The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-30
AROUND THE CoRR1DoRs.

NolOuCl Az. ID. OcIIy, I'LL eA-DlStrlct Judge OF
Colorado, who sentenced Alfred Packer, the
confessed man-eatcr, to be hanged. is at the
Grand Hotel. He is resident of Washington,
d. c., and is here on his way home from pro-
fessional visit to Arizona.
That celebrated case was tried at Lake City,
Colo, in April, 1883, and excited great interest
all over the United States. Packer was charged
with numbering five companions in the noun
tains near Lake City in 1874. One of the MUIR
dered men was George Noon, a brother of John
Noon, now a resident of Fresno. and of DIR.
Noon, who was educated at the University of
California and recently practiced medicine in
this City.
"The story of the tragedy, as told in court,
was q thrilling one. though the evidence
against Packer was cireumstantial, except as
to the eating of the human flesh, which the
defendant admitted.
Packer started as guide with party of
twenty prospectors from Utah In the fall of
1873 to go into the San Juan country in Colo
RADIO. When the party reached the camp of the
old Ute Chief, Ouray ,on the Uncompahgre River,
near the present town of Montrose on the Dem
yer and Rio Grande Railroad, twas subdivided
into four parties, each taking different pros
pecting route.
"The several parties agreed to meet at the
Los Pinos agency, near the present town of
Saquache. All but Packers party finally ar
spring of 1874 and when asked as to his COM
panions he said that they had run out of food
and finding they were about to starve drew
lots, the unlucky person being killed to serve
as food for the others. This went on until only
himself and one other remained. He drew the
fortunate lot and killed his companion and
thus survived.
"But the bodies were found together in a
deep gulch called Slumgullion and Packer was
hold a prisoner the whQnp6 he 81
capped. He was captured nine years later at
Fort Fetterman, Wyo. and carried back to Lake
City.
cat the trial Packer told a different story.
He said that while he was away from the camp
man named Bell had killed the other three
men, and when he returned ne was obliged to
kill Bell in self-defense. After he had shot Bell
he smelt cooked flesh, and being hungry al
most to starvation, proceeded to cook and eat
until he had become insane. But two juries
doubted him, and he is still In the peniten-
tiary.
"The theory has been advanced since the
trials that the party discovered a lost silver
mine and got into row over it, and that
Packer and Bell killed the others, whose bodies
were ranged in order about dead campfire;
or that Bell alone killed the others. Packer
admits killing Bell, and it has been said that
he claims to have knowledge of a very valuable
silver mine that he discovered on that eventful
trip"
''The outlook for the orchardists of the
Santa Clara Valley is q particularly good one
for the coming season." said James H. Madden
of San Jose yesterday, "and the fruit men down
our way are in the best of humor. The crops
give promise of being exceptionally heavy as
regards prunes, both of the French and silver
varieties, and what is better, the prices are not
going to fall as low as they did last year. Our
fruit-raisers deserve, as well need, a good
year. Last season they realized very little; in
fact, some of them came out losers on the year.
Prunes sold for less money than they had in
years before, and apricots and cherries were
the only fruit which brought anything like fair
figures.
"This year the early cherries sold well at ex-
cellent prices, and while the crop was not
heavy one the growers made money on their
products. As for the apricot crop, it
will not be as heavy as last year, but
the prices will be higher. Already contracts
are being made for the fruit at $50 and $35 a
ton, and before two weeks think choice ap-
ricots viii be bringing $40, and possibly $50
ton. Many orchardists are holding over their
fruit with this expectation. The canneries
have no hold-over stock, and their agents are
around trying to get all the fruit possible.
at is in prunes, though, that the orchardists
will, think, do best this season. After the
late spring frosts it was thought that the young
fruit would not mature, but would drop off as
soon as the summer sun began to throw its
burning rays around. On the contrary, the
fruit has not been damaged, and there are fine
prospects for large crop and excellent prices.
But few contracts have been made yet for
prunes, and how the prices will range can only
be guessed at outside of the fact that they will
not be low. Last year they fell as low as $40
and $18 ton, but would give as fair aver
age for this year from $35 to $40"