Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-11-13
An INDIAN WARRIORS TOMB.
Two Hunters in q Mountain Cave
Make Strange Discovery.

made a discovery on last Monday
while out hunting that will I'M
dOubtcdly excite the interests OF
all archmolOgists. They started
out early in the morning with dogs
and guns and hunted up till noon
with poor success. They then
halted to partake Of luncheon at
the foot of a dark ravine, half way
mp the mountain slope. Mr..
Forester started up the gully to
explore it. Owing to the precipi.
tous nature Of the ground he was
compelled to leave gun and dogs
behind and pull himself up by
wild grape vines and tough under
growth. After climbing half an
hour he discovered, to his horror,
crouched on "A dead bough, the
huge eat.like head and brown body
of a panther. Fearing that it
meditated an attack, he drew a
large revolver, which he emptied
at the brute. At the first shot the
panther gave a frightful yell, and,
sprlnging from tree to tree, speedi-
~ disappeared. Eggleston, who
heard the shots fred by Forester,
followed by the yell Of the panther,
hurried to his friends assistance.
One Of the huntsmen, while glanc.
ing up the side OF the rocks, noticed
a crevice about twenty feet above
his head. The aperture, which was
large enough to admit a man crawl
ing on his hands and knees, was
badly choked up with rubbish aud
large powders. 1t was the en-
trance to a cave, and the men de-
cided to explore it. Climbing to
the entrance, they rolled away the
loose rocks and logs, and soon got
rid Of enough of the deJris to en-
able them to enter winding mar
row passage, high enough for them
to walk upright. Owing to the
intense darkness they were obliged
to return to the mouth OF the cave
and secure torches. These they
lighted and then re-entered the
cave. The pasSageway, which
turned and twisted in many direc.
tions, suddenly emerged into a
large apartment of perhaps twenty
by thirty-fve feet. The room was
paved and walled with blue lime
stone, which lit up brilliantly un-
der tue glancing tOrchlight.
AS the men were on the point of
leaving The cavo some curious
stucco work in one end of the apart.
ment attracted their attention. 1t
had formed OF fiat, oblong stones,
laid with such nicely as to form a
perfect wall. \ careful examina-
ton OF the work led them ut once
to believe that it had been done by
the hand of man. Forester, who
carried light axe, went to work
with a will on the wall. After a
quarter OF an hour a huge rock in
the centre of the wall gave way,
falling into the interior and clear
ing an aperture perhaps two feet
in diameter. A torch thrust through
the newly-opened passage disclos
ed vision that at once astOnished
and dlsmayed the man. Stretched
upon a bed of skins was the life
size figure of a colossal Indian
warrior, attired in girdle and head
dress of eagle feathers and beads,
with his hands resting on knife
and battle.aXe. The cOIOring and
general appearance of the chleftain
was so extremely natural as to lead
the spectators to think him but
asleep. For moment this vision
fingered, then wavered and disap-
peared, leaving no traces Of the
gorgeous picture of the dead chief
tain save quantity of dust and a
few bones. There were a number
of flint arrow heads, together with
a knife and the head of a Ratchet
composed of an alloy strongly
resembling bronze. In addition to
these trophies the caye contained
number of curiously. shaped flag
Ons or cups Of the same peculiar
metal and several fragments Of
earthcnware. just beneath the
spot where the body had lain was
found a stone bearing a number of
curious hieroglyphics. The hun
tiers gathered their treasures to-
gether and started to leave the
cave.
AS they entered the passageway
they were appalled, to see two liv-
ing Goals OF fire peering at them
through the darkness. Forester
fired and killed an enormous pam
Their, measuring six feet one inch in
length.
The reporter saw the hunters
shortly after they arrived at the
village, and also examined their
trophies. The knife blade and
handle are of the same piece and
are about nine inches in length
The knife is very broad, and was
doubtless sharponed on both edges.
The Ratchet head consists of a
broad blade several inches in width,
with an aperture for the insertion
of a handle. The weapons are
well finished and appear to have
been hammered out of some MALE
able metal, according to theOpiniOn
of Mr.. Frank Henhow, Washing
ton chemist, to whom the weapons
were shown. He made only brief
examination of the alloy, but
thought it must be impure copper
ore, secured probably by the aborig-
ines in trade from the tribes who
once occupied the region of the
great lake. The gentlemen will
ship their treasures, including the
stone bearing the strange inscrip-
ton, to the Smithsonian Institution,
together with brief details of the
discovery. The skin Of the panther
is being prepared for stuning by
the lucky gentleman who killed
him.
-Four Women Outraged and Murdered.
EVANSVILLE, IND, November
News of a terrible outrage in
Webster county, Kentucky, has
inst reached this place. A nutting