Indian bones unearthed, Sword murder nearby

Some spooky happenings in Alameda in the last week. First, a public works crew digs up the bones of an Indian child in the 3000 block of Washington street when repairing a sinkhole. In the press, this child has been described as both female and of indeterminate sex.

Then, a few days later and a few blocks away, a 62-year-old man and his 40-year-old friend are drinking a bunch of beer and playing chess. An argument breaks out, they start wrestling and the older man retreats to his bedroom. Moments later, he returns with a Pakistani scimitar and stabs his friend to death. When the cops show up - they were alerted by another friend, who was present at the time - the swordsman is sitting next to his dead friend on the floor, totally unable to explain why he had done this.

Coincidence? Um, yeah. But maybe I don't have to go so far afield to find inspiration for my Indian burial ground story...

The Alameda Sun published an interesting map along with its story providing historical background for the Indian bones discovery. The A on the map is the modern-day intersection of High and Encinal; 1 is the location of the so-called "Sather Mound," one of the Ohlone shellmound garbage/burial sites that used to be here before it was dismantled and turned into concrete mix, 2 is the location of the bone discovery and 3 was marshland at the edge of the bay.