Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-08-17
SKELETON ENCLOSED IN ARMOR..
strange Discovery Made in Virginia
by Surveyor.

A mysterious skeleton in armor is in the
possession of William Henry Harrison
Caywood. a farmer of Prince George
county, Va, says a Richmond letter. He
prizes it highly from its evident archaeo-
logical value and keeps his grewsoma
relic under his bed for safety. 1t is need
less TO remark that since he has placed
it there Mrs. Caywood resolutely con-
tinues to sleep in a distant part of the
house.
Sweet Marie" as Mr.. Caywood has
named his lind. has been submitted for
examination to Prof. Otis r. Mason, the
archaeologist of the Smithsonian iustitu-
ton in Washington who pronounCes il
one of the most extra ordinary objects of
Interest he ever saw.
Some time ago Mr.. Caywood. who is a
local road surveyor, was grading an old
roadbed in Prince George county I'm do
ing so he had to cut the grade of a hill.
and there found the skeleton of a man
of herculean proportions. not less than g
feet inches in height. 1t was bai ly de-
composed, but sufficient remained to show
beyond question that ii was the frame
work of man of gigantic strength.
The skeleton was incased in a cage like
armor of rude but ingenious construction
1t might have been made by Il country
blacksmith, OF strap iron or the tires of
old wagons. beginning with the head i,
was closely inclosed III a basket like con-
iNa1cc VI Strap ircH, through the inter-
Stices OF which the skull could be plainly
seen. 1t fitted so tightly that it IS pain
the head could turn but slightly. A heavy
iron collar then encircled the neck and
then down over the body passed straps of
iron interlaced and rigidly fastened
1t 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 rveted
at red heat. The arms must have been
fastened in the armor with manacles The
legs are similarly incased, and foot rests
are forged like the treadles of a sew
ing machine. The whole frame rests on
wrought-iron base foot or more in
height.
From below the chin shelf projects as
though food had been placed there just
out OF reach of the tortured prisoner.
Through the top of the crown runs an
iron swivel, showing that the whole frame
with its human contents had been swung
by n rope or chin. presumably from
sallows. The iron is deeply rusted and
shows all 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 might be made
TO fit. One that a pirate of the seven
teenth century was thus incased by his
mutinous crew and then carried into the
interior TO perish. A second that 1t was a
cruel and bloodthirsty Indian chief named
Chappawamsic, who. after war with the
white settlers, was captured and his own
tortures inflicted on himself, with all that
a white mans ingenuity could add. The
third legend, and the one which Prof.
Mason thinks is the most probable is that
about 1870 gigantic negro slave muir
dered his mistress. burning her remains
in the house TO conceal his crime, and that
k,.A ctu 4, to- fYn.
as punishment and warning. The burial
of the remains i'm the roadway was an
old English custom with atrocious MUIR
derers.