April 13, 1883 –
Alferd Packer, one of the few people in the US ever to be jailed for cannibalism, having allegedly killed and eaten five of his traveling companions while trapped in the Rocky Mountains during fierce winter weather, was sentenced to death in Colorado. During the trial, the judge supposedly said:
“Damn you, Alferd Packer! There were seven Dimmycrats in Hinsdale County and you ate five of them!“
An alternate version of the judge’s outburst is –
“Packer, you depraved Republican son of a bitch! There were only five Democrats in Hinsdale County and you ate them all!“
The actual sentencing statement, of course, was a little more in character for an educated state judge:
“Close your ears to the blandishments of hope. Listen not to the flattering promises of life, but prepare for the dread certainty of death.“
Packer is a legend in popular culture. He has been quoted as having said, in jest, “the breasts of man…are the sweetest meat I ever tasted.” In 1968, students at the University of Colorado at Boulder named their new cafeteria grill the Alferd G. Packer Memorial Grill with the slogan “Have a friend for lunch!” Even today students can enjoy the meat-filled “El Canibal” underneath a giant wall map outlining his travels through Colorado.
Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park and graduate of University of Colorado, made a student film – Cannibal: The Musical, based loosely on Packer’s life.
Demand Euphoria!
The Haus of Dcaligari 