The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-04-02
Special Correspondence Of IL, I1,iiymccr

/, SptciG! Correspondence Of Gs In'c'iigNcE
4 fresno, CAL, March Elm Il recent
Z issue OF tho lSTELLIGEScER saw IN adj
vcrtisemcnt OF pc,ritiod woman on
exhibition in Wheeling, and the Cortii.
Gates OF physciuns who pronounce it
genuine and Of scientific value. Since
tho matter has attracted moro or less
attention in various places, it would
probably DO OF intGreat TO tho readers oil
the lNTELILGESCGR 10 know something
moro OF that petrifaction than can be
learned from listening TO tho history us
given by those who carry II about the
county for exhibition.
There aro several samples OF these
petrtactions in this country. The his
tory all OF them, so for rs known, leads
to Fresno county, California. The
first one put on exhibition was pctri.
fled man, then Il petrltieQ woman put
in IN appearance; following thcsn werO
some poiriliud children, then another
man and u couple moro women. They
all came from place called Cantua
Canon, in the Coast Range mountains,
about 50 miles west OF Fresno. They
were all dug up near tho channel OF
creek when flows out upon the plains
and sinks in the sand. The region is
almost unnhabtGd, and in many ways
II is 4 peculiar and interesting place. All
manner OF petrifaCtions are found in
the narrow valley, but they arc mostly
wood. turned TO stone, and shells in the
same condition. II petriiCd human
being ever need be expected, tho proper
place TO make tho search would be in
the Cantua.
TIE HOME OF RoEDERs.
There is many q legend md tradition
connecting that locality with bands OF
robbers and ghastly tragedies in the
early history Of the state. 1t was there
that Nasquez and Joaquin Muriota had
thor hiding places, which no otliret in
early times were ever able to discover.
But OF late years two or moro OF these
camps have been found; and skeletons,
once buried, but later torn from their
shallow graves by wolves probably, told
tho tale OF the murder OF prisoners
whom no one would ransom. Tho
bandits were killed long ago, but their
camps remained undiscovered till re-
Gently.
Tho country is, OF course, associated
with all manner OF grewsome stories,
and, when q petritied body is found. the
conclusion ut once is that it is the body
OF some prisoner, murdered and buried
by VasquGz or joaquin, and afterwards
turned to stone.
Ihe first body brought to Fresno was
that OF n man, and it naturally created
much excitement, and interest in it was
great. Investigations we're made, and
it was ascertained that the pctrifacton
had been uneartlIed i'll the bank OF the
creek, in lonely valley where lew
human beings ever 90. There was Mt
once much digging done in hope Of dis
covering other bodies, ior the first one
sold readily for several Thousand dollars.
The country was thoroughly explored,
for the bodies were valuable.
THE EXPOSURE.
None wero found, however, and the
matter was being forgotten, whom pet
riied woman was found mile or two
further up Cantua creek. This was
soon sold at good price. Shortly after
ward others were found, then the
children were dug out, and then it was
no longer any novelty. People lost in
terest in the petrtnctions, and they
could not he sold here, but jus, how
. many were shipped away is rot known.
There were no doubt considerable
number oil them, for they have since
been heard OF in various parts OF the
United States.
Tho San Francisco Eraminr in tho
meantime employed detective, @. J.
Stilwell, TO investigate the matter, and
he came to Fresno. claiming to DO the
the manager OF musuem somewhere
in the east. and announcing that he
wanted 10 buy 4 petrtied body. With
in less than one week he discovered the
whole fraud. He found tho man who
had been making tho bodies and bury
ing them on the, Cantua Tor conieder-
ate to dig up. The factory was in the
town OF Selma. n small village fifteen
miles south OF Fresno. The detective
witnessed the process OF manufacture.
Casts were made from living bodies,
and the work was go well done that doc.
tors and scientists were deceived. In
most OF the petriticd bodies IN arm or
II leg was broken Of, as ii by accident,
and the appearances indicated q bone.
But the cunning arranged
all this beforehand.
The fraud was thoroughly exposed IN
papers here, and now nobody believes
that any genuine potriiicd body was
ever discovered. Bu, the business o!
exhibiting those frauds in other places
still seems to flourish.
II