Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-08-14
GREELY CANNIBAL CASE.
WHY HENRY WAS sHOT-L EU~
TENANT GREELY'S STATE
MENT OF THE MATTER.

BOSTON, Aug. 13.-NotwithstsndinR
Secretary Chand ier's express or'ters
and the vigilance OF the Portsmouth
Navy Yard officials, Lieutenant G.,-iy
has been interviewed concerning the
charges made by the Now York cimss.
He frankly admitted that Henry had
been condemned to military execu-
tion on the 9Th of June. As early a.
March it was suspected that Henry
was stealing the limited too' which
waa apportioned out to the survivors
for their sustenance, and, this tao: be-
ing finally and positively ascertained,
Lieutenant Greedy had thereafter hard
work to protect the mans life.
1t became necessary in order to keep
discipline to inform Henry that he would
be shot If the practice continued and
that similar fate would be melted out
to any other member of the party who
should be detected in like crimes. If
Henry had been permitted TO continue
his steslings unmolested the balance Of
the party would have starved to death
and Henry alone survived.
| After and in spite of these warn
ings," Greely continued, Henry was
again detected stealing the provisions,
among the food taken being two
pounds of bacon. The eating OF so
/ uuCu Iuduc clCh a StatCu " 40
then instituted, when it was found that
Henry had among other articles stolen
and secreted a pair of seal-skin boots
which had belonged to the hunter Of
the party"
| THE DATE OF THE EXECUTION.
Lieutenant Greedy was therefore
forced, in order to maintain military
discipline and to protect the lives of
his other comrades, to issue u written
'order that Henry be shot, which order
WAS carried into effect on June g. Henry
was at one time discovered intoxicated,
having stolen the liquors. He was re-
peatedly warned Of the result of his in
subordination if continued, but he took
mo apparent notice of the orders and
thereafter repeated his depredations.
Lieutenant Greely stated, with con-
siderable emphasis, that If it had not
been fof his own physical condition he
should have himself killed Henry
rather than have delegated the duty to
others The Lieutenant also stated
that from May "a, which was the time
| of going into tue summer camp, until
the moment of their rescue he was
confined to his tent, utterly broken
, down in health, and without the slight
est hopes that he could live. He was
mot able to go over 100 yar1s from
the tent, and it was during this time
that he issued the written order TO have
Henry shot, for his repeated robberies
i were ouly serving 10 reduce the other
fmen t. greater starvation, while Henry
j. was profiting thereby.
I THE VICTIMS RECORD,
81 Henry, he says, was the on ~ vi in ia
= the expedition who caused trouble. a
enlisted under the name of Chares 3.
= Henry, his correcb name being, it was
9 understood, Charles Henry Buck. Ii
vas further Understood in the expe,.i-
= tion that he was deserter from the 9TH
y Cavalry, aud that charges of forgery
aud theft have been made against ilim
' some time be fore mis- joining the Arcsic
Exp dition. Lieutenant Greely's or-
IS dsrs we're that three men should be de-
a tailed to perform the execution. One
gun to be without ball aud the other
6 two loaded with balls The Lieutenant
: did not witness the shooting nor did
he see the body after the dusy was per-
3 formed, he being sick in his tent at the
time.
a AS to the alleged cannibalism, Lieu
{ tenant Greely says that of his personal
knowledge there was no act of eaaDi-
: balism by the party, and if anything of
b that kind occurred it was an individual
act entirely unauthorized and depreca-
ted. This statement is confirmed by
J , Sergeant Brainard and all other srryiv-
ing members of the expedition, who ara
, still at the Navy Yard Hospital. Lieu
/ tenant Greely has made his report to
} the Secretary of War, and it is probable
that court of inquiry will be ordered,
which the Lieutenant is ready to NEST.