The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-22
S0DAWA, The
INDIAN CHIEF
Skeleton Recently Found Is
thought TO Be His.
BURIED IN BREECHES
Other Facts Give Color to the
SupDoSition.
BURIED IN BREECHES

Was the skeleton found by Edward
Fitzpatrick near the corner Of Eleventh
street and Jackson avenue last Monday
the bones of sodawa?
sodawa was one Of the great chiefs of
the Wichita Indians. who died Of cholera
in 1867.
William Aatthevson saw the body of
this famous Indian laid away and while
he viii not say positively that the grave
was dug the identical spot where the
skeleton was founds he sale it was in
that general direction ana about that dis
! lance from practically the only landmark
| then existing on the present site OF this
! city-a ranch house or trading store
! about where ex-Mayor Ross. house now
stands.
sodawa was buried about 2la feet deep.
The skeleton was found at that depth
SoGawa wore bucksl1n breeches; there
was leather-Hke trousers. or fragments
of trousers, found with the shelton.
Sodawa's body was wrapped in blanket;
there were evidences where the bones
were found that the BODY had been
buried in 4 crude shroud. These evil
dences, however, were very faint as they
naturally would be after thirty years
I would not positively say" said Mr..
Matthewson yesterday, that the bones
were those of sodawa. for I don't know.
All I know Is that he was buried just
about that spot, but you understand that
there were over 100 others buried in that
locality. II may be one of the others
and il may be SOdawa. I knew him well
and remember his burial as if If was yes
to-day. ! was then camped on Waco
avenue about where Finiay Ross home
is. 1t was sure an Indian they found
The only thing that surprises me is that
many skeletons have not been dug UP
there before when people were digging
foundations and wells. I have known
all the time that between 100 and $50
bodies were buried in that part of town,
but never said anything about it be-
cause I did not want to alarm or annoy
the people living up there"
Were the bodies al buried?"
Yes, but very shallow. Indians died
at other points about here perhaps. who
were not buried. I scattered the Indians
while the cholera was on so as to sep
arate them as muchrs IS possible and in
this way check the disease. Some OF
them went over beyond College Hi and
some as far as the Whitewater. I think
that altogether over go of the Wichitas
and the affiliated Indians DIED
The singular thing was that neither
myself nor any of my men took the
cholera. I was exposed TO it all the time
l found some captives here who belonged
to Texas--vhite children brought along
and I took them to Fort Arbuckle 10 de-
liver them up to the commanding officer. !
When l got there the cholera was rag
ing and the guard said I couldn't get into /
the post I insisted and I didn't get any /
cholera either. I delivered the white cap |
tives to the commanding officer and got /
out Of there as quick az I could.
year Down about where Oklahoma T. |
There was cholera everyw here that |
year Down about where Oklahoma City /
now stands Mr.. Matthewson found dead !
Indians strewn over the prairies, some [
Places four or i've in heap
Coroner McColiister is converted to the /
theory that the skeleton found was that /
OF an Indian. lie thought first it was the |
skeleton Of a cowboy. but at the time |
that section OF the city was used as a
place for burying the dead. there were no
cowboys here.
Mr. McCollister also thinks it was an |
Indian on account Of the teeth, which /
were perfect. He marked the place where
he buried the skeleton and IS glad he did,
since he has heard of the probability that
it was that of a famous Indian chief.
E. c. Warfeld. assistant manager Of
the Mallory steamship line. sailing out
OF New York. was in the city last night