Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-06-18
THE PETRIFIED MAN
CAUSES TROUBLE.

cry was published in the SHEAF last
week, is causing more trouble now,
than, perhaps, he ever did when alive,
and he is already involved in a law
suit, brought to determine who is the
actual owner. Richard Omand, who
is the. tenant on the farm on which the
body was found, and one of the orig
inal discoverers, sold the half interest
which he claimed, to VIM. Lee, one
of the young men who exhibited the
find here, Williams being the other,
man. These two young men sold the
corpse to Peter Bergo, Of this city,
for the sum Of $l75, and then de-
parted for parts unknown, and with
out paying Mr.. Omand his hundred
dollars. Mr.. Bergo exhibited his
newly acquired curiosity at Argyle on
Friday last, taking in goodly num-
Der of dollars, then took him to Crooks
ton, where he was exhibited on Satur-
day and proved to adrawing card On
Monday Mr.. Bergo sold the specimen
to a Crookston party for considera-
ton Of 81, 900 cash. He both bought
and sold the property in good faith,
and did not know of there being other
claims.
Besides Mr.. Omand, who has not
been paid his hundred dollars, Geo.
#. McPherin, of Mimic, N. D., owner
Of the land, also believes that he is
entitled to the petrifed body. He.
went out to the farm on Monday to
look up the facts in regard to the find
ing, and having satisfied himself that
the body was found on his land, he
returned to Crookston and instituted
replevin proceedings. The courts will
consequently have to determine as to
the actual ownership
The Crookston Tribune says that
Mr.. McPherin has employed attor-
neys Steenerson and Rowe to prose
cute his case. Deputy Sheriff Losey
took possession OF the body and had
it removed to Sheriff Steenerson's Of
fee where it remained all night under
the surveillance of an armed guard
who was placed there to prevent any
possible attempt at stealing Or de-
stroying the remarkable natural Gu
riosity. This morning the body was
removed to the Jail for safe keeping
The learned lawyers Of Crookston
hunted eagerly through their rlibraries
Of legal lore for a parallel case, but
without success. AS far as known no
such case has ever been tried before.
The question arises as to what
heading this product of nature shall
be classed. The owner OF the land
will certainly beaWarded the bodyi if it
can be classed as real estate, and the
probabilities are that it will come un-
der that heading the same as any
other piece OF rock which might be
found on a farm. And there may be
still other claimants for the petrifed
body.
The Tribune prints a, story OF P. j.
LaChapelle, Of Crookston, to the ef-
feet that a DR.. .Hanford, and a Mr.
NORM, in 1878, started for the Tam.
arac river, where they had taken up
land, but were never heard OF again.
Mr.. .LaChapelle believes tito be one
OF these men.
In the collections ofthe Minnesota.
Historical Society for 1891. is pub.
lished the "reminiscences OF Mrs. Ann
Adams, OF early days at Red River
settlement. She says that when in
1928 it became necessary to abandon
the settlement and go to Fort Smell
ling, that a family named Tully was
murdered by the Indians on the way
near what is now Grand Forks. Tul-
.ly was a Scotchman and a black
smith. He and wife and baby were
killed. Two boys attempted to es-
cane. h1lt were caught and one Of
them partially scalped. Col. Smelling
hearing OF it sent persons to rescue
them and the boys were taken to
Fort Smelling. One Of the boys died,