The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-08-30
NO c
Lonely Grave That Of a Cree
Woman.
: rom Wednesdays Daily Gazette.

Woman.
rom Wednesdays Daily Gazette.
Yesterday afternoon a Gazette re-
porter and DR.. Clark visited the little
canyon on the other side of the Vel
lowstone, below the railroad bridge,
where the doctor discovered a lone
grave last Sunday evening, mention
of which fact was made in yesterdays
issue Of this paper. 1t will be remem-
bered that the doctor gave it as his
opinion that the grave had been dis
turbed by some wild animal that had
burroWed into it. AT the time of his
first visit it "a quite dark and he
ed in daylight it became apparent at
once that instead of some animal hay
ing been the disturber of the silent
sleeper's rest human agencies had
been at work. Large stones with
which the grave had been covered
were found to have been thrown to
one side and the grave itself had been
opened and the contents removed.
Scattered about were bones of all
sorts, while nearby were portions of
clothing. Upon examination they were
found to have formed a part OF a
wOman's dress and from the stitches
which still remained in the remnants
it Was plain that the sewing was that
of an Indian The search be-
ing extended and some loose earth
removed the iron frame and other
parts of a satchel were revealed and
also a few small punches of coarse
black hair. Where the head had evil
IDENTIFY rested a string of beads and
Jumps of yellow and red ochre, such
as Indians commonly use to paint
their faces with, were found. The
skull alone Of the bones was missing
and evidently had been carried off by
the party who opened the grave. Near
!. one end of the grave a part of a small
cross was found, showing that at one
time the grave had been marked.
Upon his return to the city the re
porter learned from Frank Mayer that
the grave was that Of a Cree woman
who died near the place about six
years ago. Mr.. Mayer said he was
positive as to the facts, as he had at
tended the funeral, which occurred or
a Sunday afternoon. The woman, he
said, was a member of a band of Crees
who were encamped on the bluffs a
short distance below the railroad
bridge and had been a Catholic, the
only one in the band. When she died
her people determined to give her
Catholic burial but were averse tt
having her buried in the cemetery
belonging to the church and SO select
ed the spot where the grave is as hel
last resting place. Mr.. Mayer at thu
time knew her name, but has now for
gotten it, although he remembers he1
distinctly. He said she had been
regular attendant on the Catholic
church during all the time the party
was in camp and up to her last sick
ness.
Although having been buried as
Christian and by those who though
her rest would never be disturbed
vandal hands have broken her slum
bers and her bones are now scattered
like those of a beast instead of bein,
permitted to lie Wondering in thu
shallow grave that had been dug TO
their reception. Those who commit
ted the dissertation probably knew tn
history Of the grave they despoile'
and of the silent sleeper beneath tn,
mound of dirt and stones and con
sidered that 1T was only an Indian
and SO stayed not their hands in tn
commission of their vandal and sac
religious work.