The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-18
A NODERN NOgTE CRISTO.
Packer, the Cannibal, Possessed
of Fabulous Wealth.
THE SECRET OF LOST NINE.
He Only Can Disclose the Location of
This Famous Mine.
His Four Companions from Bingham Nc
Doubt Knew the Spot, Hence He Muir
dered Them and Then Feasted
Upon Their Remains.

DENVER, Dec. II. Especial. = Now
that Packer, the cannibal, may soon be
restored to his liberty the story that he
told over six years ago to Dr.
J. w. Dawson is revived. There
was little credence given to it at that
time, but now it is thought probable that
his story Of the fabulous wealth OF the
s'Lost mine'' in the Uncompahgre min
ing district may be true, and that it was
the discovery of the lost mine that led to
the terrible tragedy in 1874. During his
sickness he asked for paper that he might
make a statement before he died to his
physician, DR.. j. W. Dawson. He stated
that even il ne died in prison he knew
enough TO make hundreds of people rich,
and that he would tell his secret before
he died.
Packer made diagram and map of the
country wherein the murder was COM
United, and then wrote descriptive let
ter, but would not give up his manu-
script, and the prison officials believing
that he would soon be dead did not mo-
lest him. It was thought then that this
letter was the dying confession of his
crime, and that all would be plain after
he was gone. This letter was directed to
his aunt who lives in Pennsylvania, but
the next day alter the letter was written
he began TO improve. AS soon as there
was a change for the better he burned the
letter, but kept the map. John Burg
hart, an old guard at the prison, has oft
times heard Packer talk OF the money he
would have if he ever got out, and even
went SO far as to say that he would some
day be in position to reward his friend.
Upon the diagram he made he designated
place as the Lost Mine, - and said
that caused all the trouble and said there
were millions in it.
1t is a well known fact that the Uncom-
pahgre Indians possessed large quantities
of silver The trappings of their ponies,
their beads, their ornaments, on their
bows and everything they mad was orna-
mented with silver, but the source OF the
supply always remained secret. Many
While men who sought to gain the secret
have since their entrance to the Indian
camps been lost. Their fates can be i'm
agined Tradition tells OF great silver
mines of the Uncompahgre district, but
so many prospectors lost their lives in a
fruitless search for the hidden treasure
years ago that the interest has almost
passed away like an irredescent dream.
Packer in his story of his wanderings
about the state heard of these stories of
Indian wealth, and having general idea
OF the lay of the country concluded he
would return and try his luck in search
ing for the ''Lost mine,'' and when the
little band of prospectors started out from
Bingham, Utah, In the spring of 1874, he
gladly joined the party. On the way to
Colorado he gained the confidence of sew
eral of the party, and TO them stated that
he was going to find Lost mine'' or die
in the attempt, and so graphically had he
arranged his plans that he induced the
five men-Bell. Noon, Swan, Humphrey
and Miller-to accompany him.
While Governor Adams was occupying
the gubernatorial chair ne was one day
approached by a man who tried to induce
him to pardon q man. He said there was
untold wealth behind Packer and that the
man knew of the greatest body of silver
ore in the world, but the governor would
rot listen to the proposition. But now
that there is a show for Packers restora-
ton to freedom it revives all these mat
ters. In view of the fact that there are
thirty days. time of which Mr.. Packer
would never account, that there was
plenty of game in the country at the
time. he claims he and his companions
suffered Esuch privations, yet they had
guns and ammunition and although the
party was in the city over six weeks and
5x,o1, &c
dence of their having gone into camp for
any extended time. The story of the Lest
mine, the mineral that he took into camp
at the agency, his story of the secret and
the money he would possess, all these
confirm the statemant that was made by
man well posted in the case, that the
party discovered Lost mine and quarreled
over their find, Packer and Bell murdered
their companions and Packer murdered
Bell.
The bodies of five prospectors were
badly torn and lacerated by wild animals
when found later, and the story of
Packers having shot Bell never came out
until after he had learned the full par
ticulars through the daily press OF the
country. Taken all through, those who
knew most Of the case, most readily be-
lieve that Packer and his party discovered
Lost mine, and that certain men east
have interested themselves in the case
with the expectation that if Packer is re-
leased he viii reward them by disclosing
the whereabouts Of the famous mine, and
that all expect to be made fabulously
rich. Packer is nephew of William F.
Packer, who was governor of Pennsyl-