The Leavenworth weekly times., 1877-11-01
THAT -pErRuF.CATsoN.,
Professor Todd of Tabor College EH-
amines IL Critically and PronOunccs
IL a Fraud.

A correspondent to the Council Bluffs Nen-
parel has toe following with regard to the
'Soiid Muldoon:''
II was the privilege of the writer TO see and
exa mine quite carefully the famous "Petri-
fed Man" from Colorado while he was on ex-
biton in your city.
As some of your readers may have some
curiosity to know how IL appeared to one
somewhat familiar with "petrihcaiions,- the
fo,Iowing is Offered: The "preiistoric man"
may have been correctly represented, hat he
wIs most certaiIy not petrified. This was
quite evident, almost at "a glance
from its iull-heshed form. No
psrs were shrunken, there was ho
coilapsing of the abdomen or sinking of the
eyes. These points could not be explained
by any thick incrustation supporting the sur
fac. The apparent incrustation covering it
was only an appearance, else II
would have cleared of at some point, or
would have shown itself when parts were
bloken of. But many other points may be
mentioned, any one of which is sufficient TO
prove the statement above. The body is
composed of a dark-cOlored fossiliferous lime
>ioue. This is shown by fragments from the
interior, kindly shown by the exhibitor AS
we'll as by traces upon the surface one oi
the fragments showed a portion Of apparent
~ a conchifer shell, containing crystals of cal
crl-. such cluster OF crystals, probably
due TO the presence OF another shell, produces
iu the right forearm flaw in the stone, which
from its shape suggests the direction OF petre-
faction. Looking iur.her, with such an idea
in mind, five seams are found nearly parallel
" i.h one another one through the neck and
shoulder, two across the body and left arm
above the elbow, another across the hips, and
The NTH across the legs below the k.,e,s.
L .tese seams are a demonstration of the STRAIT
ified character Of the stone. A petrifaction
IN Ight break, but not thus in places parallel
10 one another, and cutting right through dis
similar parts, whether connected or not.
Another very conclusive point is the Eirf
that wherever sepers,te members lie one uIon
another, the angle between the surfaces Is not
acute in "A single instance. but invariably tile
arms are bound to the body where they rest
upon il, and the legs are bound together
where they touch by mass of stone. In fact
there are no acutel angles in the surface, no
burrows except such as might have been
made by blunt instrument about half an
inch wide at the points. The pits upon the
surface were clearly formed by "A similar in
tsrument, the direction ofthe blow in many
cases being clear ly shown.
But enough to prove that it is not a petri-
facation.
The next question is whether il is very an
cient. Can II be a work of some prehistoric
artist: il is clear that il is cut to represent a
reclining figure. 1t could not have been sup
ported in an upright position. The general
symmetry of parts seem TO have been careful
ly studied and pretty patiently worked out.
longer than the right. The fingers are appar-
emily disproportiOnate in length to one an
other. In forming the second finger of the
right hand the artist apparently accidentally
broke il of equal in length TO third, then
to Initiate a bent joint and got IL too near the
end. The rough surface was used apparently
TO excuse any attempt at nicely of detail.
The position of the left leg seems to have
been chosen 20 more easily exhibit the eau
dai appeudage. The general form is clearly
intended to represent that OF an Indian. The
feet, however, have the simian character of
a shortened and laterally placed great toe,
which, in connection with the long neck
and short chin, are simply monstrous.
Huxley or any other intelligent compare
tive anatomist would at once pronounce the
clH bination of such characters absurd
and wholly inconsistent with the harmonies
of nature. II could not therefore have been
made TO represent any form that ever had
life. And il embodies ideas wholly foreign
10 any that have been found in American an
tiuuities; il is difficult TO believe IL the work
of any ancient hand, while on the contrary
the Simian feet aud tail very strongly point
to the only remaining conclusion, that il is
the work of a recent workman who has
learned just enough of evolutionary views TO
mi>interpret or caricature them. This Pueblo
"Detrfaciion" can only merit the title, there
fore, because il is made out Of stone-not into
stone. IL is a worthy successor of rle Cardi II
giant. May its glo.y b. brief, and the plan
ners of the fraud meet their deserts.
]. L. ToDD.