Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-07-21
4 SKELETON IN ARmoR.
A Strange and Mysterious Discovery BY
virqinia Surveyor.

A mysterious skeleton in armor is In
the possession of william Henry Har-
rison Caywood, farmer OF Prince
George county, Virginia. He prizes 1t
highly from it's evident archaeological
value and keeps his grewsome relic un-
der his bed for safety 1t is needless to
remark that since he has placed IL
there Mrs Caywood resolutely contin-
ues To sleep in distant part Of the
| house.
Sweet Marie" as Mr.. Caywood has
named his find. has been submitted Tor
examination to Professor Otis Il. Ma
| son. the archaeologist of the Smlthso-
nan Institute in Washington. who pro-
nounces it one of the most extraor-
binary objects of interest he ever saw.
Some time ago, Mr.. Caywood, who is
local road surveyor, was grading an
old roadbed in Prince George county.
In doing so he had to cut the grade OF
the hill, and there found the skeleton
of a man of herculean proportions, not
less than feet inches in height. 1t
was badly decomposed, but sufficient
remained to show beyond question that
Ii was the framework of a man Of gi-
gantic strength.
The skeleton was incased in cage
like armor of rude but Ingenious con-
struction. II might have been made by
q country blacksmith, of strap iron OF
the tires of old wagons. Beginning
with the head it was closely inclosed
in a basketlike contrivance of strap
iron, through the interstices of which
the skull could be plainly seen. II
fitted so tightly that il is plain the
head could turn but slightly. a heavy
iron collar then encircled the neck. ana
then down over the body passed straps
Of iron interlaeed and rigidly fastened
II WAS evident that this cage was
built on the man while he was still
alive Much of the iron seems to have
been bent and fastened cold though
there are other pieces which could only
have been riveted at red heat. The
legs are similarly incased and foot
rests are forged on like the treadles of
sewing machine. The whole frame
rests on a wreught-iron base foot or
more in height.
From below the chin a shelf projects
as though food had been placed ther
Just out of reach of the tortured
prisoner Through the top of the
CROW II runs an iron SWIVEL SROHlnE
that the whole frame with its human
contents had been swung by a rope or
chain presumably from a Eallows The
iron is deeply rnsted and shows ali
signs Of great antiquity.
Strange to say no local tradition or
record exists in Prince George which
can account for this skeleton IN armor
There are three old stories which Nigh,
be made to fit. one that a pirate of
the seventeenth century was thus in
cased by his mutinous crew and then
carried into the interior to perish A
second that il was a cruel and blood
thirsty Indian chief named Chappawam-
sic who after war with the white set
tiers was captured and his own tor
lures inflicted on himself with all that
q white mans ingenuity could add
The third legend. and the one which
Professor Mason thinks is the most
probable. Is that about 1880 gigantic
negro slave murdered his mistress,
burning her remains in the house To
conceal his crime. and that he was
starved to death in this iron arInor as
punishment and warning. The burial
of the remains in the roadway was an
old English custom with atrocious
murderers