The Washington times., 1901-11-17
PRESERVED IN PEAT.
Remarkable Discoveries Made in the
Bogs of Ireland

In the summer of 1879, some turf cut
ters working in a bog in the county Gal
| way, came on the body of an Irish war
rior cad In the garb of ancient ireland
which, 1t was computed, must have been
| ouried for at least 800 years Yet, when
| carefully uncovered and laid on the bank
! the features appeared as fresh and the
form unshrunken as on the day of death
so many centuries before
| After short exposure to the air, the
body slowly crumbled away but not be-
| fore it had been viewed and examined by
numbers of curious visitors.
| Only very recently an ancient keg or
| Jirkin of butter was dug up out of the
peaty loam. When the outer covering was
removed, and the mass cut into with a
penknife, the centrs was found to be still
| quite sweet and pleasant to the taste
Yet, the ancient Irish dame. WHO manu-
factured the butter contained In that keg
must have relinquished her primitive
churning operations for many centuries
before the product of her dairy was tast-
ed.
About fifteen years ago the body of
man of gigantic proportions was discov-
cred in a sand pit at Prosperous. County
Kildare, this sand pit having originally
Although, from the nature Of the soil,
the body was not 50 well preserved, yet.
from the enormous length of she remains
(over feet 9 inches). in its comparatively
shHunken state, and the remains OF
weapon by his side, there is little doi.bt
that it was the body of a Dane.
Enormous quantities of bog oak are
unearthed. This oak. from the nature of
the soil in which it is imbedded. has be-
come OF the nature and consistency of
ebony 1t is in great request fer the man
ufacture of ornaments and p walking
sticks, which are eagerly purchased by
tourists, as memento5 of their visit to
this country. II is also largely used in the
district for firewood. and burns with a
bright clean fame.
Hanging in the hall of a gentleman at
Branockstown, County Kildare, are the
antlers nj one of the ancient Irish elks
They measure about thirteen feet from
tip to til, and are of great weight They
were discovered in a small bog near his
residence some few years ago.
A remarkable instance of the ''preserv-
ative powers of peat aiding in the de-
lection of crime. occurred in County TIP
perary in 1887. In that year there were
living near Thurles, two neighbors of
the small farming class. named Peter
Mullen and John permot. part owners of
a small bog. which was the cause OF nu-
merous disputes between them. This
wordy warfare eliminated, in the spring
OF 1859 in a desperate afrray between the
two men. in which Dermot locally known |
as shaun Rhau'' Cred John'J from a |
fiery color of his hair, was badly worst
ed.
Red john was carried home. vowing |
vengeance on his opponent The neigh
bors, however, paid little attention to his |
threats at the time, taking into consider
alton the occasion on which they were |
uttered. But when, a few days after
ward, Mullan was missed from the neigh
borhood, suspicious were aroused, and |
search instituted, but no traces of the |
missing man. dead or alive, could be !
found.
Dermot when questioned on the sub |
ject stated that the affair of the bog had |
been amicably arranged, and that MuI- |
len, having accepted sum of money for |
his interest in the turf bank, had gone
to America-with the proceeds
The neighbors were. however. not salts /
fed. and shaun Rhau'r was arrested,
but as nothing conclusive could be proved |
against him. he was eventually discharg-
ed from custody. Emboldeued by feel |
ing OF false security, he returned to his /
home a marked man. and generally shun-
ned by his former acquaintance. But in |
the spring Of 1851. some bog men. cutting
turf near Dermot's holding. came upon |
the body of the missing man, with the /
features contorted in agony. and still
cIutchng in his hand a fragment Of Red I
Johns fiery colored beard.
When DerInot was confronted with this
evidence of his guilt. he utssrly broke
down. and confessed everything From
statement he made il would seem that
shortly after the desperate affray witness
ed by the neighbors. Dermot had sought |
out Mullen, and renewed the quarrel. (
finally, after a desperate struggle over
powering his victim, and huryfHg the re- /
1g.ains in n bog hole. The wretched Grim
inal was sentenced to death. but IN coll |
sequence of the lapse o. time since the
murder was committed. and the absence |
OF witnesses. the extreme penalty was
ccmmuted to one of penal servitude for |
.ife.-Pearsons Weekly.