Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-08-28
Scientist Near Charles City Un.
earths the Skeletons Of Four.
Legged Men.
Darwin's Missing Link Between
Man and Monkey Found in
Indian Mounds.
Following Britt's Hobo Convention a
Charles City Correspondent Pro.
duces Another Sensation.
pecial to Times-Republican.

CnarleS City, Aug. cS.-sThose who
have not heretofore subscribed 70 the
Darwinian theory that man is de-
scendant Of the monkey. or rather an,
ascendant from that animal, will learn
with vital interest Of discovery made
by Professor Clement l.. Webster,
arci1aeologist for a long time In the
employ of the government in New
Mexico and now devoting his life to
scientific research, with Headquarters
in this city.
The startling results attained by Mr..
Webster consist in the discovery of ten
mound builder mounds near Old Chick
asaw, Chickasaw county. Iowa, from
which he exhumed no less than four
teen We'll preserved skeletons of a race
whose skulls We're almost flat on the
crown and whose forearms compare
very favorably in length with the legs,
adding to the belief that these people
in their life-time could scamper along
on all fours at q lively and natural
gait.
Scientifically the find will startle the
world of archaeology and attract the
attention and interest Of the entire per-
sonnet of the Darwinian believers.
The mounds are located on the west
side Of the Little Cedar river, about
one and one-half miles below the town,
at the border OF terrace twenty to
forty feet above the flood plain at its
base. The important discovery was
made by Webster alone and proof of
the statement may be seen at his cot
tage in this city, also in the unopened
mounds themselves, which are. no doubt
rich IN archaeology and which for lack
of time the professor did not OPEN
About $50 yards to the southeast of
the mounds is situated spring which
flows freely thru the lands Formerly
populated by these strange monkey
men. The mounds are from two4to five
feet apart, are circular, round topped
and measure from twenty -two to fifty
one feet in diameter and from one and
sthree-fourths to five feet in height. The
main line of mounds runs northward
and a few degrees easterly. The others
run parallel to the main line.
The first mound opened measured
twenty two feet in diameter and about
one foot in height. A few inches above
the original surface was thick bed Of
charcoal and alarge thoroughly burned
oaken log eight feet long and twelve
inches thick. There were no skeletons
in the first mound, but the second yield
ed find which excited even the staid
scientist, who has been Injured ia
strange and valuable finds all his life.
The mound had been graded almost
level years ago by the husbandman.
the site Of the mounds being on the
farm of II. II. Gordon who, until the
discovery little dreamed he was work
ing over the graves of a pre- historic
race of the lowest type and living in
eye light of burial ground which Civ
ing up its dead would set thousands 10
thinking and agitate the minds of
scientists all over the country. III the
second mound at the original surface
two sitting skeletons We're found. The
bones We're Well preserved and Webs ter
carefully sexi1umed them. When he ex-
amined the first skeleton and found the
skull fiat and the forearms so much
longer than those of the specimens
found heretofore he was deeply inn
and continued to dig feverishly. enter
ing third mound, in which he soon
struck I lree more Well preserved skeie-
tons. also in sitting posture one
skeleton faced the east, the second
faced the first and the third, a few
inches north, also faced the east The
skulls of all three of these skeletons
We're markedly Neanderthaloid in type.
In one specimen the lower forehead
back of the eye-orbits is Very narrow.
but rapidly expands backwards. leaving
a concavity back of and over the eyes.
The largest Uranium was six and a
quarter inches long by five inches vide.
One skull appears TO be that of a wo-
man: another probably belonged to a
man of great age. What his intelec-
tual power was, if indeed there was any
more than that enjoyed by the most in
teilisFnt monkey, is only conceived by
scientists after an eXamina ton Of the
flat skull. His long arms may have as
sisted him in swinging from tree to
tree in the forest when pursued by
fierce animals, as it is held by men oil
knowledge that man in the earliest
stages had no weapons of defense save
those provided by nature
The structure of the mound above re-
bferred to is: Upper. three and one half
feet of yellow clay soil, unlike that in
the immediate vicinity. Under this
came one and one half feet of earth and
ashes, Very hard, With scattered bits of
charcoal. and then at the original level
the skeletons. The fourth mound eS-
splored developed two sitting skeletons,
with crania crushed, but some of the
long bones We're preserved. These In
dictate great muscular development and
lofty Stature. The earth and ashes be.
meath the bones We're stained .ieepiy.
showing the bodies to have been buried
in the flesh. Webster dug actively and
soon had four skeletons out on the
ground from the next mound The
teeth of these We're Well preserved but
Worn down. with the exception Of one
which had a large moar cavity. 10
doubt causing its owner considerable
toothache many ages ago before the
practice of dentistry. The lowe. jaws
We're massive and heavy and protruded
fbrute-like. One skull appears to have
been subjected to the action of fire be-
fore burial. These last finds We're evil
IDENTIFY bodies of two aged one middle
aged and one younger Individual. The
last mound opened resulted in three
skeletons, with feet drawn under. No
trace of pottery was found, as in the
graves of later generations. proving the
bodies to be those Of people who lived