The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-04-16

q Night kxcur1lon to the Indian
Graves, on Blackwater - Pre-
served Skulls Of Squaws and
Pappoooes, Silver, Beads, Etc.

oAOA4 10 tho x0018Q
Graves, on Blackwster - Pre-.
served Skulls Of Squavs and
Psppooees. Silver, Beads, Etc.
warrensburg News.
, About sven o'clock on Saturday night
last, i've resolute men might have been
seen oriskly walking northward on the
Holden street road. There was the guide,
VINO 10 capitalist. and . lawyer, and .
doctor, and q merchanicsl genius Of sci.
ensi6e turn. and newspaper reporter who
10 . of-all- trades.
|, Distributed among then we're shovels,
spades and pick, With luncheon and four
~sll-flled torches, and it was very evident
That they meant serious work. Reaching
the neishborhOod Of Blackwater, they di-
verged from the road, and plunged into the
dark woods, where the guide put . torch
to good use in showing the way Although
the path was devious and rough, before
nine O'Clock the explorers haulted in the
centre OF beautiful plateau, covered with
. thick growth Of stately young trees, and
silently sszed at large Indian mound,
some forty feet in diameter and about
i've feet high IN the centre. In the glare
Of the torch the mound seemed
much larger and the trees with
their shadows looked like gray
and black giants, gliding back and forth, as
the torch WAS moved. II needed no COM
mand to put down the tools, light the other
torches, stick the handles into the ground,
and discard surplus coats, and soon the
shovels were used in throwing up the earth
near the centre Of the mound.
By working in relief parties, the pick
and shOvels were kept in constant use, and
in very few minutes broad trench, in
which two persons could work at time,
was dug At what proved to be the foot of
the walled tomb. The stones Immediately
over the bodies were taken out, but nothing
special revealed. Then . trench was cut
through the centre towards the head, but,
with the exception of . few scattering bones,
an arrowhead or two, paints, and small
pieces o! broken pottery, nothing was
found, until the other end of the tomb was
reached, where two or three skulls, too far
gone to save, we're found. Here, the doctor
took torch and spade and seeded to
smaller mound, near by. and opened hole
for himself. In about half an hour the
doctor returned in triumph. bearing . per-
feet skull, with lower jaw and other bones
complete.
This encouraged the digging Of another
trench in the large mound, at right angles
again, following promiscous layer of large
bones. Very little work revealed the side
wall, and IN the corner two skulls we're
found, we'll preserved. One was rather
thin and broke into four pieces in removing,
but the other was taken out in good order.
The skulls we're taken out after laborious
picking, With strong knives, owing to the
packed condition vi the clay-this being
the most particular and tedious operation
of all.
A few muscle shells we're found, scattered
through the mounds. but layer Of them
seemed to have been made under the bodies.
These shells were very soft, and easily
crumblsd into beautiful white powder BY
pressure between the fingers.
After . hasty lunch, the trophies, in
GLIDING some bear Jaws. deer teeth. wolf or
dog bones, numerous pieces Of flint, ETC.,
were wrapped up for transportation to town,
and soon the noisy owls and other night
birds were allowed to canvas these curious
proceedings to their hearts content.
The perfect skulls are valuable - show
ing the Intellectual development Of the
people buried in these mounds, although il
seems impossible to get at anything TO give
their date.
The broken skull vas very round in
shape, having veneration large, and il IL
surmised that it belonss to young female.
The other two are about the same size, of
good form, we'll rounded 1t the top, and
though vide at the base, Qiks the typical
Indian head are not remarkably 20. They
have been examined By medical men, and
other judges Of pbrenology. and pronounced
. little below the average run Of heads
among white people.
A PECULIARLY Of one Of the skulls lin
the possession Of the reporter Of the oui6t)
10 hole in the back, near the top. evident
~ made with the sharp edge of . tomahswk.
The hole il two and one-quarter ilehes
long. and an inch and quarter vide = the
bulge. Not . crack or fracture Of any
kind il there, showing that it was the result
Of . swift and strong blow. Nosigns Of the
piece can be found.
It il said that the portions Of the skull
found in the 6rss mound were Of very in
ferior Intelligence, for the forehead receded
rapidly. The two sets will be carefully
compared and guessing machines put to
work Immediately.
Interest increases, and, while many arc
actuated to work hard in hopes Of being re-
warded With pipes and pottery there are
enough ardent lovers Of science on the qui
vive to rescue from oblivion the slightest
clue towards settling the pushing question
Of vhy, when and by whom these mounds
we're made.
BmigrantD for Kansas.
Over one thousand smiGrants from East
earn states arrived in Kansas, this morning,