HORRIBLE STORY OF CANNIBALISM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1497, 9 October 1886, Page 3

HORRIBLE STORY OF CANNIBALISM.

The Canard steamer Anrania, which arrived at Liverpool on August 15th from. New York, with mails and passengers, brought particulars of the trial and sentence of Alfred Packer at Denver, United States. Packer, who was sentenced to forty years’ imprison* ment, recited in Court a shocking tale of cannibalism. The date of the crime went back to 1871, and occurred in the mountains where be and his companions were travelling. Packer was a miner, and with fire others set out for a district which is now occupied by Lake City. According to Packer’s Story, told in the Assiz* Court, the men had to travel through snow of great depth. It was January, and the cold was intense. The party had to discard thejr, boots and walk with their feet wrapped in blankets. This was to prevent their feet freezing. On the ninth day their food gave out, and then they lived on what they could pick up, chiefly willow and rosebuds, This was the only means of subsistence for many days. The oldest of the party was the first to give out, and then another of the party named Bell appeared to be peculiar, as if half-crazy. The men could not get him to speak. Ttu y carried a little fire in a can. On one occasion they struck a game trail, and as Faoker appeared to be tbs strongest of the party the others insisted upon him following up the trail. He did so, taking with him the only rifle which the party possessed. The journey was fruitless, but Packer refreshed himself by a meal of rosebuds. On his return he found Bell cooking something. When he got neat Bell rushed at him with an upraised hatchet. Packer made off but fell, and as Ball caught up to him and was about to strike him with the hatchet when Faoker fired, shooting him through the body. Packer then picked, up the hatchet and struck Bell with it, killing him. On examination Packer found that all of the men were dead, and that Bell had cut a portion off one of the bodies, and was engaged in cooking it when Packer returned. Packer remained all night at the camp, but next day went to a place close by. His hunger drove him back, and he too took the flesh from the leg of Bell end boiled it in a cup. After partaking of the first meal of human flesh Packer vomited, but his second attempt enabled him to digest the blood. The same horrible expedient was resorted to until at last April had set in, and no relief appeared, Then Packer took with him a supply of his unholy food, and made for a place eome forty miles off. This he reached in safety, and was there supplied with proper food. He was ashamed, he said, to tell his horrible experience, and said his party had got lost. The greatest feeling of horror passed through the assembled people in the Court-house as Packer minutely detailed the circumstance of his crime, and as be was closely questioned by the counsel and judge he ponred forth a torrent of vile abuse at his questioners. He was five hours in the dock, and the revelations were said to be without parallel in the history of the Court.