The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-11-29
FAMOUS SCIENTIFIC HOAX
Story of Leonidas GlOver's Celebrated
MeteOrite Still on Its Travels.
Learned Man Who Had Just Heard of It-JOke
in Which Many Prominent Men Played
the Part of %ConspiratOr.

There are scientists and scientists. Some
of them read the daily papers, but many do
not; they are investigating some profound
problem, and the mad world may rush
along as it will without any notice from
them. This latter class of scientific search
ers is gulllble to the last degree, and unless
closely guarded liable to fall into the
hands of bunco men or gold-brick artists.
Information In the field of science is nat
urally disseminated slowly. Scientists of
the plOddipg variety have all heard the
maxim, Art is long, life is short" and yet
make no haste.
The other day o well-known gentleman
of scientific bias of this city received a let
ter from O member of the guild somewhere
up in Massachusetts asking whether the
meteOrIte that fell in Indiana in January.
1879, was in the State Museum. and If not.
what had become of it. Plainly the Massa-
chusetts savant bad seen the original &C
count of the meieorite. and the subsequent
revelations had not reached him. 1t is
quite likely that he was at that time en-
gagged in some other line of scientific re-
search and it took him twelve years to get
to meteors.
IL 6kOlH VA ILdU llCNCOl u . u vi
one or the most ludIcrOus and successful
hosxes ever perpetrated In this country,
and as 1t had for its victims the learned
men of the country-geOloglsts, metallur-
gists. and scientists of various degrees. the
discovery of the hoax brought q great
gutfaw from the unscientlhc and much NOR
LITIGATION to the tOilers in the field of
knowledge.
1t was IN January, 1879. that n special
telegraphic dispatch came to the Indian
apolis Journal describing the fall of q
meteorite near Attics. Fountain county, a
large stone of unknown composition, that,
whirliDg through space. came crashing
through the roof OF the farmhouse of
Leonidas Glover, a widOwer, who lived
alone. The meteorite falling through the
roof struck Leonidas Glover, widOwer, who
was in bed supposedly asleep, and horribly
initiating him, continued its course and
house. Of course the lonely widower was
instantly killed, and when the ~neighbors
the following morning discovered the re-
mains, there was great excitement. all of
which was given In narrowing detail in
the dispatch.
The news stirred all the local scientists,
and the State GeolOgist. Professor Cox, at
once took measures to secure the meteorite.
Maj. j.. j. Palmer Yves dispatched to
Fountain county with instructions to buy
the stone, no matter what it might cost.
Meantime the State Geologist was over
whelmed with letters inquirin9 about the
meteorite II asking for all information
possible regarding it.
The State Geologist wrote an exhaustive
article on meteorites, leaving q hole in
which to place the heavenly bOwlder when
Major Palmer should return with it. Prof.
j. Lawrence Smith was greatly interested
in the matter, and il was understood that
he was willing TO give $500 for il.
When the Major returned he reported
that he could find no one In Fountain coun-
~ who knew Leonidas Glover. widower;
there was no demolished roof, no desOlated
household. no hole In the ground.
A demand went mp from the scientific
world for the impious wretch or wretches
who had hOaxed them. Blu the practical
jokers took counsel of their fears and kept
quiet until the storm of scientific wrath had
passed by. 1t then leaked out that the
hosxers were two young men of CrawfOrds-
willie, one of them q newspaper man. 1t
may be said that one of these, the newspa-
per man. was sufficiently punished for his
connection with the affair. He lost caste
In his profession. and it took him several
years to regain the confidence he had lost
as on honest chronicler of the news.