Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-16
MOI sLoPsp BUT DEAD.
The Body of Young Woman Found Per
fectIy Preserved After Forty Years,

Inc BODY OF h0ung woman tOuou ier-
fsctiy Preserved After Forty Years,
CMichigan City special in the Globe-Democratl ]
Mary Ann Grier disappeared from her
fathers home, two miles south OF this
place, nearly forty years ago. A few days
ago her body was recovered in al aban-
doned bog iron-ore pit, without one vestlge
OF change from the appearance 1t had
known in life. The last shred of clothing
was long ago destroyed by the action OF
the water in which she had met her death.
but the same chemicals which removed
the garments preserved the flesh.
Not only is the contour OF the form per-
feet as in life. but the color mas remained
unchanged. The arms and shoulders are
as white a. marble, the hands are brown, but
sufTused with a ruddy flush. which old set
tiers here will remember as one OF the girls
chief charms, and, were II not for the un-
slightly cavities that once contained tho
eyes, that petrifed frame which has lain
almost half a century in the soil would ap-
pear the peacefully-sleeplng figure OF a
healthy, handsome, young woman.
The story of Mary Ann Grler ls easily
told. In the first place ii should be known
that this whole country is full OF kind Of
iron called bog ore. In an early day It
was extensively mined by the farmers and
hauled by them TO Michigan City and
South Bend, where il commanded ready
sale. In many instances it, was the one
product of the soil which brought IN
money.
The iron is in small particles, much like
the ore from larger mines, and IL excellent
In quality, though not rich enough in
quantity to repay the trouble of mining it
since the day of railroads and the develop
ment OF PENNSYLVANIA mines. None of the
ore has been taken from these swamps
since 1850, although the swamp lands all
over Northern Indiana are full Of IT..
Mary Grler was the eldest daughter Of
Nicholas Grier and was a belle in those old
days Of 1915 to 1850. She was famous all
over the country. which was then new and
sparsely settled, and was sought in mar
riage by many an excellent young man.
She was known as worker, as good
cook. and as a famous hOusekeeper, and
besides had had the unusual advantage OF
fair English education.
With the pcrversity of her sex she had
chosen a hair-brained fellow named Whit
sci. and had told her parents she meant to
marry him. Whitsel owned au OX-team,
and made living hauling ore from the
shallow mines TO the forge at Michigan
City. He was warned away from the farm
by Grier and his boys, but persisted IN his
attentions, and finally received a sound
drubbing from the old man.
The following day he started North with
load Of ore, and early in the evening
Mary left the house, saying that she was
going TO a neighbours to return some trltle
she had borrowed the day before. She
was never again seen in life.
Her parents and the neighbors believe
that Whtsel had decoyed her away, and
they followed him clear to Michigan City.
But they could find no trace OF the glrl.
Fearing 10 return to the neighbOrhood,
Whitsel sold his oxen and left the cOun-
try. He has never since been heard from.
1t was known at the time that Mary Ann
had never reached the home Of the neigh
Dor for which she had started
In the light of events now known II Is
probable she meant to meet her lover and
started across the low pralne land to meet
him near the creek road. She must have
fallen into one of the pits from which the
ore had been taken, drawing down upon
her as she fell an avalanche of the loose
but terribly heavy soil. There must have
been water in the pit, as was almost inya-
riably the case, and this, with the iron,
must have produceda solution that tended
to preserve and petrify the body.