The state journal., 1884-08-16
THERE WAS CANN1BALTSM.
THE FACTS ESTABLISHED BEYOND
ANY QUESTION.
The Lives of the Arctic Survivors Pre-
served by Eating the Dead Bodies of
Their Comrades-Result of the Au-
topsy on the Remains of Lieu
tenant KisIingbury-&c. &c.
ALAS. TOO TRUE!
CanniDalism in the Polar Regions Proved

New YORK, Aug. 14.-It is established |
beyond all question that cannibalism was
resOrted to by the starving men of the |
Greedy expedition, and shows that the |
lives of those saved were preserved only |
by eating the dead bodies OF their com.
panions Lieutenant Kislingbury's rela-
Jives were filled with horrible doubts as
soon as they learned that disclosures had |
been made in New York regarding can
nibalism among the members of the expe- |
dition, and they determined to learn the |
truth by eXhuming the remains, and |
having them examined by competent |
physicians
The services of L. A. Jeffrey, under
takGr, were secured, and this morning,
with the assistance offive men, he accom-
plished the work of taking up the casket
from its resting place. This was done in
the presence of Assistant Superintendent
Vaudeville, and the remains were taken,
as unearthed, to chapel near the en-.
trance of the cemetery. There the body
was taken out and found to consist of
little but bones. Affidavits Of physicians
show that nearly all the flesh had been
stripped from the bones, the remainder OF
the body only weighing fifty pounds.
Autopsy RuiudNlls
ROCHESTER,, N. Y, Aug, II, 1884 -
Charles Buckley NJ d., and Frederick
A. Vaudeville, NJ d., ofRochester, being
sworn, made the following statement
We hereby certify that at the request
of the representatives of the Post Express,
of Rochester, and of John F., Frand w.
and William II. Kislingbury, of Roches-
ter, we this morning, in the chapel of
Mount Hope cemetery, made an autopsy
or post .mortem examination of the body
of the late Lieutenant Frederick T. Kis-
lingbury. We found the body in an iron
casket. On the lid being removed it was
taken from the casket and placed upon
table 1t was packed in cotton batting and
encased with cotton cloth tied with strings.
On removing this it was found wrapped
in a Woolen blanket the whole length.
Removing this the body was in view.
Its weight approXimated, in our opinion
about fifty pounds. On examination Of
the head no signs Of wounds or injuries
were visible The skin was not broken.
The ears and nose were intact. The eyes
were sunken and wasted. The hair was
thick, and from five to six inches long.
The face was covered with heavy red
dish beard and mustache. On the right
side of the upper jaw there were seven
teeth. the last mOlar being gone. On the
left side three teeth were gone, one incisor
and two mOlars; on lower jaw two teeth,
molaIs, were gone, The skin and mus
cles of the interior portion of the face and
| neck were intact. From the upper pOr-
ton of the sternum and clavic to the lower
border of the fifth rib on the left side
the skin and muscles had all been re-
| moved down to the ribs on the right side.
The skin and muscles down to the lower
border of the last rib were gone. There
were two openings between the fourth
and fifth inteTcestal spaces into the thor
acic cavity. The skin and muscles on the
anterior portion of the abdomen were in
tact to the crest of illium or pelvic bones
muscles and skin of anterior and pos
terror of the thighs were entirely removed
except the skin on the anterior portion of
the knee Joints; muscles and skin of left
leg removed to within three inches Of
ankle joint On right leg skin and mus
cles removed to within five inches of ankle
Joint. Both feet were intact toes all
present. There was no vestage Of integu-
ment of the muscles on either arm, in
cluding the muscles of the shoulder
blades to the wrist joints, except on the
right forearm, the interOsseus membrane
remaining. Flesh and muscles on both
hands intact, The examination of the
posteriGT portion Of body showed that the
skin and muscles of the back from the
seventh cervical vertebra had been dis
| sected, or cut completely away, down to
the bones with the exception of pieces Of
skin from two to three inches square on
| each side of the upper portion of the
sGcrum. The pelvic bones were
completely denuded. All the ex-
tremities were attached to the
body by ligaments only. No fractures of
the body were discovered. We found
all the organs Of the thorax and abdomen
present. There was evidence of recent
| inflammation Of the stomach and bowels.
| The large intestines were distended with
hardened Jumps of fecal matter in which
there was hair, moss, or woody fibre. In
our opinion the flesh removed was cut
away with some sharp rpinstrument. That
remaining on the feet, hands and face
showed no signs of decomposition.
None of the Survivors to BE Interviewed.
PORTSMOUTH, N. H., Aug. 14.-Dr.
| Claiborne, Of the United States Navy,
who is in charge Of the Arctic survivors,
says all the men will soon be in perfect
health No definite time at which the
survivors will be discharged has been de.
cided upon, but the whole matter rests in
the discretion of Surgeon Hurd. Under
strict orders from the Secretary of the
| Navy, none Of the survivors will he al
lowed to be interviewed.
Lieutenant Lockwood's Body Not to be
Exhumed.
ANNAPOLIS, Nd, Aug. 14.-General
Lockwood, with other members of the
family, visited the grave of his son after
the burial Lieutenant Peck, United
States Navy, sOn-in-law of General
Lockwood, said the subject Of exhuming
the body had never been thought of by
the family and that the burial was final.
The Death of Private Charles Henry,
New YORK, Aug. 14-Dr Nagle, dep
uty registrar of vital statistics, to-day sent
letter to the Secretary Of the Navy ask
ing for the facts about the death Of Private
Charles B. Henry. His death is recorded
in the bureau in which permit to bury
the body in Cypress Hill cemetery was
obtained as being due to starvation in the
Arctic regions If he was shot the regis
trar desires to know it, that the records
may be corrected Coroner Robinson in
the meanwhile has authority to exhume
the body without referring to the Bureau
of Vital Statistics.