, 1889-10-10
STORY OF A SKULL.
History OF an Indian Massacre in
Nebraska.

From the Hastings Galctte-Journall
A human skull and number of bones
for u long time used in one ofthc school
rooms of Hastings as an aid to the study
of anatomy have d story connected with
the early history OF Adams county that
has never before appeared in print. The
facts have been in the possession of the
Gazette Journal for u number of years
and the incident to which they relate
will be readily recalled by the oldest set
tiers of Adams and Clay counties.
Previous to the year 1866 there were
but Il few struggling settlements in the
part of Nebraska now designated on the
map Us Adams county. a few hardy,
adventurous spirits had pushed west
ward from the Mississippi river bottoms
and formed small settlements along tho
valleys of the Big and Little Blue rivers.
One of these settlements was started by
William kross, or "Wild Bill, ;" ~ lie Is
more fnmiliarly known to the people of
Hastings, near the present site of the
village of Ayr. Another was located
near the present village of Spring
Ranch, In Clay county.
In about the year 1868 II party of four
mon--somc accounts say nine-whose
names have long since been
EFFACED FROM THE MEMORY OF MEN,
left the settlement near Spring ranch on
long journey Overthc plains to Cali
iornlp. Their cquipuge consisted of two
omigrant wagons, IA threshing machine
and number of horses and mules. The
party was small one, hut il was known
that ut that time the most OF the Indians
who roamed the plains in large numbers
were in the extreme northern part of the
state, engaged in war with the Dakota
Sioux. THIS fact, together with the large
number of cmigrants constantly passing
over the trail, cnboldened the four men
to undertake the hazardous task.
They started confidently enough, but
their jo1rncy was destined to come to
an unexpected and most tragic ending.
At the close of the first day OF their
travels they halted for the night beside
the old Fremont trail ut IL point where
it enters the rough, broken valley of old
Pawncc creek, nine miles south of Hast
ings, on the road to "Olmsteads-on-the-
Blue" The picnic parties who drive
from this city to Olmstcads nearly every
week pass within u few rods of the fatal
camping ground; and the writer, in
company with n party of hunters few
years ago, campcd on the same spot and
enjoyed an evening meal beside Il camp
fire with as much Zcst us If the ground
had not, thirty years before been the
scene of one of the bloodiest tragedies
that was ever enacted within the pOund-
aries of Adams county.
The small party of emigrants cooked
and ate their frugal meal and lay down
to sleep beneath the twinkling stars, as
UNCONSCIOUS OF DANGER
as the innocent babe who, tired of its
own childish prattle, sinks to sleep on
its mothers breast. They slept the
sleep that knows no waking. A party
Of maraudirg Pavnees discovered their
camp and with fiendishncss that turks
only in the breasts of sayages, ruthlcSsly
slaughtered them as they slept. The
mornings sun arose upon the remains
of the butchered men and the smoking
embcrs of their wagons and camp equip
age. The horses and mules were, OF
course, stolen by the Indians. Another
party of emigrants passing along the
trail Il day or so later discovered the
crime and gave the bodies of the victims
a decent burial beneath the sod that
had drank their blood.
Years after, when Hastings had grown
to be Il city of 5000 inhabitants, the
story was told to Prof. G. j, Davis then
| principal of the public schools of this
| city, but now II resident of Cotton, Cal.
| Prot. Davis resolved to investigate the
| story. In company with DIR. Perry, at
| thar time Il well-known physician OF
| this city, he drove TO the spot where the
| tragedy was said to have occurred. The
place was easily identified, and several
mounds of earth offered conspicuous
places for research. Tho largest OF the
| mounds was opened and few feet
below the surface four human skulls
and large number of bones were un.
carthed. The story had been yCa'
/ fed. Selecting skull and a few of tht
bones showing the best state of proscr
[ walton, Prof. Davis removed them from
the earth that had held them 50 many
/ years, ami the grave with its
] GIfAsTIS NlENtoRtEg OF ENpIY DAYs
was carefully reiilled. Tho skull wa,
cleaned and placed in the old East ware
suhoolhousc where for several years 1
was used by the classes i'm anatomy
| When Prof Davis resigned his position
several years later he carried the skul
with him. the writer is not mistakcr
it to-day occupies 4 place in the museum
of Hastings college, a mute witness o
one of the. darkest tragedies enacted il