Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-14

THE TRAGEDY AT CAMP SABINE,
SHOOTING OF PRIVATE HENRY.
Lieut.. Greely'. Official Report.
Lieut. Greedy has submitted the following report
chief signal officer, under date OF Portsmouth, N.
H, August lIth:
SIR have the honor to report that on June 9Th,
1884, at Camp Clay, near Cape Sabine, Grinnell
Land, IL became necessary for me to order the
military execution Of Private Charles B. Henry 5th
cavalry, for continued thieving. The order was
given In writing on my undivided responsibility
being deemed absolutely essential for the safety
the surviving members of the expedition. Ten
had already died Of starvation and two more
lay at the point Of death. The facts inducing my
action were as follows Provisions had been stolen
IN Sovemoer 1889. and Henry's compicity therein
party nearly perished from asphyxa. While several
men were unconscious and efforts were being made
Iof tner restoration Private Henry stole about two
POUNDS OF bacon from the mess stores. lie was not
only seen by ESQumaux JeuS Edwards. but his
stomach being overloaded he threw up the undi-
ed and every ne@BBer Of fhd pay de
clared him guilty Of this and other therts.
camor for his life was raised, but was repressed
waning strength rendered his physical services In
oaspensaple a Later he was found one day tntoxi-
Gated having stolen the liquor on hand for general
issue. A second time his life vas demanded. but
again spared him. On June 5th ,ertS Of provisions
on ms part having been reported to me, had a
conversation with m, IN which appealed to his
pr c1cal sense pointing out that union was neces-
sary 70 our preservation. He promised reformation,
sSopd gu5 h sSa issued written order that he
not only stole part OF the shrmpS breakfast,
e ouI visiting, unauthorized, our winter camp stole
him shot On his person was found silver chro-
noerap abandoned by me at Fort Conger and
stolen oy hum: In his bag was found large guam
few days before from the hunter. Suspecting
completely on the part OF several ordered his exc
cutlon oy three OF the most reliable men. After
ms death the order was read to the entire party
ana was concurred In by every member as being
not only Just, but as essential to our safety. To
nsn sndSs sdanaa o this ssr 'n an
ofncial report was made Of the facts
have the honor to request that court Of inquiry
honorable Secretary OF War deem either advisable
IN tnls case l have thought 1t best not to ask the
written statements OF the surviving members Of
the party Tor appendices TO this report lest might
seem TO be tamperng with them. Ihave not asked
since our rescue-June 22d-whether their opinions
concurr1ng In my action have changed or not,
leaving such questions 10 your action, II deemed
requisite. necessarily regret that circumstances
imposed iip such terrible responsibility upon me,
out am conscious that would have failed in my
duty TO the rest OF my party had l not acted
promptly and summary.
II am, respectfully, yours,
1st Lieu. 5th cav, A. s. o. and Asst, Com OF L. F.
B. Expedn-
Army and Navy Officers Justifying the
Shooting.
When the details OF Lieut. Greely's report regard
Ing the shooting OF Private Henry became known,
the course pursued by him met the hearty approval
OF both navy and army officers
WHAT ADMIRAL NICHOLS SAID.
Admiral Nichols, acting Secretary OF the Navy.
said IN regard to the matter: "The mistake 0reeiy
made was In not ordering him shot when he was
first detected stealing. He was too lenient with
him. When he was found guilty he should have
been shot, but instead Lieut. Greely gave him two
chances for his life"
COMMODORE WALKER SAID:
That under the circumstances there was no other
course to pursua. In times Of great danger ex-
treme measures are necessary. During the war, he
said he had held loaded revolvers at the heads of
two pilots to keep them to their duty and would
not have hes1tated an instant in shooting them II
they had ninched
OTHER OPINIONS.
Gen. McKeever, acting adjutant general, said
''Of course he Was justified in shooting Henry
There is no doubt about that While there is no
military law which provides for just such occasions
Still commanding officer is in DUTY bound to tai
extreme sa1 measures to preserve discipline The mis-
as possible The whos AFFAIR s s should hS1e sa1e
been made made, pub1c There was some
porters were bent upon solving, thus giving rise to
exaggerated reports The idea OF giving mutt
is preposterous When deserter is shot he is not
given decent burial He Is tumbled into hoe,
ss4s1 Without ass con io This man was more than de-
the manner OF his death should have
been made public. The Secretary Of War. the lieu
tenant general and other prominent officers at
TENDED the military funeral OF the executed GRIM
inal In honor OF wnose heroism three volleys were
EIed. Lieut. Greedy did right In killing Henry, but
9. made him hp rad
TO in concealing the facts"
.Of course he did right" said another prominent
ing as The commander Of a naval vessel would In
case o. mutlny Capt. Mackenzie, the father Of Gen
\! Mackenzie, when commanding naval vessel. back
IN the forttes, discovered mutiny on board his
vessel, in which he found some OF his own officers
10 be Implicated. Two OF them he hung to the
yard arm at once, and one Of those, a midshipman
named Spencer, was son OF the Secretary OF War
Capt Mackenzie. was afterwards court-martialed
1or his course and was acquitted l don't believe
there wodlS have been trial at all but for the
fact that OF those executed was the son of the
secretary OF War" The Secretary OF War is still
out OF the City but there seems TO be no doubt but
that the whole matter will De investigated In ac-
cordance with Lieut. 0reely's wishes
. There was some little comment to-day upon the
TACT that Lieut. Greedy in his report made no refer
ence to the reported cannibalisrn among the nar1v
This increased the doubts In the minds OF some
upon that branch Of the story.
The Body Of Sergeant Cross.
1--WE do not take any stock In the report of cam
ulodliStH SaI0 MI Coul0S, prOther-1n-laW OF Ser
geant Vim. II. Cross, one Of the dead OF the Greely
party, to STAR reporter to-day.
"Will the family do anything about opening
Cross casket?" asked the reporter
'That Is 4 matter that has not been considered
yet by the family at ALL" said Mr. Collins
Mr.. Collins stated that the death OF Mr. Cross
cousin, which occurred yesterday, had brought
another adiction upon the family and they had all
they could attend to at present without discussing
this question.
ROrter-fHe Knows Nothing OF Any
Cannibalism.
Lieut.. Greedy made statement at Portsmouth,
n H., yesterday, as stated in the kilograms pub
ished In TIE STAR last evening" in relation to the
shooting OF Private Henry, and also as to the
stories OF cannibalism among his party. After
Henry had been detected several times in stealing
nom the stores. Lieut.. Greedy said he was placed
under guard for several weeks, until the Increasing
feebleness OF the other members OF the party rem
dered 1t necessary for them to avail themselves OF
Henry's personal services Shortly afterward he
stole liquor from the stores and became Intoxicated
Again his comrades clamOred for his nfe and again
Lieut.. Greedy restrained them. On June he again
stole and carried away some OF the provisions.
Lieut. Greely spoke finally to Henry and told him it
would 0e policy for him to stop. Said the ueuten-
anti "For Gods sake, Henry, as you seem to have
no moral sense, remember that our lives depend
upon our holding together" With great earnest
Lieut.. Greely fel: that he could not trust Henry.
Alter revolving in his mind their circumstances, the
neuten mt on his own responsibility issued writ
Ten order, now In the possession OF one OF the sur
vlvors, commanding that Henry be Shot at once
upon the commission OF any more thefts Of food.
n DUSo