The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-05-05
A CRIMINAL coNQuERoR.
Newhight ON Pizarro, Psru's Famous I'm
vader.

the mummy of the conqueror Pizarro
in Peru. The corpse exhibits certain
abnormalities which are extremely in
teresting from the point of view of
anthropologists. The skull reveals all
the marks of the criminal type as rec
ognized by science to-day. AS shown
by it. the military hero so worshipped
and revered even now in South Ameri-
ca was murderous and bloodthirsty
brute. The Uranium has even the So
called ''fossa of Lombroso." which
modern criminologists& have never dis
covered except in confirmed and ha-
bitual enemies of society.
These facts, extraordinary as they
may seem at first. will afford no sur
prise to persons familiar with the
bloody career of the indomitable in
vader and explorer. The conquest OF
Peru was most bloody, and some OF the
leading acts in the shifting scenes are
seen through the mist of years as base
treachery and horrible atrocity. He
was the founder of Lima, the City of
the Kings. A STRIPPING in sunny Sc
vile when Columbus returned from the
most momentous voyage the world has
ever known, his life was nodded by the
inspiration of conquest. He rose above
all obstacles by individual prowess
Pizarro accompanied Balboa to Da-
rien, and thus contributed to the dis
covery of the Pacific. In 1929 his dream
of conquest in the lf-fabulous Ell Do
RADIO among the Andes took shape; but
it was not until 1897 that he saw the
shores of Peru, and five years more
passed before he actually entered the
land of the Incas.
At his death his body was shameful
ly mutilated. Ecclesiastical authori-
ties took charge of the corpse, and the
coffin inclosing 1t, identified by sue
cessive generations of church officers.
has been carefully guarded as one of
| the most precious possessions of the
cathedral of Lima. Thus its tradition
al history is complete.
The three hundred and fftieth ami
versary of Pizarro's death was recent.
ly celebrated at Lima. Under joint
action by the municipal and ecclesias-
teal authorities, a critical examina-
ton of the mummified body was under.
taken. One object in view was to set
all possible doubt at restas to the iden-
| tity of the remains; the other was ia
subject them to anthropometric exam
ination.
| The results obtained were astonish
| ing. 1t was found that the shape OF
| the lower jaw, the conformation of the
Uranium, the presence of the fossa OF
Lombroso and many other peculiari
| ties gave the skull marked likeness
in all important respects to that of the
typical criminal of to-day. The lower
jaw is striking feature, projecting
far beyond the upper. 1t indicates the
indomitable will-power and brute-likt
character of the man.
The coffin revealed body almost
completely mummified. 1t was partly
covered by remnants of clothing, prob
ably short cassock of black silk, {
linen shirt finely embroidered, etc
The cadaver was completely desiccatet
and of light brown color, similar t.
that of ordinary Peruvian mummies.
The hands, toes and certain othel
| parts had been cut off and removed. L
was evident that the most important
of these mutilations had been per
formed immediately after death
while the hands had been removed
comparatively recently, though By
whom is not known.
The skin was whole and intact ovel
a great part of the trunk. though dc
stroyed in some places by insects. 1
| $3.50 f1,,r1 1ae;roI 1n ~ ont of <h.
head. The face was almost entirel,
hare of flesh. 1t is evident that thu
skin and flesh of the head suffered
from wounds and Commissions, which
fastened decay in those places.
The left eye socket was empty, bu
the right one contained the eye, dries
and reduced to very small size. 1t wa
noticed that the bony arches over tn
| eyes were remarkably prominent ant
massive. The closing Of certain suture
of the cranial bones showed that tn
man was between seventy and eight,
years of age.
| All the skin and bones were final.
vanished with preservative varnish
The mummy was photographed in dii
ferent positions, and was at lengtl
sealed up in wooden coffin for deliy
cry to the municipal commission. TIL
clothing and other material were like
wise sealed up and handed over to tn
civil authorities, who in turn place
them in charge of the venerable met
tropolitan chapter.
The chapter, as heretofore, will II
future care for the remains in tn
chapel of the kings, in the cathedral a
Lima. Before committing it again {
the tomb the ecclesiastical authoritie
placed the body of the conqueror in
case of white marble, with glas
. on three sides. reclining on
couch covered with cherry-colore
cloth. The glass bottle contain
ing the dust-like substances from tn
internal parts was put into a SINAI
. crystal case, with vase and lid of whit
marble. The crystal case was deposit
ed inside of the large case at the foe
of the mummy.
One of three copies of the repol
made by the committee was inclosed !
, a gilded tin tube, sealed with red wa
and was placed within the large whit
marble case. Thus lies Pizarro TIL
committee considered that the identit
, of the body was absolutely establishe
by the examination.
4 AS to the traces of the wound in tn
neck, it is known that Pizarro ws
sfr,,cl~ in the breast with n sort of a