The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-04-12
COLORADO'S CORY CANNIBAL
KILLED FIVE COMPANIONS AND
LIVED UPON THEIR FLESH.
Wraith-Iike Cloud Recalls Story OF
Man-Eater Whose GhOulish Crime
Left Blot Upon Mountains.


A great white cloud, its misty va
pors floating like a winding sheet
through Dead Mans Gulch, rising be-
yond Gold Hill, and reckoning
wraitb-like above Cannibal Mesa,
has pointed its phantom-like fingers
once more at the history of one OF
the most CHASTITY stories OF crime
in Colorado history.
Many who have visited the scene OF
one of the most revolving crimes in
pioneer history and have gazed upon
the graves of Alfred Packers vic
Tins have been impressed by the
queer white cloud which seems to
settle over the mountain sepulcher
on winter nights. The dWellers OF
the mountains, however, laugh at
the supernatural significance Delhg
attached to the phenomenon, which
is a frequent one. AT all events the
vfaith-Iike cloud recalls the story OF
the man-eater whose ghoulish crime
has left an indellible blot upon the
surface Of the mountains.
Alfred Packer, the man-eater, died
three years ago at Littleton-seYen
wears after he had been parOled by
Gov. c. S. Thomas and released from
the Canon City penitentiary, where
he served out II years of the 40-year
sentence.
A Horrible Confession.
The revolving details Of the story
of Colorado's man-eateT will always
make a vivid page in the hideous an
nails If cannibalism. There are those
who say that Packer invented the
tale of devOuring the flesh of his
companions, when overcome by star
walton, as the means of covering the
real motive of his crime, which was
murder and robbery.
Packer himself when he pushed
his way through the snOw-clogged
mountain passages and reached the
Los Pinos agency in April, 1874,
confessed that he had eaten of his
fellow men and described with de-
generate relish how he had found
the breasts Of his victims the sweet
est and most tender It'd bits he had
ever tasted.
The reyulsion caused by such a
confession may be mitigated by the
fact that Packer told many different
stories, and this fact finally resulted
in his being arrested and placed in
a log cabins jail at Saguache charg-
ed with the murder of his cOmpan-
ions. He escaped the same night,
and all trace of aim was lost for
nine years, when he was discovered
at Fort FetteTman, Wyo., by one
of the original band of prospectors
from Salt Lake, Utah, for whom
Packer mad volunteered his service
as guide
This man, "Frenchy" who had
been a close friend of one of the
victims, had sworn to attack his
slayer. One night through the thin
partitions of a house in WyomiAg
he heard voice he knew to be
Packers He notified Gen. Adams
and the man, who was living under
the name of John Schwartz, proved
to be Alfred Packer, the man-eater,
lie was returned to Lake City, triel
and sentenced to death, but OWING
to the tact that Colorado had e.
come a state since the crime was
committed legal technicalities per
mitted stay of execution to be
ehecte.'. l'acker was retired in 1856,
when he was sentenced to 40 years,
eight years each for the five victims
he wa saccused of killing.
Such is the brief outline of The
crime, disappearance and final cap
ture of Alfred Packer, but the story,
which mas been written upon the
lonely 1ace of the mountains and
which is whispered by the quaking
aspen and the sentinel pines, point
ing accusing fingers to high heaven,
is one that legal documents will new
er unfold.
The Phantom Mist.
The spectre-like cloud which the
jewellers in that widest of all parts
OF Colorado, Hinsdale county, say
has settled over Cannibal Mesa this
past month-just 38 years after the
crime was committed-br brings to the
minds of the old-timers the phantom
mist which had settled over the
mountains when Packer first made
his appearance at the Los Pinos
agency.
1t was in April, 1874, that a mar
appeared at the Los Pinos agency
where Gen. Adams was Indian agent
The stranger gave his name as Al
fred Packer, and stated that he wa.
one Of six men who had separated
from party of Utah prospectors
The original party, he stated, hat
left Utah early in the fall, headed
for the Los PinOs agency, and hat
made their way to Ouray's camp
near the present Montroose, where
the Indian chief had begged then
not to try to cross the mountains a
that time Of year Packer stated
that the party divided, one section
following Ouray's advice, startiny
for Los Pinos by way of Gunnison
He had endeavored to guide the 9th
er i've men to the agency, and a
result they had become lost. Fo
weeks they had foundered in tn,
mountain drifts, their provision,
rapidly disappearing. Packer theI
told a story Of horrible privation
OF hunger and cold, but his appear
ance did not bear out the story: h,
was fat and sleek, as if he were wei
led. There was a queer look il
the mans eye as he talked. and whn,