The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-08
INDIAN BONES UNEARTHtD.
THE SITE OF sEArTLE's FIRST
BuRYIxG GROUND RECALLED.
Relic HunteFs Finding TFfnkets and
silver COins-A. A. Denny Says .
Few Friendly F1atheads HAD
Been Buried Wear the Whites.

The unearth!ng Of two Indian graves OF
the Denny hotel grounds, near the corner
OF Ssewar, street and Second avenue,
caused 4 rush OF relic hunters OF both
sexes, and Of all ages, who busted nhem-
selves all day yesterday digging up the
soft sandy soil with sticks. and whose La
ber vas rewarded By the finding Of various
Indian relics. glass beads, silver ringA
bracelets. brass buttons and United States
silver coIns.
The FIRST find was made late THURSDAY
evening, when the workmen, engaged Ia
clearing the grounds on the west side OF
the hotel, uncovered The two Indian grayea
These mad been completely covered and
grown over by the roots Of q large tree,
and the aprooting Of the stump Of this
tree laid bare the remains that had been
buried nearly half a century ago. There
were but few bones left. the skulls being the
BEST preserved. and these nearly decayed,
enc OF them so mucsI SO as TO make il
doubtful whether II was tina, of child or
an adult. Trinkets innumerable were
found buried with Them, leaving no doubt
tnat these We're the remains OF Indians.
part OF wis, and arm bone, on which
stN hung silver bracelet. Fifteen silver
fIngs were found IN bunch, the rings be-
ing evidently Of Indian make and not
also uncovered in this mound. besides
beads innimerabie, OF all sizes and col
ors and large sized belt buckle.
The mos. important find TO those making
the discovery was the uncovering of a lot
OF silver coins. quarters and half dollars.
his gave zeSt TO the hunt and soon in
creased the number Of prospectors. Sever
al exaggerated stories were given out
ABOUT these rich finds. but when Sfted
down. the total amount recovered Will not
exceed $40. One man. E. L. Holt. found
~ 30 in quarters and halves. The dates OF
these pieces were 1869. 1854, 1885, 1856 and
1887. No money OF any later date was
found The presence of this money in these
graves is accounted for by the fac, that it
is an inSaria6ie custom among Indians or
All tribes to bury with their dead every
thing he or she was possessed of at the
time Of death. including money.
Yesterday the searchers among the soil
at the corner OF Stewart street and Second
avenue were rewarded by finding numerous
glass beads. One person found several lit
tie copper balls, while another found some
brass hooks and eyes and all seemed well
repaid for their Iabors.
Mr.. A. a. Denny perhaps the best post
ed man on the early history or Seattle,
when questioned about these Indian graves.
said he had no recollection of that ever
having been an Indian buryiug ground.
.'Sea.tle's first burying ground for the
whites" continued Mr.. Denny. was To-
Gated on the Denny hotel grounds. about
where Stewart street crosses Second ave-
nue.. We buried there for several years.
and also during the Indian war Burials
there were commenced as early as 1898
one thing in particular in that connection.
/ was temporarily located In Olympia IN
the land office, when some friends wrote
to me asking me to set aside that piece OF
ground near the Denny hotel for a burial
ground. / replied to them by letter that
could not do II, that 1t would be wrong IN
every sense OF the word to continue that
place as a burial ground. and time would
satisfy them that | was right. That was
in 1861. Tire burial ground was then re-
moved down to what is now known as
Denny park and that was considered per-
manent for years, until they finally located
| the present cemetery at Lake View.
In the meanwhile during the Indian
| war there were few Indians buried IN
| the old grounds near the Denny hotel but
they were all friendly Indians. and the
number 90 buried there could not have ex-
ceedea three or four. OF course, am not
dams were buried there before the advent
OF the whites but l am inclined to think
not I have a recollection OF one friendly
Indian whose remains were buried there,
who had accidentally shot himself"
Mr.. Denny said that the dead were all
renewed from the old buryiug grounds to
the new ones. though he inclines to the be-
lief that owing TO the necessarily neg
iected condition Of many OF the old graves.
a number of bodies were never found when
transfers were made to new grounds and
this may account for the presence of these
two Indian graves.
The few friendly Indians buried near the
whites. Mr.. Denny said, belonged to the
Flathead. or Duwarr1ish, tribe