• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / History / When was Alferd Packer was sentenced to death because he ate most of the Democrats in a county out west?

When was Alferd Packer was sentenced to death because he ate most of the Democrats in a county out west?

April 7, 2020 by Karen Hill

You’re thinking of Alferd Packer, and much of the story is a popular myth.

Here’s the true story: In 1873, Alferd Packer and five other residents of Colorado went prospecting. They got lost in a snowstorm and their provisions ran out. When authorities came upon the scene months later, the five others had been killed, and one of them had been partially roasted and eaten. Packer was convicted of murder and cannibalism.

That part is true. Now, here’s where the legend kicks in: At the end of Packer’s trial, the judge supposedly exclaimed,

“Stand up, you man-eating son of a bitch, and receive your sentence. There were seven Democrats in Hinsdale County, but you, you voracious, man-eating son of a bitch, you ate five of them. I sentence you to be hanged by the neck until you’re dead, dead, dead, as a warning against reducing the Democratic population of the state.”

Back to reality now. Packer served seventeen years and lived out the rest of his life as a semi-recluse (and, some say, a vegetarian), spending some of his time hanging around the Denver Post building as an unofficial security guard (this may have been out of gratitude since a Denver Post reporter had been responsible for getting his sentence reduced).

Incidentally, a century later, the students at Boulder University voted to name the school cafeteria the “Alferd Packer Memorial Grill.” Its most popular menu item has been the El Canibal Burrito.

Related Facts

  • What Is a Death Rattle, What Causes a Death Rattle, and Why Do People Make a Sound Before Death?
  • Why was Sir Walter Raleigh sentenced to death by King James I of England?
  • What Was Antoine Lavoisier's Horrible End and Why Was Lavoisier Sentenced To Death By Guillotine?
  • Are Hispanic Americans Democrats or Republicans?
  • How do paleontologists know what a particular species of dinosaur ate during the Mesozoic era?
  • How did Palisades in Eureka County Nevada stage a hoax to attract tourists in the 1870s?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why did the author of The Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum write an article saying that Indians should all be exterminated?
Next Post: How many people were eaten in the Donner Party when they resorted to cannibalism? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy