BURIAL 1 adult black man
Burial 1 was located at a depth of 43 cmbs and is one of five burials that archeologists identified in the Office Room of the chapel. This burial was bisected by the chapel foundation effectively placing the head and torso within the Office Room and the lower extremities, from the distal femora down, underneath the foundation outside the building. The remains of a Black male between the ages of 49.6 and 91.3 with evidence of trauma to the right tibia midshaft. Due to the incompleteness of the skeleton, it was not possible to determine the individual’s stature (Spradley et al. 2020). This skeleton was oriented east to west, with the body facing east. The arms were extended with each forearm located beneath the left and right ossa coxae, respectively.
BURIAL 2 empty
Burial 2 Burial 2 was in the northern portion of the Main Room of the chapel (Photos 7 and 8) at a depth of 35 cmbs. Although bone was found around this location during initial exploratory excavations, this area did not yield skeletal remains or a definitive coffin outline. Therefore, Burial 2 was recorded as negative. The largest amount of coffin wood (200 grams/0.5 pound) was collected from this burial, however, in addition to over 150 wood fragments. The absence of skeletal remains is likely a result of disturbance and destruction associated with the installation of indoor plumbing in 1944; Burial 2 was possibly exhumed at that time, though there are no cemetery records indicating any graves were exhumed in 1944.
Burial 4 empty
Burial 4 was in the northern portion of the Main Room of the chapel at a depth of 53 cmbs. Excavations initially identified fragments of coffin wood but there was no definitive coffin outline (Photo 9) and only small fragments of indeterminate bone were recovered. Given the minimal skeletal remains, determination of sex, age, biological affinity, or pathologies was not possible (Spradley et al. 2020). As this area of the Main Room had been previously impacted by plumbing repairs in 1944, this burial may have been disturbed during that time and possibly exhumed. Modern construction materials, including metal and mortar fragments, were recovered during excavation. Hardware recovered during exhumation of Burial 4 was limited to a long tack
Burial 6 infant between 2 and 4
Burial 6 was found at a depth of 50 cmbs in the north section of the Main Room of the chapel in the row of interments between Burials 2 and 4 (Photo 10). This burial was initially discovered while extending a handdug trench north from Burial 2 when small bone fragments were noted during screening. The hand excavations had impacted the lower half of the skeleton. Following this discovery, trowel scraping was employed and a discrete stain outlining the boundary of a small coffin was noted at 40 cmbs. Analysis of the skeletal remains suggested that the deceased was an infant ranging in age from newborn to 1.7 months old (Spradley et al. 2020). This skeleton was oriented east-west, with the body facing east. Poor preservation and the lack of a complete skeleton made identifying positioning of the arms indiscernible
Burial 7 adult black man cranial autopsy
Burial 7 was in the southeast corner of the Tower Room of the chapel at a depth of 16 cmbs and bisected beneath the east wall (Photos 11 and 12). Bone condition in this burial was extremely well-preserved despite presumed long-term exposure to intermittent periods of inundation due to water seepage from under the chapel foundation. Burial 7 is of particular interest due to medical alterations on the cranial vault and a healed fracture with extensive bone growth on the midshaft of the right femur, as well as the array of associated artifacts. Skeletal analysis estimates that the individual was an adult Black male approximately 14.9 to 25 years of age (with a possible narrower age range of 20 to 25), approximately 5’3” to 5’8” in height, and exhibiting a circumferential cut of the skull for the removal of the calotte (skullcap) presumably during a cranial autopsy or dissection (Spradley et al. 2020). This skeleton was oriented with its head to the west and facing east with the forearms bent at the elbow and placed over the midsection. Hexagon
Burial 8 adult black man
Burial 8 was discovered in the center of the Main Room of the chapel (Photos 13 and 14) at a depth of 45 cmbs. The grave shaft was initially discerned by textural changes in sediment during initial soil scrapings. Closer examination discovered a nail pattern in the southern extent of the coffin while fragmented coffin wood was noted at the north. During exhumation, skeletal preservation was noted to be good, though the skull had been impacted by the compaction of the coffin lid. Analysis of the skeletal remains suggests that the individual was an adult Black male approximately 24 to 48 years of age and 5’3” to 5’8” in stature (Spradley et al. 2020). This skeleton was oriented with the head in the west, facing east, with the forearms crossed left over right and hands placed over the midsection. Hexagon
*Burial 9 adult black woman
Burial 9 was found in the southeast corner of the Tower Room of the chapel at a depth of 63 cmbs (Photo 15) and was initially identified based on soil discoloration. This was the deepest burial exhumed during the Oakwood Cemetery Chapel investigations. During excavation of this burial, it was discovered that the ribs, vertebrae, arms, and pelvis were displaced. For example, a calcaneus and other foot bones were located near the thorax and both femora were disarticulated with the femoral heads facing laterally. This indicates Burial 9 may have been impacted by a considerable amount of water seepage, the effects of which displaced the remains within the burial from their correct anatomical position. Skeletal analysis suggests that the individual was an adult Black female aged 27.3 to 61.5 years of age (with a maximum likelihood of 39.7 years of age) and approximately 5’1” to 5’5” in stature with evidence of healed blunt force trauma above both eye orbits (Spradley et al. 2020). This skeleton was oriented with the head to the west and facing east. The positioning of the arms was indeterminate due to the disarticulated nature of this burial. Coffin?
Trauma: Healed blunt force trauma to anterior cranial vault Burial 09 exhibits a healed fracture defect on the right side of frontal superior to eye orbit, indented with evidence of healing on the ectocranial surface, modified intracranially. This defect is located approximately 20 mm from glabella and is approximately 30 mm long. Also noted is a possible healed blunt force depressed fracture on the left side of the frontal superior to the left orbit. This depression is small and circular, located approximately 40 mm superior to the inner left superior eye orbit. The right and left acetabula of the femora demonstrate acetabular notches, which are not pathologies but are normal anatomical variants (Mann and Hunt 2012).
September 28, 1885 – Gracie Vance & Orange Washington
Gracie Vance and Orange Washington had lived together as a couple for quite some time. They were not formally married, but everyone treated then as such. Gracie was often referred to as Gracie Washington. On the night of September 28 Gracie and Orange had invited 2 women to spend the night as guests in their house. They were friends of Gracie and the three of them often spent time together. One of the women was Lucinda, nicknamed Cindy, who lived and worked a few houses up the street. She was employed by J.B. Taylor who, according to the 1885 City Directory in 1885 was a “vegetable dealer.” The second woman, Patsy Gibbons, lived a bit further north on Whitis Avenue and was employed as Dr. Graves cook.
When the killer entered the house, he was surprised to find two additional women sleeping in the room with Gracie and Orange. Or had he been stalking Gracie and was prepared? Either way he proceeded to give Lucinda and Patsy a blow to the right side of their heads leaving a gash 3 ½ inches long on both of their foreheads. The Austin Daily Statesman called the wounds “lacerated and incised.” Both injuries went through the skin exposing and fracturing the skull. Lucinda would eventually heal. Patsy’s injury, on the other hand, caused brain matter to seep through the broken bone creating permanent brain damage. Orange Washington must have awakened and sat up during the two other attacks because he received a blow to the top of his head, rather than on the right side as the other two had. His wound exposed the bone and fractured his skull as well. But in this instance, he was hit with such force he was killed instantly.
In typical form, Gracie’s body was dragged from the house, in this case through the window rather than the door, and behind the stables. There she was outraged. The killer must have carried more than an ax because she had cuts and gashes on the right side and front of her face. The incisions ranged from one to three inches long. Her skull was not fractured. A bloody brick was found next to her head. A watch chain with a small silver open face was found wrapped around her arm.
Unlike the other horrors, on this night, Lucinda regained consciousness and in a daze lit a kerosene lamp. The first thing that registered in her mind was the blood all over the room. The second thing that caught her attention was the man standing in the room. She recognized him. It was Doc Woods. “Don’t do it, Doc,” she exclaimed. “God damn you, don’t look at me,” he shouted before he jumped though the window on the west side of the house. Lucinda then ran to the closest neighbor Mr. Dunham. She found him awake and standing on the porch because he had already heard the disruption.
The neighbors were alerted. Within twenty minutes Mr. Duff and Mr. Dunham were in the yard with Patsy. Sgt. Chenneville and Officer O’Connor were on horses in front of the house with another neighbor Mr. Hotchkiss. Three doctors were on their way. At this point, a neighbor yelled from her second story window that someone was running from the stables heading west. Immediately, they gave chase, only to allow another escape.
Burial 10 fetus
Burial 10 was located at a depth of 53 cmbs in the north section of the Main Room of the chapel near Burials 2, 4, and 6. This burial was initially identified as a rectangular burial shaft stain at 36 cmbs (Photos 16 and 17). The bones were extremely friable due to poor preservation causing the bones to fragment during exhumation. Skeletal analysis suggests that the individual represented an intrauterine fetal death (stillbirth) occurring during the 36+ week of gestation (Spradley et al. 2020). Due to the minimal skeletal development at that early age, the deceased’s sex, biological affinity, and stature could not be determined. This skeleton was oriented with the head to the west and facing east. Positioning of the arms was indeterminate due to the poor preservation of the skeletal remains. Hexigon
