Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-06
THE STONE MAN.
The People ofSpringfieid,O o., Thrown
Into Great Excitement.

Into Great Excitement.
SPRINGFIELD, o., Aug. 2.-The great
est newspaper sensation in the history OF
this city, was caused yesterday by the
publication in the Springfield Globe-Re-
public OF the story of the man in Lima
who had been turned to stone in conse-
quence OF his having uttered horrid
curse against God. The article was pub
lished in double leads on the nrst page,
with long scintillating headlines, and the
edition was exhausted in few hours.
The article was in the form OF an inter-
view with a Springfield saloonist named
Gebauer. Gebauer, 1t was alleged,
had recently returned from Lima
where he had seen the
man who had just been turned to stone.
After the paper was issued and the STORY
had attained general currency the people
did nothing but discuss the affair all DAY
Sunday. Many persona even went to the
ticket offices in the city to see whether
the authorities contemplated running an
excursion to Lima to see the wonder. 1t
is said that the pastor of colored church
used the story as the text Of his sermon.
The strange part of the affair is that
many persons believed the story implicitly
because Is was told on the authority OF
two citizens of Springfield who claimed
TO have seen the horrible spectacle.
1t was said that a farmer named Redyn
had always been noted as fearfully pro-
fame man. One day he went out into the
fields and seeing that his cropwas suffering
from lack of rain he uttered the following
fearful oath, saying: "Oh, God, If Thou
wilt come down on the earth i will cut
the heart from Thy body" Immediately
as he had said this a bolt of lightning de-
scended, and In the next minute the BIAS
phemous wretch was groveling on the
ground and soon afterwards became stiff
ened into stone. 1t was then alleged that
the stone was so not that workmen who
were sent to remove the stone body from
the field found it so hot that they could
not 20 within many feet of 1T; that blue
flames issued from the body. and that
even iron crowbars melted when they
were put in close proximity to it. The
article was written up in two columns,
and so great an air of truth did it possess
that many persons implicitly believed it.
To-day it Is claimed that Gebauer made
the statement so that It would create
sensation and draw crowds of people to
his saloon. 1t is claimed that he has sold
many kegs of beer extra in consequence.
A genuine miracle could not have at
tracted more attention. The Globe-Re-
public office was Gro wded this morning.
A minister went In to see the Sunday
paper and read the account Of the stone
man. An old colored woman who read
the paper was terrified and would hardly
go outside her door all day. A wsll-known
Springfield workman, who has been
noted for swearing blood-curdling oaths,
has not been heard to swear once since
the publication OF the story. The Post
master went down to see Gebauer and
get the story from his own lips. The
popular excitement on the subject was
intense and was the one topic Of CONVEX
satiOn yesterday. kilograms have been
flying backwards and forwards all day
between this city and Lima from parties
who desire to find out the truth in the
matter. Of course the answers iall state
that there is nothing whatever in the
rumOr of a man being turned into stone.
Many people here believe the story still.