From the Quanah Tribune-Chief, February 4, 1897
Indian Skeleton Presumed To Be The
Remains Of Peta Nocona Is At The Tribune Office
M. Roberts Makes An Interesting Discovery
In His Pasture
S.M. Roberts, who lives in the neighborhood
of the Medicine Mounds and in whose pasture was found the skeleton
of a Comanche Chieftain last November, mention of which was
made in THE TRIBUNE at the time and in the St. Louis Republic
and Dallas News a few days ago, arrived in town yesterday evening
and deposited his find in our office, where it has been viewed
by a number of citizens.
The skeleton is of an Indian as the
prominent cheekbones and peculiar shape of the skull indicate
and he was tall and strongly built. Without indulging in phrenological
aphorisms we venture to say that the remains belonged to a man
who was a leader among his fellows. Besides, the many ornaments
found buried with him plainly indicate his high rank among the
savages. Numerous conjectures have been made as to his identity,
the most interesting being that it is nobody but Peta Nocona,
Quanah Parker's father, who was killed at the battle at Mule
Creek by Governor Ross. There is some probability that this
is correct, as the battle was fought in the Pease River brakes,
close to the place where the remains of the chieftain were found.
In Texas history this battle and the death of Nocona are mentioned
but nothing is said about another chief being killed at the
time.
'Tis true, Quanah Parker, when here
last July, in his speech denied the death of his father at the
hands of Ross, but Indians are seldom noted for their veracity,
and then the body of Nocona at the time was identified by Cynthia
Ann Parker, his wife, and several others who had known him.
Mr. Roberts discovered the skeleton
while riding over his pasture last November. He perceived a
bone, sticking out of the ground beneath a high bluff, and,
when he picked it up, found it to be the lower jaw of a human
being.
His curiosity becoming aroused, he
and W.R. Wheat and a couple of other neighbors dug up the skeleton
and found with it about a bushel of beads, made of stone resembling
turquoise; numerous silver plates, curiously wrought, string
across his chest and shoulders; about 25 silver and brass rings,
which he wore around his wrists and upper arms; a Mexican bridle
bit; parts of a gun lock; remains of an old fashioned powder
horn, and several other trinkets, the possession of which an
Indian would enjoy.
All this is now at THE TRIBUNE office
and will probably be presented to a museum by Mr. Roberts in
the near future.
* Web Master's Note : The story reproduced
above is meant to illustrate the unusual writing style of
the time, and is no way meant to disparage the "veracity"
of Quanah Parker's word. Also, we know of no museums that
existed in the area during this period, and are researching
the whereabouts of Peta Nocona's remains.)
