The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-16
Charge Topeka People With Des-
ecratiOn of Graves.
KACK KACK is AROUSED
Old Chief Can Not Find Sons
Head.
Mr.. Cope of Topeka Says It's All
a Mistake.

According to an Indian named
Harris. who came to Topeka today,
there is great excitement among the
Pottawatomies on the reservation in
Jackson county. They found that
some of the graves of their dead had
been desecrated and the skulls-one OF
them that of the chiefs son-were
carried away, and they place the
blame on Topeka people.
The Indians are buried in a sitting
posture, the head above the ground
but covered by a mound of earth. By
kicking away the earth the skulls are
exposed. and two of these were car
ried away. Now the Indians want re-
yenge. They do not care to appeal to
the courts, but they promise to make
things lively for the perpetrators of
the outrage.
The Indian, who refused to give his
name, told the following story:
Last Wednesday a party of Topeka
church people went to Mayetta, Kan.
to dedicate a Methodist Mission
church erected by Topeka people on
the Pottawatomie reservation, 5 miles
southwest of AIayetta station. After
the dedication. the party, SO it is
claimed, repaired to an Indian ceTa-
etery near, and broke into two of the
1 graves. From these graves they stole
/ two skulls and carried them away as
/ souvenirs.
Now, the trouble has started.
Chief Kack-kack of the PottawatO-
mics has been to visit the grave of his
! 15-year-old son and found that the
vandals have been there ahead OF him.
War paint and feathers would not de-
scribe the state of mind which Chief
| Kack-Kack now wears. A liVeryman
| OF Mayetta is the only witness, as he
: 71T ont fn he
yard, and is in momentary danger of a
visit from the chief.
The party, which left Topeka to
dedicate the Mission church, was COM
posed of three women and Frank Cope,
4 the manager of a Topeka fruit COM
mission house. According to the state
ment Of The driver, Cope dug IN and
stole one OF the skulls. and an old Wo-
man of the party stole another. Be
tore they had reached AGayetta, the
lady repented of her action and de-
clared that she would return the skull
she had taken. She did not at that
/ time however. This Mr.. Cope denies.
The Pottawatomies are stirred up
/ over the vandalism, and it is probable
| that the church viii remain vacant for
/ a long time
Mr.. Frank Cope of the Cope commits
sion company, was asked about the oc-
/ currence by a State Journal reporter
! today and told OF the charge made
against him by the Indians. In reply
Mr.. Cope said: There is nothing to il.
Aside from the fact that myself and a
few ladies went I'D there to dedicate
the mission church, the story is a mis-
take eron start to finish
While up there we visited the Poto-
watomie graveyard, about 200 yards
from the site of the new church. We
could see a few beads and things show
ing through a hole in one of the graves
but we did not investigate further;
that is. not as I know Of
4 did not steal any skulls and neith-
er did any of the ladies'; that is not as
I know of. It is mistake.
ssThe graves are as you say just
mounds AS you say they seem to be
buried in a sitting posture but we did
not bother them. There was a railing
to keep spectators from getting into the
era yes .