Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-11-10
BLACK HAWKS BONES.
They Are BeGaved to Be Lying In
Potter's Field.
Various Stories Concerning Their. Final
Disposition Set Aside by
Recently Told
VerAiOn.

OSSh NStu AOA AhOlS tiuD IlOll - century.
His body has been buried, stolen and
recovered, and his bones haYc been
boiled and vanished and become the
property, successfully, of governor, a
doctor, and the latter's surviving part
ncr. Two or three stories of the fate
OF Black Hawks bones have been told,
but the one most generally accredited
has consigned the relics to the flames
that consumed the quarters of the Dcs
Moincs County Historical society in
1858. on the site of the present North
Main street, Burlington, Ia. Old res
idcnts are familiar with the tales OF
n Black Hawk and his bones, but n white
haired and well-known citizen gave n
new version.
In 1889, says the Chicago Journal.
Black Hawks grave in Davis county
was robbed and his body taken by 4
DIR. Turner to Quincy, Ill. 1t was re-
covered by special policemen sent by
Gov. Lucas and was brought to Burlin.:
ton to be identified and turned over to
the old chiefs people. The bones has.
been cleaned and vanished ready for
wiring, and were laid out in the OIL
Presbyterian church on Fourth street.
"hSTC MIS-. llaWR TCCOInlZc(
them by the teeth.
The Indians were so we'll please
with the polished condition of the bone
that they told Gov. Lucas to keep ticI...
The executive turned them over to D..
EDos Lowe, an early practitioner OF
Burlington, who on his death left tht
bones to his partner, DIR. McLaurcn".
The latter resided on Third street, an,
had his office in q little building til:
first door north. When the rooms o.
the County Historical society ON Mai;
street were burned the story was toll
and generally believed that the bone:
were mingled with the ashes of ts,
burned building, which was the prop
erty of DIR. McLaurens. j. Il. Pattcr-
sons biography of Black Hawk make:
that disposition of the old chiefs bones
The fact is declared to be that Blac!
Hawks bones lie in nm unmarked grave
IN the potter's field in Aspen grove
The story of their fate is interesting.
They remained In DR.. McLuuren's pos
session for about five years, resting un-
disturbed In box in the physician.
private Office. In the meantime, Dr..
McLauren had taken a partner, who
continued in practice with him until
1857, when he removed to Chicago.
About this time DIR. McLauren missed
Black Hawks bones. The old box in hi.
back room had grown to be u familiar
sight, and although he had no use for
the bones, he felt that in good faith to
their former and illustr:ous wearer
their identity should he preserved. lie
hnl 4lr L..
corrected to any extent tho story th?t
they were burned. and f"v knew tn
he had been their cusrodlan. Among
these few DR.. McLauren made quiet in
quiries, thinking that perhaps some one
had borrowed the bones for an anatom-
ical study. 1t was nsccrtained that
there had been set OF bones in use by
class under u transient medical lee
Eurer in the basement of the old Prcsby,
terian church, but n search of the
premises revealed no sign of Black
Rawk's vanished remains.
Fifteen years passed and Or. Nc.
Lauren had removed to California
when one day worlsmon who were
tearing down the old church found
dusty box of Vanished bones under the
stairway Leading into the basement.
The bones were taken to the Office of
George II. Lane, md parties who were
acquainted with the incident of the dis
appearance Of Blac!s Hawks bones i'm
mcdiatcly set up y theory that these
were tho bones. No one connected with
either the disappearance from DR.. Nc
Lauren's oGinC or the medical lccturca
in the church basement co,,ll b> found
to su5stantiato the theory, aud DR..
Lane deputizcd q man to conaiGn the
bones to grave at Aspen Grove. The
man buried them in tho pottor's field
nnd left tic grave unmarked.
1t was aftcrwagl learned that Or. Nc
Laurcn's partner, who went to Chica.ro,
had nothing to do with the disappear
nncc OF the bones, no WIS for - time
suspected, and the belief has always
existed among n few old.tinrc inhabi-
tants that the dust Of tho Mississippi
Va1lcy'H most ill11striolts rod n,nr> lice l.,