The evening times., 1899-05-17
THE CARDIFF GIANT.
Rankest Fraud Ever Perpctrated on
GuIIfble Humnptty.
FROM the Philadelphia Times.

Rankest Fraud Ever Rerpctrated on
Gullible Humanfty.
From the Philadelphia Times)
The recent death OF Prof O. C. Marsh,
the famous paleontoiOgists Of Yale College,
brings to mind the fact that he was the
first to detect the fraudulent character of
the famous petrified man known the world
over as the Cardiff giant. Some years ago,
shortly after the war-the narrator cannot
fix the exact date and all books of refer
ence are silent on the subject, although
it was probably in 1s69-there was pub
lished in some Of the newspapers of the
country an announcement that there had
been exhumed near Cardiff q small set
tlement not far from Binghamton, N. Y,
what was called and long supposed to be
a perfect figure OF gigantic man, which
by the preserving qualities of that particu-
lar bit of earth had been transformed into
stone image, or petrifactfon. The dis
coyery created intense excitement no. only
in the scientific world of this country and
among learned men abroad, but among
people generally, as being strong evidence
OF gigantic race OF men once having troi
this continent. The colossal stone figure
it was over nine feet long-was placed
on exhibition on the spot where II was
found, an admission fee being charged for
the privilege of viewing 1t, and the pro-
prietor Of the farm took in more money
tnan II he had discovered a rich vein Of
gold bearing quartz. There were doubt
ing Thomases. however. but it was not
until some years later that the Cardif
giant came to be looked upon by scientific
men as a gigantic fraud instead of a gf-
gantic petrifaction.
About ten years ago the narrator, in the
law Offices Of the late James H. Heverin,
was introduced to a gentleman named John
Rankin. who had been mayor Of
Binghamtor, prior to the dis
covery of the famous stone image. He was
born in the small town of Homer, n. V,
whence he removed to Binghamton, whore
for awhile he taught penmanship. There
he met Mr.. Heverin who then was a fire.
Quent visitor to that prosperous communi-
ty, probably owing to.,he fact that the la
dy who afterwar1 became mis- wife was
there receiving ner education. After the
discovery Of the Cardiff giant. Rankin sud-
denly and mysteriously gave evidence of
having acquired considerable wealth. As a
result Of the narrator meeting Rankin be
learned-no matter how or from whohi-
the true history Of that famous exhuma-
tion, which you will find in no book, but
you can depend upon its entire reliability.
The Cardiff giant was one Of the clever
est frauds ever perpetrated upon that most
gullible coterie known as 1.-THE scientific
WoEiu II Is singular now learned men
Of this class can be dIped by char,atans
with an ease that would be Impossible
among ordinary men possessed Of no great
er mental equipment than plain common
sense. Instances Of this kind are numer-
GUS. The great Leidy pronounced Fore
paugh's calcimined elephant a genuine
white Elephant from SIAM" and men of
equal scientific rank declared that the Car
diff giant was the petrified body of a pre-
III
gist of the State Of New York. publicly
stated his belief in its antiquity; Dr. Oliver
Wendell Holmes expatiated upon its won
derful anatomical interest. and even Ral1h
Waldo Emerson pronounced 1t beyond the
depths OF his philosophy.
Yet the stone image was an utter fraud
whose originator was John Rankin, and his
sole motive was the making Of money,
With the aid Of a farmer named George
Hull. on whose grounds the figure was sub
found-and probably With the as
sistance Of others-the mammoth human
efigy was constructed out Of cement and
sand In a barn secured for the purpose in
the neighborhood OF Cardiff. When COM
pleted different parts Of the body were
washed repeatedly with strong decoc-
tion Of coffee until the dark stains had
permeated below the surface. When 1t was
in readiness the figure was buried at night
time at the spot where it was subsequently
discovered, the dirt In and around the hole
having been thoroughly mixed with the
same kind Of sand Of which the alleged
petrified body was composed. Everything
being in readiness the farmer who owned
the land found a pretext some time later
for making an exhumation at the point of
burial. and the Cardiff giant was revealed
to q wondering people. While the scientific
world was debating whether the mammoth
ngure was a real fossil or q stone cut three
hundred years before by the Jesuit fathers,
or Phoenician god, Hull and his con-
keeping himself dis
creetly in the background-were Turing
money rapidly from the curious public, who
were charged 80 cents . head for viewing
the gigantic petrihcation. and the scheming
farmer even refused an offer Of $4,000 for
= part intrest in his wonderful possession.