The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-03-11
A Hard Case

Mr.. Meetze, of Lexington County, IS
to sue the present possessor OF the
petri6ed man for $50, 900. The plain
tiff claims that the lamented deceased
was abducted unlawfully and secretly
from his legitimate resting place on
Meetze's land. Its not stated wheth
er the stone gentleman was a relative
Of A1eetze but the supposition is that
he was.
1t may be comfort to the plaintiff
to know that while his remains were
in Greenvi!le on q rnc"nt visit tIay
were duly, lawfully ana abuadautly
walked in Drop pc: form aud with app-o-
pirate ceremonies. Some coIored
brethren who were around the opera
house Of Saturday night with sup
plies of native corn liquor became ln-
pressed with the idea that the corpse
deserved some rites and they inaugu-
rated and conducted series Of such
exercises as they judged TO b. SUIT:
able, including a large quantity OF
mixed singing ard plain drinking. 1t
was at one tlme proposed that mas
much as there was evidently a body
not identified or claimed and cause Of
death unknown the coroner should be
notified and brought in to conclude the
festivities with an inquest, but this
suggestion was rejected as 1t was held
thai TO have jary sit on strange
stone man brought here for exhibition
purposes would be taking unfair ad-
vantage of visitor who obvious
ly unable to help himself.
So far as we are informed, Mr.
Meetze has not given the public any
evidence that the stone man WAS d
kinsman OF his or originally reposed
on his premises bat wesuppos; he will
present il at the proper time before
the iury. If he can establish that the
deceased was a kiusman or friend OF
his and thereby set at rest the public
curiosity concerning his identity he
will confer a boon. Surmises have
ranged from an Indian chief to Con-
federate soldier. Thea will come in
the question of damages. We sup
pose it will be rather 6ne aud a new
point in law whether body petrified
remains or becomes slmplya a stone;
also whether it is personal property or
real estate: furthermore whether there
is any proprietary right in a citizen
who has in lapse of time attained to
the dignity of a passive curiosity which
people will pay.to look at, and il man
whose earning capacity during life
was, say, $500 year an who draws to
various museums and other places OF
amusement FIVE or six thousand dol
lars year when ne has been dead
quarter of a century or so, is to be estl-
| mated at his value as citizen or an
exhibit.
We look for much instruction and
enlightenment and many valuable
precedents for future petri6ed men in
the case of Meetze against Others. Also
ii it can be determined exactly where
the gentleman under consideration
was first planted and what conditions
of soil turned him to stone, we will
ask the Agricultural Department OF
the News aud Courier to direct the
attention OF farmers to the matter and
impress on them the splendid profits
to be made by preparing suitable
cemeteries and planting their deceased
friends and relatives for yields of
petrifactions, thus further diversifying
crops. 1t may be that in the course
of few years we will find our
Charleston contemporary offering
prizes for the quickest and most COM
plete yields of stone men.-Greenville
News.