The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-06-21
Unearthed on the Farm of
Arthur Mitchell.
SKELETONS MINUS SKULLS.
Probably Those of Sioux Indians Slain
In Battle and Heads Carried Off
BY the Enemy.
From Fridays Daily.

Seven skulless skeletons were unearth-
e6 ,on the, farm of Arthur Mitchell IN
spring Island Yesterday, and more were
dup up today, making about twenty In
all. While engaged in the rather
unromantic task of scooping up
earth for the foundation of a ce-
ment floor which is to be laid in his
barn, Mr., Mitchell and his assistant,
Gilbert Glaucke, brought to view the
bones of half dozen noble red men who
followed the chase and engaged IN bat
tie in this section of country years ago,
long before the white man was known
hereabouts The skeletons were found
buried in knoll which rises number
of feet above the adjacent land. From
the appearance of the bones it is evident
that the bodies were buried hastily and
without due regard to the rites which
characterized even the natives who
Toamed the forest in those early days.
Even the Indians were in the habit OF
burying their dead with great deal of
care and with pomp and ceremony, es-
pecially if they were not in hurry to
get away from an enemy.
Yet the primitive undertakers did not
throw the dead bodies into the hastily
dug graves promiscuously. The arms
were carefully placed by the sides of the
corpse and the legs were given ample
room All the bodies were laid on their
backs. $3.50 .s. ~
The spot where the skeletons were
found was in earlier days surrounded by
dense timber, and had the Indians died
in camp from natural causes, they no
doubt would have been buried in the
trees as was the custom with the saw
ages in those days long ago. The earliest
skeletons were found
Wednesday Afternoon while Mr..
Glaucke was separating Mother Earth
and singing as was the pleasant pas
time of the gravediggers of old, he
brought to light number of bones. At
first he thought nothing of the matter
and continued to dig. Later he uncovered
a skeleton This caused him to ponder
and he called the attention of Mr.. Nit
chell to his discovery. The latter spoke
much after, the ID manner of Hamlet in
the grave-digging. scene and soliquized
as did the melancholy Dane when he
gazed so intently at the empty eranium
of Yorick. Yesterday there was a great
er surprise, Four more headless skeletons
were found. The news was spread about
the neighborhood and people came from
far and near and looked upon all that
remained of what were. once Indians.
There is no doubt OF that. But what
had become. of their heads? No one
could answer the query.
Thomas Hughes, and a representative.
of The Free Press visited the scene last
evening and inspected the skeletons. Mr..
Hughes, who is as we'll acquainted with
the / ancient lore of Blue Earth county
as any man that lives hereabouts, was
of the opinion that the skeletons were
those of Sioux Indians that were killed
in a prehistoric battle with either
the Iowas or Chippewas one hun
dred years and more ago. That
the victors had cut off the heads of
the slain and bore them away on poles
as trophies of the battle and later MEM
bers of the Sioux tribe came that way
and finding the dead bodies, buried them
hastily. The positions of the skeletons
furnished the evidence that the bodies
had been laid away without any partic
ularsceremony. The head of one point
ed toward the southeast; another to-
ward the northwest and two bodies had
been laid side by side: No evidences of
trinkets having been buried with them
were found, although Mr.. Mitchell did
pick up near one of the skeletons what
looked to him like bead. One or two
of the bodies may have been wrapped
in blankets as Mr.. Mitchell gathered
quantity of stuff that resembled thread
that laid on top of one of the skeletons
The belief is strong that more skeletons
can be. found in the knoll. Those al
ready uncovered were not far below the
surface of the earth and are embedded
in gravel But a small portion of one
side of the. knoll has been opened to
view aAs.. #ss,I s-sa 4
Years ago the Sioux, Iowas and Chip
pewa Indians roarned over that part of
South Bend township known as Spring
Island. The ,Iowas and Chippewas bore
an intense hatred for the Sioux and bat
ties between. the opposing forces were
frequent. The. skeletons found on the
Mitchell farm reveal new chapter in
the history of this section. Indian
graves have been discovered frequently
hereabouts, but this is the first time
that a number of skulless skeletons
have been dug up. These skeletons in
dictate that they were from race of
large persons.
Mr.. Mitchell has gathered together
number of the gruesome objects and
will preserve them as relics.
The bodies had been made meat for
the worms. The breast bones, finger and
bones of the toes had long been eaten