The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-02-05
BOGUS STONE MAN.
The Colorado stone Man Turns
Out Co be Fraud.
rhe story OF the clever Rogue who
Manufactured 40. and How lie
Fooled the Scientists.
BONES sTUFFED INTO THE BODY
AND a cows SHIN RUs DOWN
THE MONSTEH,s BACK.
How Barnum Figured I'm the Busi-
ness.

NEW YORK, Jan. 26.-Mr. Fitch, said
TO have been engaged with Hull in ma
king the Colorado Petrified Man, .
has given a Times interviewer some
further interesting facts concerning the
swindle. What will disgust scientists
more than anything yet is his state
msnt that Hull placed in the Connecti-
| cut Valley the famous tablets with the
marks OF supposed prehistoric bird
tracks on them, which aroused so much
discussion and interest. Hull bought
a turkey not fit TO eat, and used its feet
| TO make the tracks. Fitch is proprie-
tor Of factory for the manufacture Of
artificial stone by new process known
| AS "the Rollins carburated stone pro-
cess" in the northern part Of this
State. He said Hull.
THE MAKER OF THE CARDIFF GIANT.
called upon him in February, 1876.
| and, after "a roundabout conversation,
offered him a price TO aid him III the
manufacture OF the new curiosity
Hull told him what he wanted was TO
get some bones into the figure, and he
did not know how. Fitch said hs
could manage that. A bargain was
struck, and in March, 1876, Fitch went
10 Elkland, Pa, where Hull had leased
4 farm OF 800 acres. On this farm
Hull had built large ice-house OF
brick, with a small skylight in the top.
Here the nondescript was manufac.nr-
cd. Hull made the molds and Fitch
lid the casting. The molds of the
lower part Of the body as high as the
waist wero
TAKEN PROM HULL's soS-IS-LAw,
I, slender young fellow over six ieet
high, with remarkably long legs. Sec
tions OF about foot at time were ta-
ken by Hull, and Immediately filled
with material by Fitch, who says the
marks Of their joining were perfectly
visible to him while the statue was on
exhibition, and he cannot conceive how
other persons failed 20 observe them.
1t was necessary to strip every time
a fresh cast Was made, and the atmoa-
phere Of the ice-house being very cold,
he model was constantly complaining.
,nd finally
REFUsRD TO DO pUrI ANY LONGER.
Hull was obliged to have impressions
aiken OF the upper part OF his own
BODY 10 finish the work. Hull is the
sxact opposite OF his son-in-lav, short
bodied, thick-set, and with an immense
hest. This accounts for the dispro-
portion OF the statue, something which
Mr.. Fitch says 1t has puzzled HIM that
scientific persons should have passed
over without comment.
The statue was built standing up
rwo were made. The first one was
uined by falling. The material used
sas simply Portland cement, with one
lortieth part of metallic-brown put
through to color il. 1he cement was
made OF the proper consistency with
water, and, haviPg been colOred with
netalic-brown, was
RANNED INTO THE NoLps
and set up. A human skeleton wa.
purchased, and portions Of IL utilized
10 various parts where examinations
would be likely TO be made. There
are bones nearly all the way up both
egs. A straight bone eight inches
ong was stuck in the lower portion OF
he back, with an inch protruding to
KEEP THE TAIL FROM BRKAKISo OFF.
TO prevent injury 10 the upper part of
he body, the shin bone OF a COW was
inserted through the neck from the
middle Of the head down 10 the point
4 the chest, where the statue subse-
luently broke across in Colorado. A
Jiece OF skull was also placed back OF
he left ear, where the statue was after
ward bored into. Some ground bones
we're moistened and rolled into little
Jumps and placed down the middle Of
he back TO provide against n search
for yertebre. The story about blood,
and eggs, and ground bones is non
sense.
Completed, the figure was laid on
ow brick platform under which was
furnace. Over the platform was a
tenthke structure covered with tarred
paper. Charcoal was burned 10 make
carbolic acid gas. This was let ia up
On the figure in accordance with the
Rollins process, and the action Of the
gas upon the we. cement
TURNED IT INTO STONE
inside Of a week. The familiar pro-
,ess for making artificial stone j. by
means Of sili cate Of soda. The carbu-
-eted process is little known, aud this
vas the principal stumbling block in
no baking done. The cost Of the ma
terial was sil.45.
Hull used up all his money, 81, 600
70 50, 600. ard then applied b. Barnum.
Barnum sent George Wells. Of Bridge
port, to examine IT, and his report be-
ing satisfactory, purchased an interest
and provided for bringing it out. The
statue was shipped as fire machine to
Bridgeport, and
THENCE TO COLORADO SPRINGS,
Fhere w. A. Conant. an employe OF
| Bsruum's, was station agent Of the
| Santa Fe Railroad. Conant took
charge, by Baruum's orders The story
of his discovery Of the "Petrifieo
Mau" is known. at Barnum's request
Professor Taylor, Bridgeport, and Pro
fessor Paige, Of Council Bluffs, exam
ined the figure aud made their favora-
BILE reports.
The way the professors were deceiv.
ed was this: Hull listened 20 the dis.
cussions OF the scientific men over tue
statue, and learned that If II were o
petnfaction crystals OF calcite would
probably be found in its interior, The
professors insisted on boring into the
tatue, aud day was set for the opers
ton. Hull got some crystals and had
them pulverized.
HE DID TIE DonISo HIMSELF
holding the crystal POWDER between
tie thumb ana fOrehnger II his leil
hand, carefully mixing IL with the pow
Ter FROM the boring. de completely
hoodwinked the learned men.
ConaDt found other petrefactions
aCar the statue. One OF these repre-.
ss nts turtle. This was manufactured
iio ON a cast taken from large snap.
ping-turtle, which Hu,l bought. A
salmon front was similarly initiated.
-lhe statue il now in the New Yorl
Museum Of Anatomy, owned by Bar
Bum. While In the Aquarium there
YES loud demand on the part Of ths
scientists
THAr n ~ Cur ~ rvo
TO discover whether the necessary crys
tails were inside.
Hull has been occupied recently In
chiseiing a hole in the statues stomach