UNIDENTIFIED: June 11, 1921 Omaha, Nebraska

 On June 11, 1921, an unknown baby boy was found in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Omaha, Nebraska. There is little information in this case.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

WITCHES: Salt Witch

 

Made on Artbreeder

In the Nebraska plains, there was a tribe that was quartered and resided near where the Saline flows into the Platte. There was one chief that had met a witch. The chief was a fierce man and was a man of blood and muscle who his people gloried. However, his dear wife was his only companion and the only one to keep him in check. He loved her deeply and was heartbroken when she died. The once active chief was now becoming a recluse never leaving his home. His mourning was lasting too long for his people and they began to talk of replacing him. They needed someone who would do their duties. 

One morning the Chief left his home wearing his wardress. Without speaking a word to anyone he strode across the plain to the west. No one hears from him for a month. He was brandishing a belt of either fresh pelts or scalps. He also came with a lump of salt and a story of how it was found. 

He told them that after traveling far over the prairie he had gone to sleep on the ground. He was awoken by wailing nearby. (some retellings he's in a canoe) In the New Moon's light, he would go and look for the cause of the sound. He would find a hideous old woman with a tomahawk about to strike a kneeling, crying, younger woman. This was a surprising sight as he was 40 miles from the village. The old woman would hold the younger one by the throat and the younger would fail to break free. He would soon run over to the women.

 The old woman was then holding the younger's hair and was raising the tomahawk to strike her by the time the chief came. The chief would then see the face of the younger woman and would be filled with rage. The younger woman looked just like his dead wife. He would then protect the younger woman by burying his own tomahawk into the old woman's head. The earth would open and both women would disappear. In their place, a pillar of salt stood where the witch was. 

For years afterward, tribes would maintain that the column was under the custody of the Salt Witch. When they went and gathered salt they would pound the ground with clubs. They believed if they did this it would keep the Salt Witch from doing Evil. 

I could not find a specific tribe this was based on. There were two different tribes referenced The Otoe and the Omaha tribes. I also could not find what year or let alone century that this had happened also. 

SOURCES:

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths And Legends Of Our Own Land, Complete by Charles M. Skinner
Legends of America

American Folklore

Ancient Pages

UNIDENTIFIED: May 31, 1883 Dodge County, Nebraska Desperado

 On May 31, 1883, an individual died in Dodge County, Nebraska. On June 1st they were buried in Ridge Cemetery in Fremont. It's not stated the cause of death, but they were described as a desperado. Meaning they may have been some sort of outlaw or criminal.

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave

UNIDENTIFIED: September 1878 Omaha, Nebraska Doe

 On October 1, 1878, an unknown Native American (gender unstated) was buried at the Prospect Hill Cemetary in Omaha, Nebraska. It's stated that they died in September. There is little information in this case.

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave

Murder of Ada Clark

26-year-old Nicholas Foley was in love with Effie Riggs, the sister of Ada Clark. One day Effie had quarreled and rejected Nick and he was not happy about it. He had been living at the Clarks home in Elgin, Nebraska on and off for the last two years. Mr. Clark had to kick him off the property and told him to never return. Before leaving Nicholas stated he was going to kill Henry Riggs (Effie and Ada's father) before the week was through. He had for the last He borrowed a revolver intending to kill himself with it. Instead, he realized that it would not bother Effie and her family.

Around 11 p.m. on June 19, 1889, Mr. Clark gave one of his children some medicine and went back to bed. Around midnight He woke up with a sharp pain in his side. He had been shot. He woke up asking, "Who is striking me?" Ada exclaimed with "Someone shot you!"

Mr. Clark then rose out of his bed and heard someone downstairs. He then put his bed against the door to prevent the shooter from getting inside. Ada heard someone climbing up to the window. She moved the curtain to look out and met eye to eye with a pistol held by Nicholas. He shot her in the face and killed her. He then tried to shoot Effie. He shot 4 times and missed every shot. He then left on one of the horses on the property.

It wasn't until the next morning when the family got help. Neighbors had heard screaming at the time of the murder, but didn't come. It wasn't until Henry Duvall heard the cries and found them.  A search for him ensued.  On June 22,  after Ada's funeral organized themselves and dispersed to look for him. He was arrested in Petersburg by Sherrif Beckwith.

When they were four miles east of Elgin they stayed with A.H. Palmer who was friends with Sherrif Beckwith. A lynch mob surrounded the home and took Nicholas. They refused to let Sherrif Beckwith leave and stop the lynching.

Nicholas knew that he would be killed, but when it came closer to the end he began to breakdown. The mob brought him to a bridge 300 yards away. He was then hung from the bridge and his neck was broken and it killed him. He was left hanging there till 5 when the corner came.

SOURCES:
Fremont Tribune- June 20, 1889
Omaha Daily Bee- June 23, 1889
The Herndon Courant- June 28, 1889
Democratic Advocate - June 29, 1889
The Semi-Weekly New Era- June 29, 1889
Nebraska State Journal- Feb 11, 1891