Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-01-29
CANNIBAL INDIANS.
MEXICAN SAVAGES WHO AT ONE
TIME ATE HUMAN FLESH.

'"1 ~ - iaoHFNN .@Oi
The Tribe Lived on Land Upon Which
the City of Chicago Now Stands-It
Was Many Years Ago and the Practice
Does Not Prevail at the Present Time.
There was one spot on the North Ameri
can continent, and only one, of which we
have authentic account, where man eating
people dwelt, and that dark spot was
found within the geographical limits of
what is now the states of Indiana and Hi
nois. Here, prior to the beginning of the
present century, was found a society OF
savages belonging to the Minneways
(Miamis), who devoured the bodies of pris-
oners of war that were burned at the
stake. The writer, while resident OF
Fort Wayne, Ind, over fifty years ago,
where the Miami and Pottawattomie In
dams then resided, had very often seen
very old, shriveled up squaw, repulsive
looking creature, who, it was said, was
descendant of the family of man eaters be.
longing to the Miamis.
l remember one Sabbath afternoon, in
September, 1886, while taking a stroll with
my aged friend, Jeane Battiste Bruno, an
old French engage and Indian trader, then
at least eighty years old, a very intelligent
man, having been educated for the priest
hood, possessing an extraordinarily good
memory; we had reached beautiful spot,
small grove that skirted the banks of the
St. Joseph river mile above the town.
Seated on log on the elevated bank of the
stream, he gave me a thrilling description
of the terrible defeat of General Harmel
at this very spot i'll 1871.
He was spectator of this engagement,
SO sanguinary and disastrous in it's results.
While talking, canoe with several Indians
in it was passing down the stream. On
discovering Bruno the canoe was headed fol
the shore, landing at our feet. at once
recognized that same old bag of squaw as
one of the party. After short talk with
Bruno they turned into the stream again
and passed on to the town.
A MAN EATING FAMILY.
then told my companion the oft repeat
ed story that had heard regarding this
woman. He said that it was true; that he
had known her for over forty years; that
she was the only daughter of White Skin,
the last head of the family of man eaters
II knew her father" he said, "when l first
came to this part of the country to trade
with the Indians in ITO. White Skin at
that time was said to be about ninety years
old, and no doubt it was true; yet he was
an active, Industrious man, possessed of a
very retentive memory. The family, dur
ing the time knew them, consisted of the
old man, an aged son and this daughter
They resided on Eel river. They were
known far and near as the man eating
family. The Indians seemed to shun them.
The old man and his family manufactured
buckskins, were tanners or dressers OF
deerskins; they excelled in that business
For a number of years traded with them,
purchasing their skins for the Detroit
market, where | found ready sale for
them. found the old fellow had no re-
luctance to talk about the man eating
charges made against him, particularly
with me.
'One beautiful moonlight night, while
seated upon the grass In front of the bark
hut, smoking our kinnikinnic, the old man
gave me the entire history of that portion
of his life connected with the man eaters
And this story have written and told SC
often that | know 1t by heart, us the.
schoolboys say.
white Skin said that to eat human
flesh was a religious rite conferred upon
his forefathers many, many generations
before, when the Minneways included
most all of the Indians living on this side
Of the big river, the Mississippi, and, by
hereditary descent, passed from family to
family.
RELIGIOUS RITE.
son the death of his grandfather, his
father and his brother became the sole
representatives of this order, each having
the right to perform the ceremonies at
these human sacrifices. asked him how
often he had eaten human flesh, and did he
assist in killing those to be devoured?
NO, said he, they were always prison
ers of war and generally Indians from hos
tile tribes, and now and then a pale face.
In my younger days l participated in
great many of those feasts. We all liked
the taste of human flesh. 1t was much
sweeter than the flesh Of wild animals. We
never ate it solely for the purposes of food,
to satisfy hunger. We partook of it as
religious rite, although some of the In
dams when invited to partake with us
would eat more than others. My brother
and sister liked it SO well that they would
eat until they were full AS time passed
the custom gradually declined. The Catho-
lie missionaries did much to stop these
sacrifices. 1t has been over twenty years
since last tasted human fesh.'
'White Skin prided himself upon the
fact that he represented a family that had
such great distinction conferred upon it.
When was about twenty years old said
he, i attended a grand feast of this kind,
held on the east bank of the St. Joseph
river, near Ke-ki-on-ga (Fort Wayne) We
were notified by a runner the day before to
be at the place of sacrifice early the follow
ing afternoon. We reached the ground
about nooptime. The faces of the entire
family were painted black; even the pap,
poose on it's mothers back.
THE CEREMONY.
"a crowd of several hundred Indians
had already assembled, anxiously await.
ing for the ceremonies to begin. The pris-
oner, a Sank Indian, who was perfectly
naked, fastened to stake, was chanting
his death song, He was very brave. When
the sun was yet about two hours high
squaw approached with a fambeau in her
hand to ignite the fagots, when the doomed
prisoner snatched the fiamheau from her
hand and set fire to his own funeral pile.
At this act Of bravery the great crowd sent
up shouts of admiration.
"'When dead the body was laid upon the
burning Goals until it was well cooked
After prolonged ceremony, my father cut
off a piece of the flesh for each member of
the family, presenting it to us upon
sharpened stick, while we sat in a circle
around the smoldering emhers After the
family were all helped, my father, in a loud
voice, asked if there was any person present
who wished to participate in the feast,
when several men and squaws came for
ward and seated themselves in the circle
They were then told to help themselves.
"'While the feast was going on deep
silence prevailed And just as the sun
went down behind the treesops it was an
nounced that the ceremonies We're ended,
when a yell went up that shook the earth.'"
Detroit Free Press,