The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-08-23


over. Henry was never seen again by
his comrades, and his body was under
stood to be inferred at the foot of north
west ice foe. The order for the execu-
ton of Henry was that afternoon read to
the survivors and all concurred in the
justice and necessity of the act. No re-
port of the manner of his death has ever
been made to Lieut.. Greely and the sur
vivors tacitly Ignored the terrible re-
membrance.
HENRY's REMAINS.
NEW YORK, Aug. 13.-The New York
lines says that the remains of Private
Charles Is. Henry, who was shot at the
Greedy camp on Smiths Sound, June
q, at the time the survivors were re-
duced to the direst extremity for food,
were found by the rescuing party from
an eighth to quarter of mile beyond
the tent of the starving men. There
was scarce anything left but pile of
ghstenlng bones, stripped of nearly
every trace of flesh except some of the
lower part of the trunk. The head was
missing and could not be fonnd, 80 that
it was at first supposed that the remains
were those of DIR. Pavy. The bones
were placed in a bag for removal to the
Bear, with the remains of six others of
the ill-fated expedition. On board they
were deposited in little box about two
feet long, which was placed aft and
covered with the stars and stripes. A
day or two after the squadron began the
homeward trip the box was removed
from the deck and the officers deter
mined to remove all suspicion
of the terrible scenes of canni-
balism enacted at the camp on Cape
Sabine and prepared the bones
for burial. Sticks of wood were pro-
cured, and to these, fitted to the proper
length, the bones were tied until ali
were as nearly in place rs it was possi-
BILE to get them. The head was missing,
and block of wood was made to do
duty in its place. Then this framework
In the shape of a man was tied to q
plank and wound with cotton cloth as
the other bodies had been. II was then
surreptitiously placed in one of the
alcohol-tilled tanks with some of the
others. 1t was this skillfuliy-made
package, resembling a human body,
that was lifted into a coffin at st. Johns
and marked Private Charles B.
Henry" cit was this bundle of wood
that was brought to New York, claimed
by friends of Private Henry, and buried
at Cypress Hill Cemetery. So well had
the work been done that it is doubtful
if those handling the human-like re
mains at st. Johns had any suspicion
that there was one of the bundles which
was largely made of wood. That
the bones were so cleanly stripped of
flesh leads to but one conclusion. There
was no game about the campon Smith s
Sound, excepting few foxes, hares and
ptarmigan. There We're no carnivorous
ANIMALS, as the records of the relief ex-
pedition show, to disturb the remains
of the dead, neither did they decay.
The flesh that remained on the frames
of the men longest dead had not rotted
or fallen away. Sergt. Cross, the first OF
the party who died, passed away January
IS. He was large man, and when
taken from the shallow grave his body
was found heavier than any of the
others. The flesh was quite firm, and
showed no signs of decay, excepting a
portion of one hand, which was slightly
| discolored. Yet of Private Henry, who
died only sixteen days before the relief
party arrived, there was nothing left
but a few heshless bones. The
head had probably been thrown into
the sea to prevent Identification when
the truth should be known, as it was
| sure to be some time, whether rescue
came or not. In this work of the officers
Of hn Ill 20
move all traces of the bullet by which
| Henry met his death, for more was
| left of the trunk than any other portion.
! Flesh was cut from the bodies of the
| other dead as the pangs of hunger grew
! too strong for the survivors. But with
| Henry, freshly killed for attempting to
steal an extra share of rations, it was
! different. The men cooked and ate the
| flesh, and by this means life was sus-
tanned until rescue came.
WASHINGTON, Aug. IA Following is
Lieut.. Greely's official report of the ex-
ecution of Private Henry:
PORTSMOUTH, N. H., Aug. 1.-ADJU-
Ch.et Signal Officer, q. s. A)-STR:
I have the honor to report that on
/ iuue 6, 1884, at Camp Clay, near Cape Sabine,
I t
/ order the military execution of Private Chss
/ 3 Henry, Fifth Cavalry, for continued thev-
/ IuE. The order was given in writing. on my
| undIvidef esponsIbilIty. being deemed absO
iutey essential for the safety Of the surviving
members of the expedition. Ten had already
! died of starvation and two more lay at the
! point of death. The facts inducing
/ NY sction were as follows: Pro
VISIONS had been stolen in NOveub Der, 1888
and Henrys completely therein was mere than
suspected. March 81 1884, the party nearly
| perished from asplyxla. While several mer
were uncons cious and efforts were being made fol
/ Their restoration, Private Henry stole about two
pounds of bacon from the mess stores. He
was not only seen by the Eskimo Jens Ed wards
| Int his stomach being overloaded he threw
/ up undiGested bacon. An open investigation
as belu end every member of the party de
clared hlm guilty of this and other thefts.
ciam0r for his hfe was raised but was re-
/ pressed 10y me. / put him under surveillance
| ulul our waning strength rendered bi:
/ physical services Indispensable. Later
he was found one day intoxi
Gated, having stolen liquor on hand for gen
/ ecal issue. second tue his life was demand
ed Tut / again spsred him. On June theft.
/ OF provisions on bis part having ueen again re
1 ported to me, l had a conversation with
hun in which l appealed to his practica
sense, pointing out that it was necessary
| to our preservation. He promised entire r,
| formation, hut distrustiDg him | issued writ
ten order that be should be shot if detected IN
stealing. On June he not only stole part Of
/ tie shrlmps for our breakfast, but visiting I'm
/ authorized our winter camp stole certain sea
skin reserved tor food. 1 then ordered hin
1 hot On hIs person was found a silver chono-
/ graph abandoned by me at Fort COuRer
| and stolen by HIM. In his bag wa;
fund large quantity of sesl-skln al pan
/ If scal-skin boot stolen few days before from
toe hunter. Suspecting completely on the par
/ Of several. | ordered his execution by three o
the most reliable men. After his death the or
4 der was read to the entire party, and c0ncuTeC
/ N by every member as being not only just but
essential to our safety. To avoid public scan
| daI. l ordered that msu should speak o.
rus matter until official report was made Of tIt
{ facts.
! lave the honor to request that a court OF
/ inquiry be ordered. or q court martial convened
/ rhUuld the honors bic secretary Of war deem
/ either advisable. | this case | have thought
/ 1t best not to ask the written statements OF
/ surviving members of the party for append
/ les to this report, lest | might seem
! TO be tsmperlng with them. | havg not asked
! since our rescue. June %, whsther their opl--
ions coucurring in my actions have changed ol
/ not, leaving such questions to your
/ action if deemed requisite. | naturally regret
! thu. circun1 JpuO-fd Eucn a terrible re-