The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-26

mass Of testimonials referred to may be
considered to illustrate the invincible gull
hbility of the human mind. But it must be
said that the fake was so well done that
even the government scientists here were
puzzled at first The specimen might be
real, they thought, though such a thing as
the fossilization of flesh has been unknown
hitherto.
Like all wise men, they were open TO
conviction. If it were actually woman
turned to stone IL might justly be consid-
cred one of the wonders Of the world-a
marvel unprecedented. Supposing it proved
yef 1t d might be AN drsn
That was another point to be determined. :
With view of obtaining answers to all
these questions the scientists gathered at
an appointed hour around the specimen
tieman-and proceeded to investigate its
peeiaIiy for the purpose they proceeded to
bore into the elbow Of the lady, with the
intention to take out a score which would
certainly show signs of bony and other
structure If she was a real fossil.
The core thus obtained and withdrawn
from the supposed body was q cylindrical
piece, three inches long by half an inch in
diameter. II showed no signs of organic
structure whatever, but in all respects re-
sembled a fragment of stone Then Mrs:
Stone" was turned over upon her face and
examined. He back was suspiciously fiat,
as if she had been nodded on board and
tached to the arms. These symptoms struck
the assembled scientists as unfamiliar In
fossils.
Next a. boring was made into Mrs.
Stones leg near the knee The core OBJ
tanned was structureless as the first one,
but a curious phenomenon interrupted the
proceedings The drill broke short Off. On
investigation 1t was discovered that 1T had
struck piece Of iron pipe, with which the
limbs were reinforced. 1t may be not nee
essary to say that iron pipe does not ordi-
narily occur in fossils. In short, Mrs.
Stone" was demonstrated and incontesta-
BILE fraud.
There is satisfactory evidence to show
that she was cast at a factory established
for the manufacture of such fakes In
Fresno county. California She was pur-
chased in good faith by her present exhibit
tor for $4,000. For that price petrified hui
man beings can be obtained To order in un-
limited numbers. Another has turned up
man, six feet three inches high, and is
wonderfully preserved" the advertise
turned out until the popular appetite for
this sort of deception Is sufficiently .gorged.
buries the images himself and points them
out, so that they may be dug up.
The material of which Mrs. Stone Is
made is ordinary Portland cement with an
cast, presumably from a living woman and
not from a cadaver. 1t is understood that
the lovely original is a female relative or
the. proprietor of the fake factory afore-
said
AS has been said, no such thing as
petrifaction-more properly termed 1ossillz-
ation-of flesh has ever been known. The
process by which a fossil is produced is not
strictly speaking a transformation of the
original animal or plant into stone. III is
merely a replacement of the organic tissue
by mineral substance. AS each particle or
the plant or animal decays, In water
usually, its place Is taken by particle or
mineral matter deposited from the water
which has held 1t In suspension.