>On March 16, 1883, with General Adams again supervising, Packer offered up a second confession. This time he said that the group had left Chief Ouray’s camp with 7-days supply of food for one man. Ten days into the journey, he said they were surviving on rosebuds and pine pitch and some of the men were showing severe signs of depression and madness. One day Swan told Packer (their erstwhile guide) to >go up on a mountain and scope out the trail. When Packer returned to camp, he said he found Bell sitting by the fire, roasting a chunk of meat from Miller’s thigh. As Packer approached, he said Bell picked up the hatchet and came at him. In self-defense, Packer shot Bell sideways through the stomach and Bell went down hard. Then Packer grabbed the hatchet and whacked Bell hard on top of his head to finish him off.
>Packer claimed that every day after that, he tried to leave the gruesome camp but was stopped by the snow depth. So each day he ate a bit more of his companions, surviving this way for about two months.
see previous post’s link.
Alfred Packer was convicted of cannibalism and sentenced to hang by Judge Melville B. Gerry.
"Stand up, yah man-eatin' sonofabitch, and receive your sentence!" the judge exclaimed. "Thar were only seven Democrats in all of Hinsdale County and you ate five of them!"
Gruesome!!