The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-20 00:00:00

TWO HUNDRED YEARS.

On Monday, the 30th ult., an inquest was held before
Franklin Baldwin, Esq., Coroner, upon view of the body
of a man unknown, which was found by some *labourers who
were cutting a trench in the bog of Munnifeugh, situate in
the parish of Clondrohid, in the barony of West Muskerry,
during which some extraordinary and curious circumstances
were elicited. According to the deposition of Thomas
Walsh, farmer, it appeared that he had seven or eight
labourers employed on Wednesday, the 25th day of
July, cutting a fresh trench in the bog of Munnifeugh,
who having gone about four a half sods deep, two of them
discovered about nine or ten sticks irregularly placed up-
right in the bog. On going a sod deeper they found alarge
stone, which was about a half hundred weight. Anxious to
discover the existence of some hidden treasure, they imme-
diately removed the stone, and under it was another sod,
and on removing it they found the body of a man, placed
on its back at full length. When discovered, the body was
in a perfect state of preservation, with a cap, as Walsh
said, on the head, but which most probably was the-scalp.
Walsh took the length of the body at the time, and as ac-
curately as he could state, said it measured about six feet.
A more accurate measurement was afterwards made by Mr.
Baldwin, and was as follows :—From the top of the shoul-
der to the sole of the foot, 5 feet 2 inches ; girth of body
across the navel, 3 feet 2 inches ; girth of upper part of
thigh, 2 feet ; distance between the great trochanters pos-
teriorly, 2 feet. Walsh stated that the place where the
body was found presented no appearance different from the
surrounding portion of bog, and that it did not appear to
have been disturbed at any recent period. He said that this,
place bad the name of "Knuckpagree a DeenahaLooney,, or
" Looney's Mount," and that a rumour existed in the neigh-
bourhood that the spot obtained this name from the fact,
that a man named Denis Looney, who hanged himself on
the same land, had been buried there. He also stated
that this occurrence took place far beyond the memory of
the oldest inhabitant of the surrounding neighbourhood.—
From the examination of another farmer named Jeremiah
Kelsher, who spite that he was about sixty years of age,
and that he lived in the neighbourhood of Munnifeugh. bog
ever since he was born, it appeared that he bad been in the
habit of cutting down grass on the particular spot where
the body was found, for years back, and that he never re-
marked any difference between its surface and that of the
contiguous portion. He also swore that he had often
beard his father say that he heard from his father
there was buried about that spot a person named
Denis Looney, who had hanged himself ! and, also,
that he heard an old woman of the name of Judith Car-
roll say, that she had heard her father say, that his
father had acted as one of the jurors on the inquest upon
the body of Denis Looney, who she heard was buried con-
venient to the spot where the body was found. From the
evidence of the medical gentleman who was examined upon
the occasion, it appeared that he found the body with the
face much disfigured, the bones of the skull separated, the
chest laid open, the muscles of the upper and lower extre-
mities presenting an ossified appearance, and theintegu-
ments and muscles of the back in some degree presenting
their natural condition. This gentleman also said that the
bones, when handled, were converted into pulverizable mat-
ter, and that from the appearances presented, he believed
the body must have lain in the bog for a series of years. It
is much to be regretted that the medical witness was not
more accurate and particular in his description ; however,
we have been informed by Mr. Baldwin, that the disfigured
state of the body was produced by its having been carried
about with spades, as the country people would not put
their hands near it, it being to them an object of supersti•
tious terror, and that every part uninjured was in a perfect
state of preservation. Mr. Baldwin states he stood upon
the abdomen and that not the slightest impression was pro-
duced, and also that when he struck the thighs with consi-
derable force, with a stout cane, it rebounded, as if from
some strong slibstancr. On raising a portion of the inte-
guments from the upper part of the chest, he says that the
bones and muscles appeared as if the hotly had only been a
few days buried, and that the whole body felt as hard and
firm as solid rock. From all the circumstances detailed
above we may naturally conclude that the body must have
been buried for nearly two hundred years, and that it was
the body of Denis Looney. The old woman mentioned ir.
Kelsher's deposition, is said to have been ninety years of
age, and tradition says that her gratiEtther had acted as a
juror on the inquest upon the view of the body of Denis
Looney, who, it also says, was buried in or about the spot
above mentioned. It is a well ascertained fact that bogs
contain a large portion of tan, and we are informed that
formerly they were used for the purpose of tanning before
that art arrived to its present state of perfection. It is,
therefore, more than probable that 'this body was under-
going a slow proc:!ss of tanning, which a ould easily account
for the high state of preservation in which it was found.—
Correspondent of the Cork Constitution.

We understand that George Maskelyne, the un-
happy man who is now under sentence of death for shooting at
Mr. Humbold, will, should the sentence be carried into effect,
be executed at the New Prison, in this town, and not at Salis-
bury.— Wilts Independent.

A few days ago, a boy, about 15 years of age, an
apprentice to Mr. Hull, wheelwright, of Melbourne, attempted
to poison his master and mistress by putting arsenic into the
sugar which they were about to use for breakfast, and which
they actually put into their coffee, but the cream not being
added to it the poison was detected by its colour. The wretched
boy had bought the arsenic under the pretence of poisoning
rats and mice, which he said were so troublesome that travel-
lers would not come to their house. Mr. Hull keeps a small
b..-er-shop. The lad got up before the rest of the family to
mix the poison with the sugar; he has absconded. -_Derby
Reporter.
STEAM CARRIAGE FRONI PARIS TO BRUSSELS•
—The Nouvelliste states that a steam carriage is to start from
the Barriere de l' Etoile, on Sunday next, to proceed to
Brussels, the engineer expecting to do the distance, 60 leagues,
in 12 hours.

GARDENING OPERATIONS YOlt

THE WEEK.

( From the Gardeners' Gazette.)
etty
The " beeak" of hot weather for our readers wag
correct ; our citations were, we hope, useful: good ill .0 hada
vi i
we acted upon thc-m ourselves. The burning sun
out in
gene harm sometimes—in an hour to plants standing'
p'do than can be rerned:ed in a whole season, and sometimes
came :rrrparable l.
Dithills MUM: kleoss
carefully trained to three or four stakes
cit
by depending on Gate, which is a frequent practice, a high 1,4',
will destroy the hopes of a season. Continue to attend to c
eamigs. prettdbespeak"Hearts-ease seed may he sova :a a shady border or in seed'
pans which can be conveniently rernOved to the shade. IheY
V 4 be fully established by the winter,. and many of them bloom
late in the autumn.
Continue to gather pads of choice se,lt2 of all kinds as they
riy en. done,
If all layering of Carnations and Piceotees be not
there no time to lose; the plants wilt ha,•dly have time t°
root unless instantly completed.

Kitchen Garden as berore. , . it
Ropair, paint, and cleanse all houses, pits, fralleß, "c''
is the best time of year. Many plants can be turn,ld out alw
gether, and there is no difficulty in emptying a plac e• ',tea
Keep all weeds under: it is essential that none be l'errr'l.
to seed. and this is but a short operation in warm wea ter;
week's neglect is almost fatal.
Keep your eye upon the field crops of corn and seed, 0.,
lays ar! dangerous ; or, as we wrote in our youth, .4 procras 30
nation is the thief of time ;" never lose an hour's daylight
fine weather.