Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-03-08
4 CRIMINAL coNQuERoR.


NswhIght On Pixarro, Peru's Famous In-
vader.
News of startling character lately
reached the bureau of ethnology re-
speeding the recent disentombment OF
the mummy Of the conqueror Pizarro
in Peru. The corpse exhibits certain
abnormalities which are extremely in
teresting from the point of view OF
The skull reveals all
tho 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 a murderous and bloodthirsty
brute. The Uranium has even the so
called 'tfossa of Lom broso." 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 1922 his dream
of conquest in the fabulous FL Do
RADIO among the Andes took shape; but
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 it, 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, critical examine
ton of the mummified body was under
taken. One object in view was to set
all possible doubt at rest as to the iden-
tity of the remains: the other was to
subject them to anthropometric exam
nation.
The results obtained were astonish-
Tk A1.-A IL -
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 a striking feature, projecting
far beyond the upper. 1t indicates the
indomitable will-power and brute-like
character of the man.
The coffin revealed body almost
completely mummified. It was partly
covered by remnants of clothing, prob
ably short cassock of black silk, a
linen shirt finely embroidered, etc.
The cadaver was completely desiccated
and of light brown color, similar to
that of ordinary Peruvian mummies.
The hands, toes and certain other
parts had been cut off and removed. It
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 over
a great part of the trunk, though de-
stroyed in some places by insects. 1t
was found desirable to cut off the
head. The face was almost entirely
bare of flesh. It is evident that the
skin and flesh of the head suffered
from wounds and COMMISSIONS, which
fastened decay in those places.
The left eye socket was empty, but
the right one contained the eye, dried
and reduced tovery small size. It was
noticed that the bony arches over the
eyes were remarkably prominent and
massive. The closing of certain sut,ires
of the cranial bones showed that the
man was between seventy and eighty
years of age.
All the skin and bones were finally
vanished with prescrvative varnish.
The mummy was photographed in diff
ferent positions, and was at length
sealed up in a wooden coffin for deliv-
cry to the municipal commission. The
clothing and other material were like
wise sealed up and handed over to the
civil authorities, who in turn placed
them in charge 'of the venerable met
tropolitan chapter.
The chapter, as heretofore, will in
future care for the remains in the
chapel of the kings. in the cathedral at
Lima. Before committing it again to
the tomb the ecclesiastical authorities
placed the body of the conqueror in a
case of white marble, with glass
on three sides, reclining on a
couch covered with cherry-colored
cloth. The glass bottle contain
ing the dust-like substances from the
internal parts was put into small
crystal case, with vase and lid of white
marble. The crystal case was deposit
ed inside of the large case at the foot
of the mummy.
One of three copies of the report
made by the committee was inclosed in
a gilded tin tube, sealed with red wax
and was placed within the large white
marble case. Thus lies Pizarro. The
committee considered that the identity
of the body was absolutely tablished
by the examination.
As to the traces Of the wound in the
neck, it is known that Pizarro was
struck in the breast with a sort of ar
row very sharply pointed, which was
hurled by an assassin. OF this injury
there is evidence in the cadaver, the
upper part of the left chest having SUI.