though shrunken were in
tact and recognizable; but nearly everywhere
else, the sailors say the skin had been
stripped from him, and the flesh picked from
The bones A bullet hole was found in the
kin.
A reporter of the New York Ereninq Post
went to the navy yard and found Command
er Schley. Il have absolutely nothing to
,ay about the report" said that officer court
rously, but firmly; ''neither has anyone IN
der me
Interviews were had with Secretary Chand-
Ter. Rear Admiral Nichols. General Hazen
and Others concerning the terrible story that
the Greedy party We're compelled by hunger
to eat their dead comrades. The officials
neither denied nor admitted the allegations
1t is possible that a congressional investiga-
ton may b, had.