The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-08

An AFChmoBogIst's Reasons for BclieVing
That 1'hey Nave Been Found.

nat Tney KaVe been fOunu'
To rHE EDITOR or Tn SUN-Sir: supple
mentlng the cable despatch. which appeared
In TIE Sun July 20 regarding the discovery
Of a skeleton at Orsvesend, England. sup"
posed 10 be that OF the Indian Princess Poca-
hontas. W. Russell. rector's warden OF the
parish Church Of ~. George, has sent word
to Charles W. Kohlsaat. commissioner-gen-
eral OF the jamestown exposition. that no
does not believe the skeleton Ia that OF the
III fated daughter OF Powbatan. Mr.. Russell
says:
The finding Of the skeleton has set enoiher Of our
occasional PocahOntas stories going the rOunos OF
the papers. but ] am not going to let my old register
be knocked out Of II BY penny. a liners. thlnk "
IN quite ridiculous to attempt to make out that the
skeleton found near the White Post tavern Is that
OF Pocahontas. The indecency Of the burial. only
eighteen inches under the soil and face
seems TO me conclusive evidence that this 10 the
skeleton OF some stray wasting who probably came
by her death by foul means very much more re-
Gently. Why are not other bones 90 easily founo.
n the place was a portion Of the churchyaruT
There arc number of impossible people In Graves
end who are Pocahontas mad and are ready 90 con-
meet her with any skeleton or group OF bones that
may turn up. The old velium parish register says
definitely that Pocahontas was buried In the chanceI
Of ST. Georges (parish) Church. and ! see no reason
to try to beguiie the public with wild and improb-
able yarns all implying that the register recorded
a lie.
There Ia, however, a fairly strong brief for
the theory that the bones are those Of Poca-
hontss. The facts In the case show that
during building operations which are beins
carried out by Messrs. lemen and Hotter
In Mayfeld road. Gravesend. some human
remains were disinterred. A fence was being
erected just at the rear Of the Campbell Arms
when a workman engaged In sinking a post
hole came on what was apparently a stone.
His pick penetrated It, and then to his aston
ishment he discovered It was 2 skull. Ihe
and gradually . human frame ives brou ght g
light. II was but Q few yards from the old
20 .st : S Ssiss ram and ih ,nS ait % i hsn fses f fSsin;s s' fss
northeast. A peculiar feature was that the
body was inferred face downward in a grave
Since then some Interesting facts have come
TO light with regard to the bones The skull
was taken to London and sa6mitted to an an
manner Of discovery. but, the question wgs
put: Can you tel! NE whether this is The skull
is the head Of an indian and a woman" was
the reply. The expert added in answer g q
query as TO the shape Of the, head She bad
more morals than the people OF that CLASS
usually have
Bearing In mind the tradition that Princess
the White Post Inn, Mr.. Tucker, builder. OF
Dover road. Northfeet, into whose hands the
remains had fallen. proceeded 70 make a
detailed search at the spot where the remains
were uncovered. and chief among his discoy-
cries were several nails. some two inches In
length, very much incrristed three pieces Of
what IL either pearl or iridescent glass, a thin
tile, backed with Roman cement; a small
piece of very heavy metal. an ornament MADE
from what Ia evidently gold wire, in figure OF
eight pattern. and a piece of black hair. Sev;
eral other small bones were uncovered, and
two pieces ,Ss D 81 sefy c mmS m de0ssed po %0fd To- the
remains being those of the famous yirginian
Princess. Some may be inclined to doubt the
authenticity Of the remains owing to the
place of burial being somewhat removed from
the present White Post Inn, and because the
parish register, book 5. contains the follow
ing entry.
1915. March eist-Rebeeca wrolte. wye Of
Thomas wrolfe. gent. a Virginia lady borne, was
buried In We Chancell.
In "Ye True Narrative of We Princess Poca-
hontas." by Charles Thomas, however, the
following explanation occurs:
There may be a clerical error here in the Chris
iian name Of wrolfe, who was always known In
,hs n1.s as 'oan Ho of her r5 bS1i,i on n sse s,sr GYM sr ,s
the close y%lclni,y, of the mon dlsascd old parish
houses in Pelham road, on the way to Perry street.
carried thither after a service in the chsncei OF the
chapel Of 81. George; which was DESTROYED by fre
parish church OF to day uss,.
IL must also be remembered that the Prin-
cess died Of smallpox, and In those days peo-
p pIss =sHeG inaspreS 90 on t r.. S Srssd oS %tssrSs c "
churchysrd. Although 200 years have elapsed
since the virginia lady borne" was inferred
within the boundaries of the. borough. IL Is
not surprising (should these bones prove TO
be hers) to find them in such an excellent
state OF preservation, as they were in soil
Of a gravelly character above chalk, and il
was In similar surroundings that the bones
Of a large number Of Roman soldiers we're
recently disintprred on the main road leading
out OF Folkestone. One reason for the pres
ent fragments being so close to the surface
Is the fact that a pathway has for years eX-
listed over the graves. and being upon a light
slope. the soil has been considerably washed
away.
When the skeleton was being unearthed
Pocahontas." knowing that MIR. Tucker
dabbled in phrenoioey. he offered him the
skeleton, but for a week II lay in the shed
quests to come and take the COMPOUNDED
thing away"
CHARLES FREDERICK S~TANsBrRy.