The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-08-08
The Crimes Charged Against
Albert Packer.
THE COLORADO CANNIBAL
How He Killed HE Five COMPANION,
aud sabsIsted on Their Flesh
HIS Story.

.
Colorado, who has been under sentence
OF death for three or four years, is to
escape the gallows, writes a Gunnison
correspondent of the New York Sun.
In 1869, Packer and his FIVE compan-
ions, all of them prospectors aud ad =
venturers. left Utah for San Juan
County, Colorado. The country was
then wilderness, and as the men were
unfamiliar with their surroundings, they
fost their way. After weary wander
ings, covering several weeks, their food
gave out. and the entire party was re-
duced almost 10 the verge of starva-
ton. For several days they subsisted
or barks and roots, but as they grew
weaker rapidly, and no game appear
ing, they finally came to the conclusion
that death was inevitable. and it was
agreed that they would meet it as brave
men should. This decision appears to
have been arrived at in good faith by
all except Packer. Going into camp for
the night with q faint hope that the
\
soon asleep save one. tA Z
! Packer alone. animated by a devilish
impulse, retained consciousness, and
when he had reason to believe that his
exhausted om<anions were wrapped in
sound slumber, be seized his weapons
and crept stenthily about the camp,
shooting each man in the head. So
heavy was their sleep that those last
murdered had no warning Of their fate.
and the five murders were accomplished
as easily as one might have bean. Once
satisfied of the thoroughness of his
work, Parker hunger got the better Of
him, and without waiting for daylight.
he maze a horrible meal of one of his
victims, and fell asleep.
81 dreamed" he once said, that re-
lief had come, and that we were already
sitting at q Well-loaded table. No meal
| that / ever ate was more real to me.
Ny companions were all there, and my
own satisfaction was heightened by see
ing the enjoyment with which they de-
voured their food. thought the town
which we had reached had received US
as heroes, and we were proud of what
we had accomplished, but every few
minutes leaden feeling would come to
my heart as if something that had
done was yet 10 destroy all my happi-
ness. awoke with a groan and glanced
quickly about me. The sky over the
mountain, was streaked with light,
| showing that the morning was near.
but in the valley it was almost dark. l
sprang to my feet as nimbly as my
stiffaned and weakened limbs would
permit, and then the whole truth flashed
ON me. gave one glance at the bodies
Lying around me and shrieked in terror
NY wolfish hunger of the night before
had been appeased. and an awful revul-
sion seized upon me. fanced that i
could see their faces and their wounds,
almost that could hear them talk, and
without turning again, / ran as fast as
nay legs could carry me away from
Sthem. / neither knew nor cared in
what direction. All the morning l
pressed on. never stepping and never
] looking behind, untH at length my
strength would endure no more, and
sank to the ground. The day was half
gone, and I already began to fear the
night. I felt then as If could not
sleep again; that 1 could not even close
my eyes in daylight. L stretched my
self on the ground and lock up at the
clouds and the sky and thought OF
everything that. l could to keep my
mind Oft the one horrible scene that1
! left. In this way ! saw the sun dfsap-
near behind the range and the twilight
come on, and in q sort ofstupor which /
remember at one time had conscious
ness enough 70 hope was death, passed
Into q profound sleep, from which did
not awaken untl late the next morn
/ in. ;"
When Packer came to himself after
/ this long slumher, he was Tavenousiy
hungry again. The thought of his com
panions' bodies came TO his mind now
as temptation rather thar. rs grim
reproach, and il was with decided et-
/ fort that he dismissed the IDEA tempor-
arily and sought long and painfully for
game. Not finding any and growing
| more and more raYenous as night came
on. he endeavored TO satisfy his cravings
! by chewing such shrubs and leaves as
were within his reach. he darkness
now did not affrighten him. He saw
no visions, and his Imagination cou-
| iured up nothing 10 disturb him, In
| the blackRess OF the night he laid vide
awake and with mind supernaturaHy
aeiye Specializing on the position in
| which each of his victims had been left,
and turning over and ever IN his brains
hsw he would prepare his unnatural
meal. He could hardly wait for day
break 70 begin his journey, and when
( he set out on bis horrible GRAND, weak
as he was, il was with bouyaney which
surprised himself.
/ Alter this trip he lost his terror, and
! the repugnanoe with which he regarded
his crime passed away. He fingered
near the scene of the murdens for days
until finally, adIHonished that his reyel
sould not last muck longer, he beam to
mske excursions in various directions
IN the hspe of finding succor. On some
OF these trips he was absent several
DAYS. and az last. after having subsisted
ON the bodies of his companions fer six
weeks, be came upon camp and was
directed to Salt Lake City, where his
crime was soon made known, and where
he was promptly arrested for murder
The iaiis in those days were primitive
affairs. and not long after his incarcera