The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-07

There has just been brought to public
notice at Butte. Mont, the petrihed body
of man. 1t has been identified by those
who knew and loved the famous wit, or
ator, patriot and soldier of fortune as
that Of Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher.
Scientific examination by a physician
and professor Of anatomy has revealed
that the body is that of man, soldier,
whose stature, bulk, head and peculiari-
ties correspond to those of Gen. -Meagher,
The precise manner of Meaghers death
in 1887, near the very spot where the pet
rification was found, has never until now
been explained If the silent testimony of
| this form of stone is to be credited, the
hero of Tipperary and of the Irish bril-
| gade persisted miserably by an Indian ar
row which cleft his skull.
Two years ago Tom Dunbar was trap
ping near Fort Benton. Mont. 1t was
very low water on the Missouri. and the
shrinking flood permitted him to see much
more of the bottom than usual. Care
fully examining every foot of the way for
places to set his traps, he saw half-buried
| In the sand under water what looked like
| human body.
He hauled the body out with much diff
/ culty-cast in stone, 1t weighs 1865 pounds
with his lariat, breaking in the process
! the left ankle and great toe. Then he
| reburied his find above high water, care
| fully marking the spot. ''Soon's kin git
money to buy an outfit I'll start a show,
said the practical Dunbar to himself; and
| to no one else did he say word.
! 1t took the trapper eighteen months to
save money enough to buy a horse and
wagon; then he showed his curio to tour
lists at the Upper Geyser Basin, Yellow
stone park.
Then r. A. Fraser, of Helena, organized
the Montana Petriied Man company,
brought the stone figure from Dunbar
and exhibited it throughout Montana.
They planned to go East, with New York
as the goal. Fraser is shrewd.
In Helena Dr. Edwin S. Kellogg and
/ Prof c. H. Gaunt subjected the figure
| to an X-ray test. The broken foot was
| first examined The bones could be seen
perfectly. Later. the whole body was sub
jected to the test demonstrating that the
| modification had been living man.
| Bones. brain and vital organs were Wis
ible; even the arrowhead which had
| pierced the brain of the, man was revealed
! by the power OF the ray.
The petrification measures five feet ten
| inches In height The face is clean-shaY-
en-. with the exception of a mustache,
and the face ard form are those of a
well-nigh perfect man, from his bearing
| soldier. The hands. were tied together
with rawhide.
When the body came to Anaconda there
came TO the room where 1t was exhibited
an Irish miner in his working clothes
The moment his eyesqrested upon 1t ne
called out. sse
1T is the general4God rest his soul
1t Is the general!
"Whst general?'' asked Fraser.
Gen Meagher, surely. II that is not
the hand of Thomas Francis Meagher
may mine be withered! and he pointed
out a slight popularity of the hand which
had escaped attention.
The news spread: others came to see
what they fully believed te be the body
of the dead general Patheuc were the
scenes that followed.
HE was drowned twenty miles IRON
Fort Benton,'' said doubters.
mo man living can say he was drown
ed. or what became Of him, If this is
not his body" was the conclusive re-
tort.
And that is true if you remember the
thrilling story of the death OF TINS re,
naarkable man.
On the morning of June 29, 1867, Mea
CHER accepted an invitation from an ole
| friend. John T. Doran, the pilot of the
| steamer G. A. Thompson, TO dine witt
him on board the boat. He was on the
way to Benton to procure arms and equip
Ynent.
He was i'll; had been very Ill indeed a
!. Sun River.
The general was reading when suddenly
he closed the book and said excitedly t.
Doran: Johnny. they threatened m!
life in that town. AS passed heart
some men say, There he goes.
Doran soothed him, for he knew there