Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-12-29
GRAVE OF AN INDIAN CHIEF.
eo6y of shikremy, Who Signed tho
WIIllam Penn Treaty. DIscouerad


William Penn Treaty, Discovered
From the New York Sun: The re.
cent discovery Of the buried body of
the famous Indian chief Shikilemy has
attracted crowds to the grave near Sun
bury, Pa. A party in search of Indian
relics was exploring the site of what
was regarded as an old Indian cemetery
when the grave of the chief was acct
dentally uncovered. Shikilemy was
one OF the Indian chiefs who signed
che William Penn treaty in 1885, He
was grand sachem of the Lenni Len
apes and deputy governor appointed by
the lroquois upon their conquest of the
Susquehanna Indians. The grave was
round in the center of the road that
leads to the Northumberland bridge.
about midway between the southern
end of the bridge and the Hunter man
sion. The party had dug down two
feet when 1t came to the body. The
skeleton was in good state of preser-
walton. The skull was still covered
with a mass of long black hair. But
when raised little of the hair fell off
and crumbled to dust. After the party
had removed the earth they began to
examine the trinkets beside the bones
Lying on the chest of the Indian were
number of blue glass Deeds still in
semicircular form. but the deer
thong that had held them had rotted
away. Beside the head was peculiar
ly shaped bottle. 1t was empty. BY
the left hip, as II once carried in the
pocket of burial robe. was an oval
tobacco box of tin 1t was slightly
rusty, but still worked on its hinges
In 1t were a fishing line of fine twine
In state of sound preservation, some
tobacco, an English cent and a half
cent bearing the head of George III.
The party found in the grave the rusty
barrel OF an old horse pistol, whose
stock had long since worn away; an
iron tomahawk, a hunting knife of
English make, with a bone handle;
several thin copper bracelets, which
were still around the bony wrist: steel
buttons of English make; bells and
bangles; three copper finger rings and
one silver ring with the significant
handclasp design. The old chief lived
In the village of Shomoko, now Sun
bury. many years, but his burial place
was not known before. One of the
coins in the grave is Enthusiastically a
medal given in recognition of some
valued service. 1t bore the head of the
king, and on the reverse side was an
Indian scene representing a warrior
hunting the deer from behind the
trunk of tree. This is supposed to
be significant of the English friend
ship and OF the trade which the Indian
in his turn agreed to engage in. An
other significant discovery Is that Of
a series of copper rings. one of which
is designed to represent clasped hands
Wampum in large quantities proclaim
the high dignity OF the former owner
and various other trlnkets give ire
futable evidence of his distinction The
most convincing of all were the nails
and hinges of coffin, the only one
ever discovered in an Indian burial
ground, proving beyond reasonable
doubt that II held the body of Chief
Shikilemy, the only old warrior here
about who received a Christian burial
1t is also evident from the appearance
of the teeth of the dead Indian that he
lived to an advanced age. Vive King
Shikilemy, as he was called. was in
every sense good Indian, a true rep
resentatiye of everything that is grand
In Indian character, who never proved
untrue to his word, never betrayed a
white man and never condoned a
crime