The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-02-20

PetrifactiOn of Human Bodies

been doubts aad disputatioRs among
intelligent and scientific men as TO
whether a human body ever was, OF
ever could be petrifed. The rea.
soning against such an occurrence il
strong, aad certainly reaches q very
high degree of probability while, oa
the other hand, declarations as TO
the existence of the fact have been
not only clear aad definite. but Oft
repeated. Divers cases have been
reported, at different times aud dir
ferent places, yet We do not recollec
to have ever talked with aay one
who professed to have personally
witnessed case of this kind. nor do
we remember to hare at any time
previous seen the report of u case
SO clear and definite as is the follow
ing, which We copy from the Raleigh
N. c. Observer. It is a letter writ
ten from Ashyilla, N. c.. under date
of December 25, 1877. as folIsws:
1t 10 fact not generally knswn
that the cemetery of the Methodist
church in Hsndersonville. North
Carolina. contains a Petrifed human
body. About the year 1886 Miss
Adeline Byers lived with her father,
Francis G. Byers, fifteen miles sout h
of this place, in Henderson county.
She was q bright, sweet girl, nuch
beloved by all who knew her. and
her haad was won by William Pink
ney Murray, whom she had known
long aud well. Soon the nuptials
were celebrated. and the bride aAd
bridegroom at once set out in search
of q new country, following the set
ting sun to the Mississippi valley.
There they located and began ths
journey of life together in real earn
est. Prosperity and happiness came
to them. until, at an unexpected mo-
ment, death cut down Mrs. Murray
in the very prime OF life. The dis
consolate widewsr, csnsigniag the
body of his deceased wife to the
dust, as he supposed, sought ''sur-
cease of sorrow in the wilds Of Tex
as. A few years afterwards, DIR.
Josiah Jehnssn. intending to return
TO North Carolina, whence he had re.
moved with his brother in-law. Mr..
Murray, disinterred the body OF Mrs.
Murray for the purpose Of carrying
it back with him. Imagine how
amazed he was to find it in the coffin
just as he had seen it three year
before! The same features-almost
the very same expression. But
what he saw was not fesh-it was
solid stone. The whole body had
petrified. Ia that condition he car
ried it to North Carolina and deliv-
cred it to the aged father, Mr.. Byers,
who could hardly doubt that his
daughter had come back to him
asleep The news spread that Ade-
lines body had been turned into a
rock" and great was the desire of
everybody to see it. Attempts were
made, it 10 said, to steal it out Of the
cellar where the old gentleman had
carefully concealed it, but they were
unsuccessful. All through the war
it was guarded by the father as the
most sacred trust, but few persons
being allowed TO see it. About ak
years ago, however, it was quietly
buried in the Methodist cemetery in
HendersonVille. e
In reference to the families named,
we beg to remark we we're onee, and
during the period of seven. years,
acquainted with them, was one OF
their ministers, and more reputable
or trustworthy families did not live
in that country At least. this was
the opinioa we did, and do entertain
of them. But we have better testi-
mony than that ef our own. Rev.
William Hicks, most estimable and
worthy minister of the gospel, and
as reliable rs the next man, lived in
that country number of years. and
is now one of the editors of paper
published in Bland County, Virginia.
He copied the above in his paper,
and added the following:
I'VE can vouch for the truth or
the above article. at least as 10 the
parties and the petriicatIon. We
know all the parties we'll. Francis
G. Byers was among the best citizena
OF Henderson county. and . worthy
member Of the Presbyterian Chnrch.
He raised o nice family. Of whom the
lady in question was one. The MUIR
ray family were equally worthy. We
were living nc Hendersonville. N. O.,
when Mrs. Murray was returned TO
her father in state Of real patrifac-
tioa. and we're among the few who
had the privilege OF seeing that Pc
trifed body. The petrifacati0n was
real and complete. To the best of
our recollection, the body was stand-
ing up when we saw Ii. The hair
was all in place and locked glossy.
while the face appeared to be little