The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-15
CANNIBAL INDIANS.
AMERICAN sAvAGES WHO AT ONE
TIME ATE HUMAN FLESH.

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
1 Fort Wayne Ind, over fifty years ago,
| where the Miami and Pottawattomie In
! dians then resided, had very often seen a
very old, shriveled up squaw, a repulsive
| looking creature who, it WAS said, was a
descendant of the family of man eaters be-
| longing to the Miamis.
| | remember one Sabbath afternoon, IN
| September. 1896, while taking 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 ths
! So Joseph river a mile above the town
Seated on a log on the elevated bank of the
stream, he gave me thrilling description
of the terrible defeat of General Harmer
| at this very spot in 1871.
He was d spectator of this engagement,
so sanguinary and disastrous in its results
While talking, canoe with several Indians
| IN it was passing down the stream On
discovering Bruno the canoe was headed for
the shore, landing at our feet. | at once
recognized that same old hag of squaw as
one Of the party. After short talk with
Bruno they turned into the stream again
and passed on to the town.
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.
~ knew her father" he said, "when 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 q
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 ole man and his family manufactured
buckskins, were tanners or dressers Of
deerskins; they excelled in that business.
For number of years | traded with them,
purchasing their skins for the Detroit
market, where l found a 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 so
often that / know it by heart, as 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.
ION 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
10 {-;1 IL
In my younger days l participated in n
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 y
religious rite, although some of the In
dians 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 flesh
white Skin prided himself upon the
fact that he represented family that had
such great distinction conferred upon it.
When / was about twenty years DID, said
u
held on the east bank of the ST. Joseph
river, near Ke-H-on-ga (Fort Waynel. We
were notified by runner the day before tc
be at the place OF sacrifice early the follow
ing afternoon We reached the ground
about noontime The faces of the entire
family were painted black: even the pap
poose On its mothers back.
THE CEREMONY.
o,o,,-1 - Sara-o1 b,,1I-od T-diopS
had already assembled, anxiously await
ing for the ceremonies TO begin The pris-
oner, Sank Indian. who was perfectly
naked, fastened to a stake, was chanting
his death song. He was very brave. When
the sun was yet about two hours high a
squaw approached with fiambeau IL her
hand to ignite the fagots, when the doomed
prisoner snatched the hanbeau from her
hand and SCI fire 10 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 il was well cooked
After prolonged ceremony. my father cut
off piece of the fesh for each member OF
the family. presenting it 10 Us upon a
sharpeped stick. while We sat In circle
around the sunoltlering embers- After the
family were all helped, my father, in a loud
voice, asked If there WAS any person present
who wished 10 participate IN the feast,
when several men and squaws came for
ward and seated themselves IN the circle
They were then tod % help themselves
while the feast was going on dees
silence prevailed And just as the SUD
went dowu tehind the treetops II was an
noRnced that the ceremonies were ended,
Il Il a :