Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-15
CANNIBALISM CONFIRMED
LIEUT.. KISLINGBURYs CORPSE
STRIPPED OF FLESH.

ester, n. Y, Apparently Proves True
the Reports of the sickening Feasts
in the Arctic-Lieut. Cross Also to be
Exhumed-Greely's Official Report of
Henry's Execution.
ROCHESTER, n. Y, Aug. A. Relatives
OF the late Lieut.. Kislingbury, of the Gree
ly expedition, to-day determined to have
an examination made of the remains of
the Lieutenant. The services of an un-
dertaker were secured, and this morning.
with the assistance of five men, he ac-
cOmplished the work of taking up the cas-
ket from its resting place. This was done
IN the presence Of Assistant Superinten-
dent Vaudeville, and the remains were
taken as unearthed to the chapel near the
entrance Of the cemetery. There, at 8
O'Clock, the casket was opened
IN the presence of Frank w. Kis-
lingbury and John p. Kislingbury,
brothers Of the deceased, Charles Buck
ley, DIR. Il. A. MandeUlle, Superintendent
otIllsOn, Assistant Superintendent Man
deyllle and two reporters Of the Post En-
press. The work Of opening the heavy
iron receptacle was found comparatively
easy, all there was to do being to unscreW
% iron bolts which held down the lid, The
contents of the intestines showed the
presence of moss or woody fibre and hair.
such as might have been occasioned BY
eating sealskln, seaweed and moss, or
lichen.
STRIPS OF FLESH MISSING.
The physicians, after a thorough eX-
animation, subscribed to a long report
describing with technical detail the con-
dltlOn OF the remains, the substance of
which is that the body showed no signs of
violence and was sound except as to signs
OF Inflammation of the stomach and in
testines, and absence of flesh from the
neshy parts OF the body. The report con-
cludes as follows:
In our opinion the flesh removed was cut
away with some sharp instrument. That re-
naming on the feet, hands and face showed
no signs Of decomposition.
The following version of the inquest
was sent as special to the Washington
Star:
ROCHESTER, n. Y, Aug. IA, 1874.
Drs. Charles Buckley and F. a. Mandeville
TINS morning, at the request and expense of
the PoSt-E E27)reSs, with the consent of the
surviving brothers, made a post mortem ex-
animation of the body of Lieut.. Frederick +
klsllngbury, of the Greedy expedition. All
the flesh Of the body had been cut completely
OIL from the bones except on the face, hands
and feet. The organs Of the thoracic cavity
were intact. Evidence was found of recent
Inflammation of the stomach and bowels
Ihefe were no WOunGs on the head. The
Post-E epTess has three column account Of
the affair. Lieut.. kislingbury's body was
eaten by his companions"
INsINUATIONS OF A WRANGLE.
In an interview with a reporter this
evening, w. III. Kislingbury, brother of
Lieut.. hlsllngbury, outlined a condition
Of things which would lead to the belief
that the Greely expedition was divided
INTO TWO parties, or two fac
tlons, and that one perished
because the other had gained possession
by force OF the food supply. In this the
ostraelsed party were Lieut.. Kislingbury
and DIR. PayY. The condition of Lieut..
hislingbury's body shows that he had
dled OF starvation at a time when the
others had some food supply. There was
absolutely nothing in the stomach
and IN the intestines was a lump of in
dIgestlble matter. There were no indica-
uons OF rupture and the story that he
injured himself is discredited. w. II.
hlsIInDury opposed the eXhumIng of the
remains OF his brother up to Wednesday
night in the belief that his brother could
not have been preyed upon by the survivors
because OF the report that he had helped
to kill Polar bear three DAYS before he
died. The party was rescued three weeks
after his brothers. death, and Mr.. Kis-
lingbury held that the bear would fur
nlsh the necessary food for the few sur
vivors for that length of time, if fairly
distributed and husbanded.
THE BEAR STORY MYTH.
The fact that the fleshv parts of the
Lieutenant's body had been cut off in a
careful and scientific manner shows the
bear story to be a myth invented by some
one to conceal cannibalism. Instead of
eating bear the survivors subsisted on
the bodies of their dead companions.
liz the opinion of Mr.. Kislingbury DR..
Pavy saw the advance and outcome # the
desperate struggle for subsistence and
ended his life, or else fell victim to the
desperation of the immediate adherents Of
Lieut.. Greedy. In other words, it was a
case in which those not in favor
with the commander were compelled to
die that the others might live. There
IS suspicion that one of the doomed
party, Private Henry, was shot while try
ing to get his share of the food. Private
HenTy's death is not sufficiently explain
ed. kislmgbury takes this gloomy view,
that there was a struggle among
the starving and desperate men, and
that the strongest, by virtue of authority
and the possession of the little food on
hand, survived. Lieut.. Kislingbury, it
seems, was under the ban of Lieut..
Greely's displeasure from the beginning.
This is the statement made by w. III. Kis-
Hngbury to a reporter.
CROSS TO BE EXHUMED.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4.-To-morrow
afternoon at 80 o'clock is proposed by
Frank Cross to eXhume the remains ofhis
brother, William Cross, of the Greely
expedition, now resting in vault in the
Congressional Cemetery, with a view of
ascertalning whether the dead man was
y fnI iC ba foI
theory here seems to be that inasmuch
as Cross died first and at a time when the
party had provisions that his body was
not disturbed.
LIEUT.. GREELY's OFFICIAL REPORT.
Following is Lieut.. Greely's official
report ofthe execution of Private Henry at
Camp Clay, near Cape Sabine:
PORTSMOUTH, n. H., Aug. II, 1884.
To the AdjHtaRt General of the United States
4ray through tie Chief Signal Officer of tile
Cntted States AfHly:
SIR have the honor to report that on
June =, lS34, at Camp Clay, near Cape Sabine,
Grlnnell land, ii became necessary for me to
order the military execution of Private
Charles Il. Henry, of the Fifth Cavalry, for
continued thieving. The order was given in
writing on my undivided responsibility, beiu e
deemed absolutely essential for the safety Of
the surviving members of the ex-
pedition. Ten had already died
of starvation and two more lay
at the point OF death. The facts inducing y
action were as follows: Provisions had been
stolen in November, 1888, and Henry's COM
plicity therein was more than suspected. On
March a, 1884, the party nearly perished from
asphyXia. Mhlle several men were uncon-
scIOus and efforts were being made for their
restoration, Private Henry stole about two
pounds of bacon from the mess stores. He
was not only seen by the EsquimauX, ,Jens Ed
wards, but his stomach being overloaded, he
threw mp undigested bacon. An open lnVes-
tigation was held and every member of the
party declared him guilty Of this and other
Ihefts.
THE CLANIoR FOR HENRY's LIFE.
4 camor for his life was raised, but was
repressed by me. / put him under surveil-
lance until our waning strength rendered his
physical services indispensable. Later he
was found one day intoxicated, having stolen
liquor on hand for general issue. A second
time his life was demandeu, but again spared
him. on June thefts of provisions on his
part having been reported TO me had a con-
YersatiOn with him in which appealed to his
practical sense, pointing out that union was
necessary to our preservation. He promised
entire reformation, but distrusting him l
issued written order that he
should be shot if detected stealing.
On June he not only stole part of the shrimps
for our breakfast, but visiting unauthorized
our winter camp stole certain sealskns re-
served for food. / then ordered him shot. On
his person IS found silver chrOnograph
abandoned by ms at Fort Conger and stolen
by him. In his bag was found a large guam
tity of sealskin and pair of sealskin boots
stolen few days before from the hunter.
Suspectlng completely on the part Of several,
l ordered his execution by three of the most
reliable men. After his death the order was
read to the entire party, and was cOncurred
in by every member as being not only just,
but as essential to our safety.
WHY IT WAS KEPT QUIET.
To avoid public scandal, ordered that no
man should speak Of this matter, until the Of
fetal rpDOrJ was made of the facts, | have the