Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-12

Bones Of Men of Indian Tribe That Has
Been Extinct More Than 200 Years.
From the Buffalo Courier.
"We will hold them for a few DAYS for identi-
fication, d" facetiously remarked Coroner Ransom
yesterday afternoon he gazed into . large
box filed with sixteen grinning skulls, besides
leg and arm bones, ribs and other relics OF
human anatomy.
These bones we're brought to Rodney's under
taking rooms from the vicinity where Clinton
street crosses the city hne. The exact spot
where they we're found is on hill at Buffalo
creek. where a new street is being constructed,
one block east Of Barnard street. The bones
were ploughed up by workmen, who notified
Coroner Tucker. He turned the case over to
Coroner Ransom.
The relics beyond doubt the remains Of
pagan Indians who lived in the vicinity before
the coming of the white men. Along with the
bones were ploughed up metal cooking utensils
In the form OF iron pots with handles. toma-
hawks gourds, ornaments in the shape Of little
bells, thImbles and bracelets made of metal
lime has so marred all of these things that a
careful examination by experienced men had to
be made to learn their full character. The pile
of relics brought in were all dug up in the
morning, and many more were unearthed dur
ing the day. The place is about quarter of a
mile from the Indian cemetery on the Indian
Church road. The Buffalo creek swashes along
lazily there, and around was a deep wood. ex-
cept on the hill by the bank This was an
ancienct burying ground for race of giants,
Judging from the size Of many of the bones
found in the loamy soil Of the hill. They show
the men to have been very large.
Coroner Ransom will hold inquests as q mat
ter OF form, after which the bones will be
turned over to the Buffalo Historical Society, if
the institution desires them.
A ,nrN<r ,ysa,AA n
Western Savings Bank last evening and in
formed him of the discovery. Mr.. Bryant il q
member of the Historical Society an authority
on matters relating to the Indians of New York,
and was highly interested at once. He is be-
yond doubt one of the best informed men in
Indian history in this part of the country He
declared the discovery to be both important
and interesting in more ways than one. Mr..
Bryant accompanied the reporter to Rodney
rooms and was shown the relics.
The moment he laid eyes on them he said:
"Ihey are very ancient" First he examined
high, four inches wide at the top and five
inches wide at the bottom. 81 never saw
one like this before" said Mr.. Bryant. He has
fine and valuable collection himself. but has
no specimen like these. A bunch of hair stucE
in the pot attracted his attention next 1t was
too coarse for human hair and its origin or
use remains mystery. Upon close examina-
ton the kettle WAS found to be of copper.
Others, varying in size, were of copper and
brass. All had iron handles. The bottoms.
too, are quite fat. Some that are bottomless
show that it is the result of nature and
not of mans doing. This is a significant
fact. as proving the antiquity of the relics and
indicating that they were Of neither English
nor French manufacture. 1t was the custom of
the later Indians to ''kill'' the implements
which they buried with their deceased people
by punching holes in the bottoms
In Mr ayt'o INT To,
the ancient Kah Kwahs or Neutrals. who have
been extinct since about the year 1850. They
were Of the Iroquois family, closely related TO
the Hurons, and were fierce, warlike and tall
race. They had village in the locality now
known as Whites Corners and their settlements
ran up into Canada. Little is known Of them
beyond the statements recorded by two Jesuit
missionaries, for more than 200 years ago they
were utterly destroyed by the confederation,
who made war upon them.