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About The Oregon scout. (Union, Union County, Or.) 188?-1918 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 1886)
PACKER'S FRIGHTFUL CRIME. jSlow Ho Killed Itisl'lvo Companions nnd Subsisted upon Tliolr flesh A Xotcd Trial, Owing to a loclinicality, duo to tho Stupidity of tho legislature, Albert (Packer, tho most noted criminal in Col prado, who has been under sontenco o nlc.itli for three or four years, is to cs .capo tho callows, writes a Gunnison Scorrcspondcnt of The New York Sun an 18C0 Packer and his five compan .ions, all of them prospectors nnd ad venturers, left Utah for San Juan conn ty, Colorado. Tho country was thou ildcrncss, and as tho men woro tin amiltar with their surroundings thoy ost their way. After weary wander gs, covering several weeks, their food gavo out, nnd tho entire party was re duced almost to tho vorgo of starva iion. For several days thoy subsisted on barks and roots, but as they grow weaker ranidlv. nnd no cranio annear- i n a. i Gng, thoy finally camo to tho conclusion (that death was inevitable, and it was agreed that thoy would meet it as bravo men should. This decision appears to iiavo been arrived at in good faith by jail except Packer. Going into camp tor tho night with n faint hopo that tho morrow might bring relief, all were aoon aslocp savo ono. I Packer alone, animated by a devilish impulso, retained consciousness, and when ho had reason to bclievo that his exhausted companions wcro wrapt in uounu slumber no seized Jus weapon and cropt stealthily about his camp. shooting each man in tho head. 60 fhcavy was their sloop that thoso last anurdorcd had no warning of tlioir fate, and tho fivo murders wcro accomplish ed as easily as ono might have been Onco satisfied of tho thoroughness of wis work, Packer's hunger got the bet tor of him, and without waiting for aylight ho niado a horriblo meal off no of his victims, nnd fell asloep. "I droainod," ho onco snid, "that re let had come, and that wo wcro al- cady sitting at u well-loaded table. o moal that I over nlo was moro real f yt nntilltnlllnitrf nil JlmMSl nnd my own satisfaction was hoightonod fey scolng tho enjoyment with which fhoy devoured tlioir food. I thought tho town which wo had reached had rccoivod us as heroes, and wo woro proud of what wo had accomplished, Jmt overy few minutes a loadou feeling jwould como to my heart as if soino .Ihing that I had dono was yet to de stroy all my hnppinoss. I awoko wkh a groan nnd glnnccd quickly nhout mo. p.'ho sky over tho mountains 713 Btroakcd with light, showing that tho morning was near, but in tho valloy it was almost dark. 1 sprang to my foot as nimbly as my stiilened and weak ened limbs would pormit, and then tho jWholo truth Unshed on me. J gave one glance at Iho bodies lying around mo jrind shrieked in terror. My wollish hunger of tho night before had boon nppoascd, and nu awful revulsion seized upon mo. I faiiciod that 1 could seo tlioir faces nnd thoir wounds, almost that 1 could hear them talk, and with out turning again 1 ran as fast as my logs could carry mo away from them. 1 neither know nor cared in what direc tion. All tho morning I pressed on, never stopping nnd never looking be Jiind, until at length my strength (would enduro no moro and I sank to tho ground. Tho day was half gono and 1 already bogan to fear tho night. I foil then as if I could not sleep again; that 1 could not even closo my oyos in daylight. I stretched myself on tho ground nnd looked up at tho clouds and tho sky nnd thought of everything that I could to keep my mind oil tho ono horrible scone Hint I had left. In this way I saw tho sun disappear behind tho range and tho twilight como on, and in n sort of stupor which I romoni jbor 1 nt ono time had consciousness cnoughto hopo was death, I passed into a profound sleep, from which 1 did not awukon until Into tho noxt morning." J When Packer camo to himself after (this long slunibor ho was ravenously hungry again. Tho thought of Ids ompaauions' bodies camo to his mind now as a temptation rather than as n jjrhn reproach, and it was with a dooid cd oflbrt that ho dismissed tho idea temporarily and sought long and pain fully for gamo. Not finding any, and growing moro nnd moro ravenous as night camo on, ho endeavored to satisfy his cravings by chewing such Bhrubs and leaves as woro within his reach. Tho darknoss now did not affright him. Ho saw no visions, nnd his imagination conjured up nothing to disturb him. In tho blnoknoss of tho night ho laid vrido awako and with mind superuatur nlly active speculating on the position hi which each of his victims had been loft, and turning over and over in his l)rain how ho would preparo his noxt unnatural meal. Ho could hnrdly wait for daybreak to begin his journey, nnd jvhen ho sot out on his horriblo errand, weak ns ho was, it was with a buoy ancy which surprised himself. After tliis ho lost his terror,' and tho repugnance with which ho regarded his crime passed nway. Ho lingered tear tho scone of tho murders for day, pntll finally, admonished that his rovel could not last much longer, ho began to tnako excursions in various direotions In tho hopo of finding succor. On somo et thoso trips ho was absent sevoral days, nnd at last, after having subsisted on the bod'es of his companions for julx weeks, be camo upon a camp and was directed to Lake City, where hit crimo was soon made known and where ho was proniplly arrested for murder. Tho jails In thoso dins were primitive affairs, and not long after his incarccra. tion Packer dug his way out, and was not fco n or heard of until thirteen years had passed. In 1882 something impelled him tc venture back to tho scene of his crime, and ho was again arrested nnd put on trial for his life. His conviction fol lowed, and in tho spring of 1883 he was sentenced to death. Friends of tho man, bclioving that his crimes wcro committed when ho was insane from hunger and being advisod by good lawyers that tho conviction was illegal, carried tlto case to tho supremo court, where a supersedeas was granted and on a change of venuo tho case was brought here. In behalf of Packer tho brief submitted to tho supremo court held that tho law under which ho had been condemned to death was not in oxistenco nt tho limo of his crime. Tho murder law then in forco had beon repealed and a new ono substituted. Tho court decided in accordanco with this view, that tho man could not bo tried under a law wliicn nad beon re pealed, and certainly not under ono which iiad not boon passed until ten or twelve years after the alleged offense. When this ruling was recoived hero Packer's attorneys moved for his dis missal, hut tho presiding judge denied tho motion, holding that tho laws boar- ing on manslaughter had not beon changed, nnd directing that an infor mation alleging that crime bo filed against him. For that offense, if con victed, ho can bo sent to tho peniten tiary for ton years, but ho never will bo hanged. Packer lias been in jail hero for near ly three years, and lias attracted much attention from tourists. Ho has let Iris hair and whiskers grow until thoy aro of wonderful length, and from them ho las made many littlo nrticlos, which ho hns sold to curiosity-hunters. Ho is liglily olated over his prospects of es caping- with his lifo. "Tho Relation of Insanity to Sin." It would hnvo beon moro accurate to specify crimo instead of speaking vaguely of sin. The Saturday Review, in an article on this topic, restates and professes to find approximate satisfac tion m tho familiar legal questions about insanity: "Did ho know that what ho was doing was wrong? If ho lid, could ho help doing it?" Wo arc unfortunatoly compelled by tho facts of tho case to join issue, and contend that a man may know ho is doing wrong and do it without obligation or impulso of any sort, and yet lie insane. There is unquestionably such a thing as moral insanity" that is, insanity of tho conscience of nlorality; and this particular form of mental disease for such it is can not unhappily bo very oadilyor cortainly distinguished from that depravity of the moral sense which characterizes alike low developments and what Herbert Spencer has desig nated, and lhighling.s-. Jackson has demonstrated in pathology, as "disso lution." 'I hero will bo no substantial progress in the study of mental disease until this branch of science is rescued from tho toils of the lawyers. The judges, by their formulation of imper fect views of facts in niedloino and therefore beyond the province of non medical observers, however able and nouto have done grievous violence to truth and principle, and thoy have placed a groat stumbling-block in tho way of tho doctors, ror tho present wo must stand on the defensive, and may in nil truthfulness bo described as lost in amazement at tho wondrous and nexplieablo folly of thoso who, whilo ttempting to recognize a disease and discriminate botween it and health, should sot themselves against tlie study f tho only methods by which diagnosis, u a medical sonso, can bo safely or suc cessfully performed. The Lancet. Whon Sho Spoke. Sho was a sweet-faced, bluo-oyed young girl with great waves of golden hair brushed carelessly back from a noble-looking, snow white brow. Her ruby Hps w re full and swoet. Inno cence itself was in her groat blue eyes. Fair and swt Jt was sho in all the purity and guilolossness of her fresh young womanhood. Two young mon have long been watching her with eager interest. Her glorious beauty has enthralled them. "What n superb girl!" said one. Never was lily fairer! How I would love to hear her speak. No 'sweot bells jangled' could bo like words sho must utter witli Hps like thoso and a face like that." She spoke. A friend eamo down tho aisle, and snid carelessly: "A cold day, Miss 1) ." Tho full red lips parted slowly, the beautiful head turned with superb grace, a smile uf seraphic sweetness illuminated the noble features, soft and sweet ami low was her artless answer: "Well, I should smirk to twitter! Cold ain't no muiio for L Detroit Free J'ress. Would Bo a Mean Triolt "Dinny, did you bo r'adiu' in tho noospapors that Jay Gould's income is tin cints ivory tolmo tho clock ticks?" "Troth, an' 01 did. Wouldn't It bo a mnuo thrlck now if somo blaggynrd was to snake in an' slhop Ms clock fur Min?" Merchant Traveler. Tho Rival Grocers. Not long ago a young Boston grocer went out into a northern Massachusetts city to establish a grocery on a largo and liberal scale. Ho rented a big store, filled It up witli electric lights, put an immense glittering coffee mill in the front window, filled up his store with now goods, stacked up in ingen iously constructed pyramids and tho like, and invited patronago with double column advertisements in the dally pa pers. The trado started In briskly enough, but ho soon discovered that his patrons wcro somewhat interested in tho prices that ho sold his goods at, as well as tho imposing surroundings of his business. There was a rival estab lishment very much liko his own, with electric lights, big coffee mill, glittering pyramids of baking powder, boxes, etc., farther down the street, and purchasers wcro continually comparing his prices with the rates in this rival store. One day a male customer, with an open, confiding fucc, camo in and re marked: "What do you sell the bc3t naxall flour for?" "Fivo dollars and a half a barrel." "But the other store down tho street sells it for 85." "Best Haxall, is it?" "Oli, yes." "Well," said the new grocer, "thoy don't sell this kind of Hour for 85. Did you notice how many X's thero wcro on tho barrels down at tho other store?" "Thero were three, sir." "Well, I sell you this flour for 85,' and it has four X's on tho band! Do you see? They can't begin to do that for you!" Tho opon-faced man went out and traveled right over to tho other store. "That man in tho new store," said lie, "offers to sell mo tho best Haxall flour, with four X's on tho barrel, for 85, and your Hour hasn't but thrco X's." Tho grocor scratched his head. "Did you notico tho sizo of tho X's on his barrels?" ho finally asked. "Yes," said tho customer. "They wcro about thrco incites long." "Ah, that makes the difference; don't you sec? Tho X's on my barrols aro six inches long. Just look at them!" Tho customer was convinced, und or dered a barrol delivered at onco. Tho grocor from Boston is beginning to got an idea of the sort of competi tion ho has to tight, and thinks that when ho gets the population woll learn ed ho will manage to make a living. Jioston Record. John Brown's Fame. A Dotroiter who recently paid a visit to Harper's Ferry accosted a citizen with: "I supposo you know all about old John Rrown?" "John Brown old John Brown? Did ho live here?" "Why, I mean John Brown, who tried to freo the slaves." "Wanted to free the slaves, eh? Did ho have any middle name?" "I am speaking of John Brown, who got up the insurrection." "Yes, I suppose you are. Got up an insurrection, did lie? Ho shouldn t hnvo dono it. When did ho lcavo bore?" "Is it possible you have novcr hoard of John Brown?" "Seems to mo I have heard his nanio mentioned here. What did tho insur rection amount to, and who insurreet od?" "Ho captured tho ongino-liouso down there. Havon'tyou over road tho sign on tho building?" "Lots of times, but I didn't supposo it amounted to anything. John Brown? John Brown? How old a man was ho?" "Never mind," ropliod tho Dotroiter, 111 probably Hud someone horo who can tell me what I want to know." "Lot's go out togother, then. You'vo got my curiosity oxoited, and I'd really like to know who ho was anil what roa sons ho had for leaving the place. Say wo go and ask tho bridge-tender. He's a groat hand to remember picnics and insurrections." Detroit Free Press. Bobby's Artiolo on Cats. A cat is a curius animil. It has foro feat and also fore legs. Its head is at ono end of its body nnd its tale at tho other. When it walks its liodgos boforo and its tale follows along behind. Its frunt feat walks boforo and its hino feet walks along behind. If a kan is tide to a oat's tnlo it will not track when it walks. It Is not good fora cat to ti a bunoh of firecrackers to its tale oathor. It is npt to walk tco fast and got hoated. A cat's tale is a good haudel to pike tho .eat up by, but it is Itard on tho cat. Cats can clltno treas. Dogs kant. That is luoky for cats. When a dog gits after them thay kan clime a, tro whor thay kan sass back, without gitin hort, You kant hit a cat. Wunct I thru a buto nt ono and i hit a nold ruster. Tho olo ruster hoVllde, but the cat didn't. "Was Sua Fitzperey at the social lost night?" asked the high school girl's mother. "Yes," replied Mildred, and sho took tho initiative on leav ing." That's just liko that girl; she'll tako everything she can got hor hands on. Tho Delaware lVuliuula peach crop U e limited at 3,000,000 baskets. llll POWDER Absolutely Pure. This powder never varies. A mnrvcl of purity, strength mid wholcsomcncss. Moro economical than tho ordinary kinds, and cannot bo sold in competition with tho multitude ol low test, short weight nlum or phosphato powders, hold only in cans ItoYAii IUkixo rowuKit Co., 100 Wall St. N. Y. ENTEN1AL HOTEL BAR. E. MILLER, Proprietor. Having fitted up tlio Centennial Hotel Uar-room, ami removu my stock ol Wines, Liquors & Cigars fn flml, nlnri. T nin linllnr nrnnnrnrl ftinn ever to uuicriani anu regain my customers I keep none but the best ot Eastern Liquor, IMIlivnuKcc, ' Walla Walla, and Union Ileer. Also, the Finest Branflsof Cigars. COMMERCIAL- Livery ai Feed OrrosiTK Centu.nnial. Hotel JOHN S. ELIOTT, rROriUETOR, Having furnished this old nnd nomilnr hostelry with ample room, plenty ot Iced, good hostlers nnd now buggies, is better prcpnrccl than over to accommodate cus tonicrs. My terms aro reasonable. GOVE TANNERY. Adam Ciiobsxia.v, l'ltor-ntirron. t Hns now on linnd nnd for ealo tho beat of HARNESS, LADIGO, UPPER and LACE LEATHER. SHEEP SKINS, ETC. ioiE'rfl.AiM faii;3:s Pnid for Hides and Pelts. HOT LAKE! Rlf inilnil- fmi?. imlpi wnjf nf TTninti flniinf on south side of tho O. 11. it N. Co. 'a rail road. In Comfortable Rooms. Hoalth for tho Sick, nud Rest for tho Weary. Especially ndnpted for tho Relief of Wo men. Js under tho supervision 01 one wuo has hud thirty years experience. b. 1'. NEW1IAK1J, 1'riipnotor. SMOKK OUIt "PUNCH" Ucst Havana Filled Five Cent Cio-ar. Jones Bros., agents, Union. E. GOLLINSKY & CO. A Positive Cure. MEN. young, middle-aged nnd old. slnglo or married, nnd nit who suffer with LOST .II.VMIOOn, Nervous Dobilily, Spunnntorrlia-n. Seminal Losses, Sexual Decay, Failing Memory, Weak Eyes, stunted development, lack ol energy, impoverished blood, pimples, im pediments to mnrringe: also blood und skin diseases, syphilis, eruptions, hair falling, bono pains, swellings, sore throat, ulcers, (fleet h of mercury, kidney and bladder troubles, weak back, burning urine, incon tinence, gouorrhirn, gleet, stricture, recoiva searching treatment, prompt, relief mid cure for lifi). Hotii Skxus cons'dt confidentially. If in trouble, cull or write. Delays aro danger ous. 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