The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-20
A MYSTERY OF THE ARCTIC.
Killing of Private Henry by His Conn
panions of the Greedy Expedition.
The Lips of the Survivors at Last Unsealed
and the True Story of His Death
Given to the World.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK. Sept. 19-The exact manner of
the killing of Private Henry by his companions
of the Greedy arctic expedition has remained a
mystery There was an avoidance of circum4
stantial narrative in the official reports made by
Lieutenant Greedy to the Navy Department.
after his return, and at that time mono of the
survivors would give the particulars for publi-
cation. Greedy then said that he had given a
verbal account to his superior officer, General
Hazen who would not tell about it. There had
been compact by the men with their COM
mander to keep the secret Greedy has been
for several months at Pittsfeld Mass where he
has by rest regained most of hislost health He
has spent some of the time in writing history
of the expedition, and he now says that he is
only waiting until the rendering of his full
official report shall leave him free to publish.
The execution of the death sentence on Henry
was not concealed" he says; "a verbal report
was made to General Hazen the very day met
him, and it was followed by formal report as
soon as was able to put it in writing" These
reports, however, were very brief and one who
has read the written one declares that no par
ticulars are afforded therein There is no doubt
that Greedy will make complete statement
and this understanding has unsealed the lips Of
several of his comrades, from whose recollec-
tons succint narration of the tragedy is made
now possible.
Private Charles Henry Buck, of the Fifth
United States Cavalry, who was shot by order of
Lieutenant Greedy, on June 6, 1884, at Cape
Sabine, and was eaten by his comrades, had
twisted his name into Charles B. Henry when he
enlisted, in order to escape any trouble which
might arise from the hasty manner in which he
had previously left the Seventh Cavalry. He was
habitually silent and his companions thought
him surly The diary he left was queruous
He deemed himself an injured man. After ten
of the party had died of starvation, and while
two more lay at the point of death, Greedy felt
compelled to act on the evidence that Henry had
been stealing food. The men had suspected his
crime as early as the preceding November It
happened one day in March that the whole party
were nearly suffocated. While several were yet
unconscious, and there was much confusion, Jams
Edwards, an Eskimo, saw Henry take about
two pounds of bacon from the mess stores.
This witness is now in Greenland, but every
accessible recalls his testimony. Further
proof of the theft was found in the fact that he
threw UP some of the undgested bacon from his
weakened and overloaded stomach. An invesui-
cation was held, and notes of it, made at the
time, will be given in Greely's report. Every
member of the party signed verdict that Henry
was guilty. They felt that they would be COM
PEELED to starve to death or begin to eat their
dead companions long before the probable time
of rescue, and this consideration heightened
thair 81
clamor for his death, but the proof will be posi-
tive that Greedy only put him under surveil-
lancs He seemed partially deranged but that
is now regarded as having been stimulation, as
he subsequently proved to be the strongest Of
the company. Finally the weakness Of the rest
rendered their watch idle He stole from the
scanty stock of liquor and got drunk. Again his
life was demanded, and again Greedy spared
him. On June he was detected in robbery
of the provisions He begged for mercy and
promised to reform, but he did not pretend to
deny his guilt, and the outraged men formally
voted that he ought to be killed. Greedy gave
to him more chance for life, but ordered
that he be shot if caught stealing again On the
very next dav he not only stole some of the few
shrimps that were caught with much trouble
and exposure by hand in the icy water, but in
violation of orders he entered the winter camp
and there took some sealskins that had been put
aside for food. Greedy suspected that others
were IN completely with Henry. At all events
he did not dare to condone the known thiefs
crimes any longer. There was way Of con-
fning him. The only punishment was death.
He wrote an order, which has been preserved,
that the wretch be shot, and delivered it to three
of the most trustworthy men,
Lieutenant Greedy gave no directions as to the
execution of the sentence. He was indeed too ill
to have personally superntended the homicide if
hoh nod co ha no nf ha
cutioners will not be given in Greelys official or
personal story. None of the survivors have yet
revealed their identity. The intimation is given
that they subsequently, died, and that may posi-
bly, be true, in part if not wholly. But there is
disposition to conceal what they did. They
took pistols and went out of the quarters to
gether. 1t was in the afternoon, and it hap
pened that Henry was alone in the rear of the
tent. He was the ablest man in the party phys
lea lily, and it was necessary to steal upon him
unawares, approach him in the guise of
friendliness Neither he nor anybody except
Greedy and the executioners knew that the death
warrant had been issued. One engaged him in
conversation, while the others shot him from
behind The two pistol shots aroused the
rest, and the trio Immediately walked
into their midst One handed the
order back to Greedy. and then, for the first, its
contents were made known to all There was
unanimous concurrence in the justice and ne
cessity of the act. On the spot, Greedy abiured
them to keep the identy of the three men secret;
but there was no intention to suppress the fact
of the execution, or any other of the crcum-
stances.
The motive for whatever mystery has envel-
oped the case lies in the cannbalism which en-
sued and as to which attempt made on
the return of the survivors, to hide the dreadful
truth. Greedy declines to talk at all on this
point, and it is uncertain whether he has yet
NJ ado up his mind to publish or to suppress all
he knows. The testimony hereinafter presented
does not come from him in any particular but
its sources are trustworthy. Henry was buried
at the foot of an ice foe a short distance from
the quarters to the northwest. and the idea was
attempted to be maintained that the body was
never seen again by the survivors until their
rescue AS matter of fact, it was the first to
be eaten out of all that consumed for
food All the flesh was removed from his bon es.