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Geronimo's Heirs Sue Yale to Get Skull Back

Descendants of Geronimo allege students robbed his grave

By Ambreen Ali, Newser User

Posted Feb 18, 2009 5:36 PM CST

(Newser) – Descendants of the legendary Apache chief Geronimo are suing Yale and its secretive Skull and Bones Society for the return of his skull and other remains, reports the Hartford Courant. The suit alleges that members of Skull and Bones—including Prescott Bush, father and grandfather of a pair of presidents—robbed the warrior's Oklahoma grave around 1918, then hid the skull in a tomb in the group's New Haven clubhouse.

"If remains are not properly buried, the spirit is just wandering, wandering, until a proper burial has been performed," says Geronimo's 61-year-old great-grandson. "The only way to bring this to a closure is to release the remains and his spirit, so that he can be taken back to his homeland."

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Legend has it that Chief Geronimo possessed a supernatural ability to elude capture. (Getty Images)

Geronimo, pictured in this studio portrait, died of pneumonia 100 years ago yesterday. (Getty Images)

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The spirit is just wandering, wandering, until a proper burial has been performed. - Harlyn Geronimo,
the chief's great-grandson

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Geronimo's Heirs Sue Yale to Get Skull Back