Mummified remains of a Native American known as Queho: photographic print

From the Nye County, Nevada Photograph Collection (PH-00221) -- Series IV. Pahrump, Nevada -- Subseries IV.D. Wiley Family. Mummified remains of an Indian renegade known as Queho. Many years previous to when this photo was taken in the early 1940, Queho is said to have killed and robbed a number of individuals in the Searchlight, Nevada area. Unsuccessful efforts were made to to apprehend Queho. In the early 1940, the men pictured here on the left and right were exploring an area along the Colorado River when they saw a cave in the cliffs above the river. They climbed up to the cave and Queho's remains were found. Research established that the remains were Queho’s because several of the artifacts he had stolen from people in Searchlight accompanied the remains. Queho’s remains were turned over to the Palm Mortuary in Las Vegas when a question arose there as to who would pay for the expenses of keeping Queho there and his burial. Roland Wiley, district attorney for Clark County, Nevada, at that time, suggested that the remains be turned over to the Elks Lodge, where for a number of years they were exhibited on the Helldorado grounds during Helldorado Days in a glass display case with some of the stolen artifacts. Queho’s remains were stolen from the Elks on two occasions, and each time they were recovered. Jim Cashman, head of the Las Vegas Elks at that time, grew tired of worrying about the theft of Queho’s remains, so they moved to a building belonging to Dobie Doc Caudill near the Tropicana Hotel. Roland Wiley purchased Queho’s remains from Dobie Doc for $100 and buried them near Cathedral Canyon, located on Wiley’s ranch in Pahrump Valley overlooking his Hidden Hills airstrip, in concrete and steel so they could not be easily stolen again. Wiley believed the Indian deserved a decent burial and buried popcorn with the remains to accompany Queho on his journey. Standing second from the left is Frank Waite, chief of police in Las Vegas for many years. Waite was a member of the posse that initially searched for Queho.