Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-07-18
CREMATION OF AN INDIAN CHIEF.


The San Francisco Examiner says:
Dan Murphy, who owns the greater part
of all that Is valuable In the Town OF
Needles, Is at the Grand.
"A short time ago." he said last night,
as he leaned over the counter and pulled
his big soft hat thoughtfully over hl'
eyes, III took part In one OF the stransc.t {
funeral ceremonies that was ever seen In
the west. The corpse was that OF Capt.
Joe, the old chief OF the Mojaves, AMI
who was one OF the best known Indians
Of the west. Joe was one OF my friends
for years, and while just plain everyd' W
sort OF buck In life he was something
Of philosopher and an all round go"i
fellow In his way. although he WAS i,'-
clined to drink u little too much when lio
could get It.
"A couple Of years ago Joe came to
me aud 10 one Of his bursts OF confidence
told me that, as he was growing old aud
he realized that his strength was falling,
he had decided to prepare for death.
lie had told his relatives, he said, thst
when he died he wanted me to take
charge of the body and give hlm the best
send-off I could. lie wanted the thug
done up In regular Indian style but lio
wanted Il to be about the finest thing OF
the kind that could be arranged.
"'Me heap big Ipjun, Dan, he sug-
gested. Heap hOss, heap COW, heap
sheep. Byumby die. You fix uIn.'
al promised to do the best that ] could,
and thought no more about II for long
time. One night, however, some weeks
ago, was aroused from deep sleep Dy
q noise In my room, and when awoRe !
discovered number OF bucks anu
squaws standing about my bed. They
had an old fashioned tin lantern, such ms
our grsndfathers used, with holes
punched In It to let the light shine
through from tallow candle that burn
ed dimly inside. They told me that the
chief was dead and that they had come
as requested to have me arrange for the
funeral. They were bent on having II
take place Mt once, but l persuaded them
to walt until morning.
"On the following day We buried Capt.
Joe on the banks Of the Colorado about
two miles from town. The Indians
came for miles and gathered by hundreds
to see their chief started on his long
Journey to the happy hunting grouds.
bundles of mesquite wood were brought
by willing hands, and when they had
been formed into an enormous heap the
body of Joe was placed on top and the
applied at the bottom. As the
flames caught the dry wood and licked
their way upward the Indians formed
grand circle about the pyre, and with
the most fantastic gyrations OF the body
walled funeral dlrge so weird that !
actually felt the cold chllls chase each
other up nv spinal column. This con-
tlnued for hours, but at last the pyre
burned out and the body was reduced to
ashes. These they covered with heap
Of dirt aud then the feast began.
uNine horses, six cows, aud seven
sheep were slaughtered In quick order,
and while the flesh was still quivering
they cut the carcasses into huge sections
and threw them Into steaming pots
that hung over great fires built In pits
dug out for that purpose. While this
Was going on the Indians stood about
Eager for the feast aud the moment the
flesh was cooked through there was
A buck or \ squaw would
sieze chunk of half.cOoked h0rseilesh,
and eating It with the avldity OF VIII
animal would make raid on the beef,
following 1t with an attack on the
mutton. In this way they would eat
until they were completely gorged aud
would crawl of In the bush aud sleep
Dnly to awake to feast afresh. For three
laws and nights this continued until
every mouthful OF meat was eaten aud
Ihe bones picked clean.
"During the entire time the widow OF
he chief WAS not allowed to eat, but
With her face painted black with grease
from the box OF u railroad car
Was compelled to sit alone aud mourn
With all the weird walls she could coiIl-
nand.s
"When It was all over the Indians
went back to their old lazy life to await
another feast"