davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-02-28
Railway official Drowned.

Mr.. jeremiah Coffey, district superin-
tendent of the Great Southern e West
ern railway, Tralee, left Tralee by the
2:3O train on Saturday for official du-
ties at Midtown and Castlemaine. In
the latter place he met three clerical
friends, Rev. Father Brosnan, c. c.:
Rev. Father Buckley, and Rev. Father
Daily, Tralee, one of whom, Father
Daily, was returning to Tralee. Mr..
Coffey and Father DAILY started to
catch the train, which passes Castle
maine station about 8 o'clock, and
when nearing the village, which is
about 100 yards from the station, they
heard the whistle of the train. Mr..
Coffey, who must be close to 60 years
of age, requested Father DAILY, who
is quite a young man, to run to the
station and hold the train for him.
Father DAILY did so. but, though the
train was detained some minutes. Mr..
Coffey did not arrive. The night being
very dark, and besides. Mr.. Coffey be-
ing short-sighted, it is feared hat he
walked straight over the quay into the
river, which was at full flood at the
time, and, being unable to swim, vas
Irnunod
The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-02-28
The Body Recovered.

Tralee, Tuesday-The body of Jere-
miah Coffey, district superintendent of
the Great Southern & Western rail-
way. was found before noon today in
the river at Castlemain quay, fifty
yards from the spot where the de-
ceased was supposed to have fallen
into the river on Saturday evening. AS
already stated, Mr.. Coffey was return
ing to catch the train at Castlemaine on
Saturday evening, and requested
Father DAILY, who was with him, to
run to the station and detain the train
for him. In the darkness, it is sup
posed, he missed his way and walked
into the unprotected river.
The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-02-28

Galway, Tuesday-Mr. John Roche,
NJ. P, was released from prison this
morning. Mr.. Roche had only served
fourteen days of a coercion sentence
of three months. He is in excellent
health.
Mr.. William Hastings, Ballinasloe,
was also released today from Galway
Jail. Mr.. Hastings had completed his
term of Imprisonment.
The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-02-28

On Monday a telegram IA received
from Dublin by the governor of Tul-
lamore Jail, ordering the immediate re-
lease of Mr.. Reddy, NJ. P, and Mr..
Lowry, county councillor, whose sem
tence under the coercion act would
not have expired for some time to
come.
Mr.. Reddy was sentenced to two per-
iods of two months Imprisonment on
the 26th of September last by the re-
movables at Ballymoe, but lodged an
appeal against the decision to the quar-
ter sessions. When the appeal was
brought forward at the quarter ses-
sions the sentence was confirmed. Mr..
Reddy was sentenced to two months
hard labor, and in default of finding
bail. to a further term of three months
by Removables Newell and Dease. at
Birr. in connection with the Birr sports
on the oath of September. Against this
decision he appealed. Judge Curran,
who tried the appeal. confirmed the
sentence. but made the term without
hard labor. This was on the Ind of
October last.
william Lowry, chairman of h dis
trict council, was sentenced to two
months imprisonment with hard labor,
and in default of finding bail, to a
further term of three months, on the
2Srd of September last by Removables
Newell and Dease at Birr. On appeal
the sentence was confirmed by Judge
Curran on the list of October.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

scribed these games with resin balls, and
stated that the chiefs or c~aciques sat upon
stone chairs while witnessing them.
Sticks were stuck down the outlets of
these strange people prior to their dance
ceremonies. This operation they performed
upon themselves to excite nausea. Violent
and complete nausea had to be effected by
eech participant in a ceremonial dance be-
fore he could COM into the presence of the
stone gods or ''zemis." BY violent vomiting
the worshipers could cleanse their hearts
and the custom is compared by DR.. Fewkes
to one which always obtains in the Moki
villages after the rattlesnake dances. The
Moki dancer ends the snake ceremony by
drinking a powerful emetic. which he be-
lieves to thoroughly purify him.. But the
prehistoric Porto Rican thus purified his
heart before rather than after a sacred
as suggested. The sticks with
which the aboriginal Porto Ricans pro-
duced their nausea were sometimes elab-
orately carved. They were curved to fit
the outlets of their users. DR.. Fewkes saw
five of them, made of black wood, two feet
long and bearing a carved figure upon the
handle. A shorter ivory instrument with
the exquisitely carved figure of a kneeling
man upon the handle was brought back
with him, and, inasmuch as 1t has the same
form as the others which he saw, he be-
lieves it TO have served the same purpose.
The dance courts studied by the archaeol-
ogist were probably built before the dis
covery of America by Columbus. AT the
time of the advent of the Spaniards the
neighboring regions were inhabited by a
people whose chief. G~uarionex. took part in
a battle not far from the present city of
Ponce. which was waged against Ponce de
Leon. Guarionex commanded a thousand
or more of warriors. In that battle Agu-
bana III. head chief of all the Porto Ricans
of that part of the island, was killed and
the whole power Of his armies crushed. 1t
is said that Agubana was killed by a shot
from Ponce de Icons own weapon.
WHEN FIRST SEEN BY WHITES.
Columbus had landed at the northwest
! ern corner of the island. bringing his ships
into the harbor still called Acuadillo. Dur
ing his stay he captured a beautiful Porto
Rican maiden, whom he called Catalina.
! But Catalina was not particularly fasci-
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

modesties. which in themselves were rather
meager vestments.
The houses of these people were pavilions
woven of palm leaves. The aboriginal arch
itecture survives to this day among the
Gibaros, or mixed blood.
DR.. Fewkes brought with him a number of
large stone rings precisely the shape of
horse collars and of about the same size.
There is a tradition that these were placed
about the heads of corpses to weight them
down and prevent the evil spirits from bear
ing them away.
EVIDENCES OF CANNIBALISM.
Near Manat, on the north coast, DR..
Fewkes made excavations in a large cave
known as 1.-The cave of the swallows 1t
is about one hundred feet deep and looks
out upon the ocean. The legends of the
country round say that buccaneers once
buried a chest of gold here, and many dig
gings have been made by the country peo-
pie. 1t is the current belief that the caves
of the island are inhabited by demons. One
night a digger in the cave near Manati
heard a voice say that the man who found
the chest of treasure would die a violent
death. That sufficed to stop excavation un-
til undertaken by the archaeoIogist. But
AZ WIS ShA dtdcdit vi duOllitE - y
which the other seekers had overlooked. He
found the walls of the cave filled with pic
tographs and some fallen rocks with human
heads chiseled upon them. The floor was
covered with bat guano. ashes and frag-
ments of pottery. There were evidences of
pest f~easts-bones of birds and beasts. Look
ing further, he unburied from the ashes
human bones. These indicate that at one
time there may have been cannibalistic
feasts in this cave said he. but there is
not enough present evidence to substantiate
this beyond a doubt"
He entered another cave near by. Crawl
ing in in the dark he penetrated to its very
depth, where he found a niche cut in the
rock. This niche had probably been an
aboriginal shrine. Upon il lay a number
OF small turquoise pendants. perhaps ear
rings. From these caves he brought frag-
ments Of a skull and other bones. One
jaw bone Is evidently syphiilitic and may
throw some light upon the mooted question
as to whether one of our most dread dis
! eases originated In the new or old world.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

These caves were used for secular and
religious purposes, and some as burial
places, in the Doctors opinion. He found
a widespread belief that their supernatural
occupants will appropriate anything left
at their mouths. II is also believed that
one King Cacique, an aboriginal ruler of
the island, was imprisoned by the devil in
one cave. where he dwells to this day. IL
any first born son named Juan will 60 10
the closed mouth of this cave on San Juan's
day and call the imprisoned king will an
swer and hold conversation with him.
MISTAKEN FOR INVENTOR.
An amusing story was told by DIR. Fewkes
in connection with his purchase of relics
from the country people. Most of the lat
ter possessed stone hatchets left by the
aboriginal Porto Ricans. These they called
''thunderbolts," and il was their belief that
by hanging one in the caves OF a house i'm
munity against lightning was insured. Be-
fore selling one TO the doctor the owner
would generally wind a bit Of string about
it, retire and pretend TO place the relic i'm
the fire. Later it was exhibited TO the
archaeologist, and the explanation was
made that the string would not burn OF
when in conjunction with the stone. There
fore the latter was a true thunderbolt. DIR.
Fewkes bought so many ''thunderbolts' in
the country that there got abroad the story
that he had made a wonderful invention.
He had discovered a method OF grinding
the stones into powder and OF extracting
some explosive constituent which they had
brought down from above. This constituent
the government was going 10 place I'm can
non balls TO be used in an anticipated war
with Germany.
The cradle OF the prehistoric Porto Rican
race was on the banks OF the OrinOco river.
South America. DIR. Fewkes is led 10 be-
lieve by his researches in the island. Their
ancestors belonged TO the Arawak stock
OF South America. They became a mari
time people and ventured out of the ORR
noco. proceeding FROM island 20 island in
the chain of the Lesser Antilles until they
reached Porto Rico. There a part OF the
race became sedentary. The Caribs. an
other race. later swarmed out OF the ORR
noco valley and finally comm:ngled IFS
blood with that OF the former race.
Among all of the acquisitions which
came To the United States by the treaty
OF Paris" said he. Porto Rico Is pre-emf-
nent from an qnthropoiogical point Of
View"
JOHN ELFRErH WATKINS. JR !.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

pushing. vigorous fellows, who will make
the welkin ring while they are in town.
They are the boys who know how to COM
bine business with pleasure in just the right
mixture. They know how to get the best
out of everything"
dianapolis should entertain the T. p. a.
delegates in good style, for the reason that
other cities have spared no pains in enter
tanning the organization in previous years.
At Kansas City and at St. Paul no expense
was spared, with the result that the con-
vention of the T. p. A. is still a pleasant
memory in those cities. Post B members
are exceedingly anxious that the same will
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

mated with her white lords. She jumped
from the caravel into the sea and swan
two miles to an outlying island. She was
never heard of more. Columbus sailed away
and Porto Rico was not again visited by
then Governor of Santo Domingo, was
attracted there by reports of the islands
natural wealth. He told the natives that
he and his soldiers were immortal and they
generally believed him until two of them,
a trife skeptical, held a Spanish soldiers
head under water and proved to their sat-
isfaction that the wonderful whites could
die. BY deceits and cruelties the Spaniards
exterminated most of the natives, and re-
duced the remnants to slavery. Blood
mounds were imported TO hunt the poor ma
tives down.
The ancient people whose skeletons DR..
| Fewkes has exhumed had probably died in
| peace before these Spanish massacres. But
it is related by the ancient chroniclers that
their sick were never allowed to die nat
ural deaths. When their last struggles
commenced they were FASTENED to the
other world by attendants who suffocated
them. After death, it is said, their bodies
were cut open and dried by fire, both in
ternally and externally. 1t is also chron-
icled that the favorite wives were buried
alive with their husbands that their bliss
full love might be Immediately continued
in the spirit world. 1t was the fashion
10 wear no hair upon the face or person.
and it was carefully plucked out by the
roots wherever evident. Just as the priests
of ancient Greece and Rome were the real
oracles which spoke TO the ignorant multi
tude, the priests of the ancient Porto
Ricans, standing behind the statues Of
their deities. were the mouthpieces of these
goods.
The island kings. or caciques, are de-
scribed as sitting upon large wooden
thrones. They wore upon their breasts
plates of beaten gold. bands Of stones across
their brows. gold earrings. necklaces and
bands Of beads about their waists. They
wore kits. or aprons. of cotton. but other
wise were nude. The married women wore
these same aprons, but the men and maid
ems were entirely nude save for the orna-
ments and paint. Even the royal princesses
! went abroad clothed only in their maiden
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

which will no doubt be as arduous a task
as it will be important for the future of
the order. other matters of Importance,
including the reports of the officers, and
the election of officers for the ensuing year
will take up the time of the delegates. In
every respect the convention is expected
to exceed the meetings of former years.
Xxx
"This will be no ordinary convention"
said a member of Post b the other day,
enthusiastically talking about the national
meeting of his order. 1T will not be the
kind of convention that the people of Indian
apolis see so much, and, perhaps, get tired
of seeing. These men that will be here are
every one of them bright, keen, up-to-date,
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

surrounded by stones. The country people
called these Enclosures "juAgos de bola"
(ball courts), and the tradition was that in
these places the prehistoric Porto Ricans
played ball-a game ascribed to them by
early Spanish writer's. Finding the bone at
the foot of one of the high mountains near
Utuado. the explorer examined II and found
it to be human. Near the spot was one of
these ball courts" one of the largest on
the island. 1t was about one acre square.
To the south and just outside the Enclosure
DIR. Fewkes's eye fell upon several mounds.
averaging about twenty feet in diameter
and ten feet ~high-mere hillocks which
would never have attracted the eye of the
layman. The doctor enlisted a corps of la
bOrers and bIf them dig.
PREHISTORIC PORTO RICANS.
More than fifteen hundred. skeletons were
found-nearly all crumbled to ashes. Out
of the entire lot he brought back two skulls
fairly preserved. These are the first skulls
which can be identified without doubt as
belonging to the prehistoric Porto Ricans,''
he said, yesterday. as he held them in his
hands. Zone. you will note, has a fattened
forehead. indicating that the ancient Porto
Ricans, like several other tribes, artificially
fattened their heads. Several early travel
ers OF the sixteenth century, indeed, speak
of the West Indian islanders as fiatten:ng
their foreheads." Your correspondent dis
covered in one of these ancient accounts a
description OF this headbinding. Women
compressed the skulls of their young babies
and kept them bound until maturity, by
which time their foreheads had permanent
ly retreated directly from their eyes to their
crowns. A similar sloping was effected in
the rear Of the Uranium. To nave had such
a deformed skull was to be aristocratic.
just as ii now Is to nave deformed feet in
China. Thus the crown of the skull. by
dint Of crowding. became so thick that the
Spaniards. in their broadsword competi-
lions. had difficulty In cracking them open.
1t is further told that the people of the
Lesser Antilles artiicially elevated rather
than depressed their foreheads.
Buried in a sitting posture. DR.. Fewkes
found these prehistoric Porto Ricans. Above
their corpses had been placed pottery. orna-
ments and stone implements. Their skele-
tons indicate that they were q people OF
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07
ORIGINAL PORTO RICANS
ARCHAEOL0GIsT FINDS RELICS OF A
FORGOTTEN PEOPLE.
skulls show that They Had Customs
Like Flat-Head Indfans-De-
stroyed by Spaniards.
r-e,pondenee of the indianapolis Journal.

Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, June 5-The first
remains of the prehistoric man of Porto
Rico, recently dug from the soil of that
island by DR.. Jesse Walter Fewkes of the
Bureau of American Ethnology, have just
been brought TO the United States Ma
tional Museum by that scientist, who be-
came famous for his excavation of num-
erous Southwestern pueblos a few years
back
surrounded By piles of musty human
bones and 500 specimens of pottery. i'm
ulements, ornaments and what not, teEen
from the caves and mortuary mounds Of
our new West Indian possession, this enter
prising archaeologist yesterday gave your
correspondent the first detailed account of
his fruitful search for the long lost
aborigine of that island. The Yankee
schoolboy of the future must be taught
the true story OF Porto Rico's first people.
DIR. Fewkes brings to the national capital
the first authentic information concerning
them. He is the first to have read their
interesting story in the crumblIng ashes
II the past
wbiis looking over the field near Utuado.
An the eastern-centraI part OF the island
-efteen miles south of Arecibo-Dr.
Fewkes noticed a fragment OF bone pro-
truding from a bank recently dug by road
builders. That piece of bone proved to be
the golden key which unlocked the long
hidden secrets OF the lost prehistoric man.
rade ore Of the ancestors OF our domain
nv the treaty of Paris.
scattered over the island. especially In the
-x.acccssibIe mountain regions. the archae-
bsist Lad come UPON numerous nat spaces
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

large stature, and the unusual thickness of
their skulls is apparent.
The ball courts were examined by the
doctor. At one end of the court, adjacent
to the uncovered burial mounds, he found
remnants which indicated that the space
had had a raised stone platform. Upon this
had once stood a raised stone idol. For
many years this remained i'm front of a
house on a sugar plantation at Arecibo,
whittier 1t had been carried. But during
the terrible cyclone which swept the island
a few years ago this idol was overturned
and covered with debris
These 'fball courts were dance places,
according to DR.. Fewkes. They were the
chapels. so to speak. to the cemeteries ad-
joining. Upon their raised stone platforms
mortuary dances were held. These rites
were held after the burial, and during the
dancing songs concentrating the dead
were chanted. One or more of the stones in
the wall surrounding the court near
Utuado had rude pictures carved upon
them, and in the adjacent burial mound
was uncovered a stone mask-shaped disk,
representing a human face. Apparently
these stone faces were attached to slaves
and set up over the mound at the time of
burial. The prehistoric Porto Ricans were
ancestor worshipers, and these stones evil
IDENTIFY represented the dead, whose descend
ants believed them to have become gods.
WERE NOT BALL GROUNDS.
The idea that ball games were played
upon these courts originated, DR.. Fewkes
says. from the finding in or near them of
spherical stones. varying from four inches
to several feet in diameter. But these stone
balls were evidently water-worn river
powders. carried to these places for some
purpose. possibly for use in the worship of
water. The Moki and Zuni people of our
Southwest, in their crude philosophy of
cause and effect. believe tina ceremonial
use of anything worn by water is potent in
causing rain. The archaeologist does not
believe these stone balls were used in
| games, for the reason that the aboriginal
Porto Ricans were described by the early
Spanish explorers as having played ball
with spheres made of vegetable resin.
| Moreover, many of the stone balls are too
large to have been handled. Oviedo. the
drst Spanish chronicler OF Porto Rico. de-
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

tributed to unfortunate members of
the order in death and disability ben
efits.
The Indiana division was organized in
1901, with Leo Politzer president and Frank
b. Hart secretary and treasurer. There are
now twenty posts in Indiana-Post A. Fort
Wayne; Post B, Indianapolis; Post c, Rich
mond; Post ID, Frankfort; Post Z. Lafay-
cite; Post F., Logansport; Post G.. Terre
Haute; Post II, Vincennes; Post l, Kendall
vile; Post j, Evansville; Post X, South
Bend; Post L, Warsaw; Post NJ. Crawfords-
vile; Post n, Marion; Post o, Anderson;
Post @, New Albany; Post r., Muncie; Post
s, Kokomo; Post T, Wabash. and Post u,
Columbu The Indiana division has a MEM
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

be the case here. So far their missionary
effort among the merchants has met will
deserved success. Business men have
opened their arms to the organization, and
have come to the front not merely with as
surances, but with the kind of thing that
insures success plenty of the long
green.
x x
The career of the L. p. A. of America has
been marked with constant success since
the year ii was born-1S90. The T. P. A.
was organized in Denver, Col, June 3, 1890.
1t has now over 21,O0 members, divisions
in thirty-one States. and posts in 100 of the
leading cities of the country. In the past
thirteen years over $1,000. 900 has been dis
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-07

Thursday
Afternoon-Picnic at Broad Ripple and
supper in the park.
Friday
Afternoon-Parade of the delegates and
ladies in carriages.
Night-Banquet. grand ball and vaude-
Vile entertainment
Saturday
Morning-Close of the convention and de-
parture Of delegates.
xxx
The T. p. A. boys will not be fully oc-
cupied in having a pleasant time, how
ever. There are some pretty big questions
to settle at the convention, which begins
here tomorrow. One of them is the re-
vision of the constitution of the order,
The Washington times., 1903-04-02
MONEY TO LOAN.

Money . loan at 81 to per cent, in SUM
Of 81 go TO $4,000, D. c. real estate: pay
on and per cent mortgage and begin anew;
all transactions conducted with economical con
sideratIon for borrowers.
VA. II. SAUNDERS / 70 E&C- r A. nv