GCHRNV Virtual Cache A Few Fava Beans and a Nice Chianti
Type: Virtual | Size: Virtual Virtual | Difficulty: 1 out of 5 | Terrain: 1 out of 5
By: Texas Godfather & Puccini @ | Hide Date: 03/10/2004 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N38° 00.010 W107° 17.700 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 27
 Cache photos

Alfred Packer


If  Hannibal Lector had a Grandfather, his name would be Alferd Packer, a man convicted of eating his partners.

The Packer case was the first, and possibly the only incident of cannibalism tried in the U.S. court system.

He was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1842 and migrated west in 1862. There is some confusion about the spelling of his first name. His tombstone reads "Alferd" and some say he spelled it this way.

In the winter of 1873 he was hired as a guide in Salt Lake City by 20 men for a prospecting trip into the San Juan mountains of Colorado.

He claimed to have driven an ore wagon in some of the mining camps of Colorado and that he could lead them to the valuable ore they were looking for. In truth, he knew very little about this region.

In January 1874 the group stopped over at the village of Chief Ouray and were warned not to try crossing the mountains until spring. Packer and five of the group decided to continue on into the mountains.

During early spring the rest of the group traveled across the mountains and inquired about the Packer party. A search team was then sent out to look for the missing men.

Two months earlier, Packer had appeared at the Los Pinos Indian Agency looking fit and well fed. His primary interest was in obtaining some whiskey, not food, and he had a large roll of money to pay for it.

He first said that he had been left behind by the others due to a leg injury. His story was to change several times...later being that one of the men went berserk and killed the others and that he had shot the man in self-defense.

An Indian guide found strips of human flesh on the trail and Packer was questioned. In August of 1894 the camp of the five missing men was found near Slumgullion Pass, 2 miles from Lake City.

Packer was jailed in Saguache and later escaped to Wyoming, and for 9 years lived under an assumed name until his capture. Packer was returned to Lake City in 1883 to stand trial.

The verdict was guilty, with death by hanging. The legend was that Judge Melville B. Gerry, on pronouncing sentencing said..."...There was siven Dimmycrats in Hinsdale County! But you, yah voracious, main-eatin son of a bitch, yah et five of them, therefor I sentence ye T' be hanged by the neck until y're dead, dead, dead!". This was probably not the exact statement made by the judge as he was a well educated man, but makes for good story-telling.

Later the sentence was reduced to manslaughter and he was given 40 years to be served at the prison in Canon City.

See http://www.archives.state.co.us/packer.html for additional information on Mr. Packer.

In order to claim this cache, Send me an email telling me the middle name on the plaque.

 

This cache was placed by a member of the
Texas Geocaching Association.

Texas Geocaching Association
Kid Friendly Kid Friendly Cache available after dark Night caching Wheelchair Accesible Wheelchair Access Bicycles permitted on paths Bicycles permitted on paths
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 Logs

21 Logs: Found it 21  

Found it 06/27/2019 By amydroyalty
This ranks as one of the more interesting cache descriptions and clever cache names that I've encountered. We had to follow up with lunch at the Cannibal Cafe. Thanks!

Found it 06/20/2019 By GeoWench78
Found with AF BEE while on a geo-vacation. He sent in our answer. Thanks for placing this cache,

Found it 06/20/2019 By AF BEE
Traveling from Gunnison to Gallup taking the scenic route, targeting new counties, Delorme pages, highly favored and birthday caches...thanks for sharing some interesting local history!

Found it 06/06/2019 By Weldingo
It is on private property y’all, so don’t step of the road! My friend learned that out the hard way...

Found it 05/28/2019 By Toronar
Found on our Vacation in USA 2019 together with my wife

T4TVC
Toronar

Found it 09/03/2018 By Ballard3D
Tftc!

Found it 09/03/2018 By Carrs2017
Tftc!!

Found it 09/01/2018 By YamaGypsy
I've heard the story. There is a virtual at his grave. First time coming through this area and saw this virtual. Email sent.

Found it 08/31/2018 By Rotorootie
On a Harley trip tavelling around Colorado and finding some caches along the way. Sent info T4TC

Found it 08/22/2018 By Libertarian Lad
What a history. This guy was well fed, apparently (?). Dining on his dining partners. Loved the plaque and surrounding spot (the bones!). TFTC.

Found it 08/12/2018 By beyobe
Thanks so much for leading us to this spot, very interesting.

Found it 08/12/2018 By me&marley
Thank you so much for all the history and bringing us to this spot. I will email you the answer. A fav for this one.

Found it 08/12/2018 By BG2015
I've heard this story for years and eaten at several namesake restaurants, so I had to stop by and see the actual site. Nice touch with the bones. Message sent, thanks for the virtual.

Found it 08/11/2018 By ontherocks
We were here last year but forgot to check for geocache. Loved this one, thanks

Found it 08/07/2018 By celticrott
interesting story

Found it 08/05/2018 By Blizzard
We are on vacation in Lake City, a place My parents brought me to many,many years ago.
Thanks for the virtual.
Cache on,
Blizzard

Found it 08/03/2018 By Wichita Bogey
Lots of strangeness in this broken world. TFTC

Found it 08/02/2018 By FAB2011
Found with Wichita Bogey. TFTC

Found it 08/02/2018 By J!--!-J
TFTC

Found it 07/31/2018 By norbert28
Thanks for the cache! Found with mom - jasperdakota

Found it 09/02/2017 By dustyriver
A good find with Liquidelle, BriGuy on our Labor day weekend grabbing caches trip. We covered over 20 counties over the three day weekend and even got to dip into Utah. Good traveling as one of the SWAC crew, Best Wishes, DustyRiver
Answers sent by BriGuy for myself and Liquidelle - Thanks for the cache.