Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-07-19
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
NOMINEES MADE TO ORDER.
Astonishing Frauds which Rre Prnc-
diced on ScientiHc Societies.

Astonishing Frauds which Rre Prac-
ticed on Scientific Societies.
| VISIT TO A MUMMY FACToRY-THE PROCESS
OF TURNING MODERN CORPSE INTO a
BODY APPARENTLY EMBALMED AGES AGO
! REMARKABLE MEANS OF DECEPTION USED
| BY ARABS.
The recent discovery made by eminent
Egyptologists in the British museum that
an Egyptian mummy for which a large
price had been paid, was not a mummy at
all, but simply "A bundle of rags compressed
into the sembance of human form, has
excited the livelest interest among the sa
wants Of New York, and, in fact, in every
city in Europe and America where there is
any interest taken in the history Of the old
est nation Of the earth
The fraud, although "A remarkable one, is
by no means new. As long ago as 1872
Capt. Bumenbach Of London discovered that
half dozen mummies that had been sent
from the excavations at Memphis TO the
British Museum were the grossest kind Of
frauds. There were three adults and three
children. Blumenhach was anxious to de-
termime (what hundreds Of investigators
had attempted before HIM the components
Of the medicaments used in the embam
ing process. lie stripped one Of the sup
posed bodies of the cloth that enveloped it,
aud to his utter astonishment discovered
that it was not an embalmed body at all,
but form made Of gypseous plaster, in
geniouSly modelled to represent human
being Some sort Of parchment had been
stretched over the face, aud this gave the
shrunkcn appearance Of the real mummy
Another mummy was unwrapped with the
same result then another and another.
When the sixth mummy was unrolled Prof.
| Blumenbach found that he had been deceiv-
ed most outrageously This was subject
for which the sum Of go had been paid be
cause il was alleged to he the body of the
son of Amenophis. Instead Of that it was
simply bundle of rags compressed into the
shape Of "A human being The spine was
formed Of what appeared to he IA broom
stick. The face was Of resnous sub
stance, and partial decay had been ingen
iously simulated by holes bored into the
mass, below the nose. The ears were made
of cloth and resin. Blumenbach was high
ly indignant and u commission was ap
pointed to make AN investigation a long
aud tedious trip was made To the Nile,
where the mumnlies had been bought nut
no trace could be louhd ol the rascallE lei
low who had made the sale and presumably
practiced the fraud.
In the year 1884, Thomas Joseph Petit
grew + X : an eminent ElyptolOgist
discovered similar fraud near the Ooruer
line OF Ethiopia ON the Nile. lie had' 10y
reason of his complete and thorough kno"l-
edge OF Egyptian history, been comihls-
stoned to secure number oil mulhihles ior
scientific society IN Edinburgh lie bought
more than score, each accompanied oy
certificate of its genuineness, and with an
alleged pedigree. Not single one OF these
munmies was supposed 10 nave been EN-
balmed for less than 1000 years
Mr. Pettlgrew, while an enthusiast was
shrewd and careful. lie took the precau
tion to unwrap one OF the mummles' ana
was not greatly surprised to find that 1t was
made of modern sawdust, inclosed IN
modern gunny bag, and made stiff with
iiNhNih u biuN' AHN 'NNN 'e.' -
covered with parchment so skillfully as to
appear like dried up human face. The
vertebrr Of cat was used for a backbone
To all outward appearance the form was
that Of a human being. Rotting mummy
cloth THAT had been made to rot by acid, as
ANALYSIS proved covered this fraudulent
Egyptian, and. had the examination not
been made, the bag Of sawdust would have
been accented in perfect good faith as
genuine mummy The trickster fled as
soon AS he found he was discovered
Strangely enough. Mr.. Petigrew found that
Tia. catacomb, which was "sated with hun
dreds of these bogus bodies, contained "A
large number of genuine ones None of
them. however, was in condition fit for
transportation and fell to pieces when ex
posed To the air
Two years later a Mr. Zenas Madden, IA
traveller and an autiquarian, who had quite
a reputation in Berlin as IA scientist and
Egyptnlogist. made an interesting discovery
at Gournah. He found there two Arabs
who were running genuine mummy fac
tory. Not only did they furnish sawdust
and rag stuffed bags, with plaster faces, as
Egyption princes dead 1000 years, but, on
a pinch, they would produce IA genuine hu
man being, properly embalmed, and with h
beautifully gilded face, and hieroglyphics
PAINTED all over him from head IN foot The
poor peasants in the vicinity were not
averse To selling their dead instead of bury
ing them, and the mummy making Arabs
soon turned them into dead Egyptians-as
far AS appearances were concerned. The
workshop was in the side of hill four
native carpenters were engaged in making
wooden mummy cases from models, and
giving them an appearance of age by dry
ing the wood over a fire and then treating
il with some secret preparation.
u..,.,;.,, cL.ra,,ars ,..a ,ararnlIy Stan
:, a. t.:-..-,....,.:. -. -.
Ga" VI" '''e'' ''''''' WV y
genuine case serving aS copy Muu''i'ies
were made to tit these cases as demand re
nu,r,d and the material used consisted, for
,h.. most mart of nlester of paris homes of
Wv ''T'' f',''' - 80,
un''''"is "'''' 'ous"'S "'"" r'''V' VI "'"
The greatest art was III the making OF the
face. This was done 10y means of mould
nress.d ON the plaster while soft, and imme-
d;ot.Iy after a colored piece of skin WAS
- 80, ond oarar,lv sbona1 9TH ,l,.
c'HPl''' Un m anu 'eiD'' ''''Poi ",'' '"'
fingers Inc teeth oi some animal were
used to complete the deception, and were
so skilfuly put in place that the keenest
a,,s ,,onId Ina deceived
r,''. ..,,-, i.,,a.as,i,,, disoo,,or,, mad, ~,
lne n'oS' i''''' v''''h ''a'' y
Mr. Madden was Ihe making oi re"l mum
my lie was permitted To witness this op
GRAFTON, and there appeared TO he the ut