Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-22

with the extremlties pointed to the
southwest.
Near the pelvis of this skeleton
T. o skulls were found and just south
of the feet. four other crania were
discovered; all six of these skulls
stood upright upon their bases, and
thorough examination of them
failed to disclose n bono closer than
six inches. excepting the skeleton OF
the second adult above mentioned.
IL was discovered later upon follow
ing up the skeletal remains of the
six persons who were buried close
together, with feet TO the southwest,
that the crania of all were missing,
at least from their proper places.
In my opinion these six persons un-
doubtedly had been beheaded before
burial.
Buried In Trench.
continuing the excavation, two
other skeletons We're discovered side
by side, at full length, heads to the
south; the last of these being the
one first discovered in the side of
the bank. Immediately above these
four others were found, one with
head resting near the shoulder of
the eastern, or outside skeleton, one
with skull upon pelvic bone of same
skeleton an two others with heads
between the knee joints of this
skeleton and the one in the bottom
of the grave Immediately to the
west. These latter two were buried
with heads to the southeast and ex-
tremities to the northwest, with feet
about thirty inches north OF the four
skulls found together.
"In all fifteen skeletal remains
were uncovered. fourteen of them
being adults and one child.
These were all buried in one
grave or pit, nine feet two inches
long and six feet eight inches wide,
the longer measurement being north
and south or parallel with the coast
THE line of the burial pit was
easily traced and distinctly marked
by the difference in color of the soil.
Contiguous to the skeletons was a
rich, dark-colored earth. and so de-
cidedly different was this from the
surrounding clay. both in quality and
color. that the outline of the space
where the bodies had been buried
could be readily traced This dark,
decomposed earth had once been
human flesh.
Had this pit been the burial plac,
of skeletal remains alone, as the po-
sition of some of the bones, and es.
pecially the six severed crania, would
possibly indicate. the rich, decom.
posed earth would have been miss
ing.
Earlier Finds.
"A number of years ago six skele.
tons were found about forty feet
northeast of where 1 made my ex.
cavations. A Uranium from this finC
was examined by the late DIR. Fran,
of Dover, who pronounced the skull
as Of distinctive Indian type. Thi.
information was given me by Mr.. ID
NJ. Wilson, who was present at tn,
time the discovery was made ant
he pointed out TO me the very spot
This evidence was corroborated {
few days ago in a letter from ex
United States Senator Richard r
kenney. who was an eye witness Il
the excavation.
Taking into connection the fac
that my search was awarded will
no finds it is significant that no i'm
plements of any kind were founS
with these six skeletons.
I'm times of peace the aborigine.
always buried their dead with grea
ceremony. and they almost invari
ably deposited with the deceased oh
jects of bone or pottery and imple
ments of stone. Skeletons foun,
without any of these implements an,
buried so near the surface as wer,