Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-06

known as the CarQlT G1anI, one VI lItt
greatest and mosl enduring hoaxes
ever perpetrated in this or any other
country
1t was in the autumn of 1863, that
the Cardiff Giant was discovered" on
the farm of man named Newell, llv-
ing near the village of Cardiff, in on
ondago county, New York. Newell had
hired men to dig a well on his farm,
and it was these laborers who first saw
the rude Cyclops. The discovery"
created a tremendous sensation all
over New York state. Thousands of
men, women and children besieged the
Newell place, and soon the report that
a huge stone statue had been dug up
was telegraphed all over the coun-
try.
Even Britons Bite.
The news also made a sensation In
England, and number of British sci
entists came to this country for the
sole purpose of investigating the re
MAINS" The best, as well as the most
authentic description of the appear
ance of the giant as it lay in the pit
on the Newell farm, is given by our
minister in Germany, the Hon. An
drew D. White, in an article on the
Cardiff Giant in the October number
of "The Century" "A few mornings
after the discovery" says DR.. White,
my brother and I, in a light buggy
drawn by a fast trotter, were speeding
thru the valley to the scene of the
discovery AS we went we saw more
and more, on every side, evidences of
an enormous popular interest. The
roads were crowded with buggies. car
riages, and even omnibuses from the
city of Syracuse and with lumber
wagons from the farms. In about two
hours we arrived at the Newell place,
and found a gathering which at first
seemed like county fair. In the
midst was tent and a crowd was
pressing for admission. Entering, we
saw large pit or grave, and at the
bottom of it, perhaps five feet below
the surface, an enormous figure, ap-
parently of Onondaga gray limestone.
1t was stout giant with massive fea-
lures. the whole body nude, the limbs
contracted as If in agony. 1t had
color as if it had lain long in the
earth, and over it's surface were min
ute punctures like pores. A special
appearance of awe was given 1t by
side, apparently worn by the water,
which was flowing in streams thru
the earth and along the rock on which
the figure rested. Lying in its grave,
with a subdued light from the roof
OF the tent falling upon it, and with
the limbs contorted as if in death
struggle, it produced most weird eff
feet. An air of great solemnity per-
4 ~. :.s{ 10, "A
above whisper"
Undertook Trust.
After public curiosity had been
thoroughly awakened Hull and his
partner, David Hannum, who, as is
well known, is believed to have been
the original of David Harum in Ed
ward Moves Westcott's novel Of that
name, formed a joint stock concern.
and under the admirable chaperonage
of an eminent Snowman Of that day,
Colonel Wood by name, the Cardiff
Giant, was raised from its grave and
exhibited in various cities. This, how
ever, was the beginning of the end;
for it had not been on exhibition long
before Professor March, the eminent
paleontologist, pounced upon it. His
examination was exceedingly brief,
none the less thorough. for that His
verdict was the soul of brevity. ut
is of very recent origin" he declared,
"and the most decided humbug."
Against the opinion of such an an
thority there was no appeal, and as
people had already begun to put two
and two together it was not long be-
fore they had ferreted out the essen
tial facts in the remarkable swindle.
Farmers were found who remembered
to have seen Hull hauling an immense
box on the road between Binghamton
and Cardiff. Affidavits from men of
good character in Iowa and Illinois es-
tablished the fact that the figure was
made at Fort Dodge, Ia, of block of
gypsum. When he saw that the
game was up, Hull pompously con-
fesseu.
Hull Was Yankee.
Hull, the originator of the swindle,
was native of connecticut. He was
born in 1921, and early in life moved
to Binghamton. 1t was in the winter
of 1867, while visiting friends in Bar
aboo, Wis, that the Cardiff Giant was
conceived. While spending a winters
night with clergyman at the bedside
of sick friend, warm dispute arose
between Hull and the clergyman re-
garding the sons of Anak. Hull re-
tired to bed rather excited over the
argument, and before going to sleep
he had evolved the scheme of manu-
featuring a giant that could be buried
and unexpectedly discovered in the
earth and pass as q petrif1ed man.
A year or so later, having perfected
the details of his scheme, he went to
Fort Dodge, where he purchased an
acre of land in one of the gypsum
guarries. The quarrymen were en-
gagged to fracture out" as large a
block of gypsum as possible The
men succeeded in cutting out block
thick, weighing 10000 pounds. This
was restined to become the Cardiff
Giant. For 20 days Hull was engaged
in transporting the stone to the nearest
railway station.
Three different transfers engaged to
haul the stone failed, but at last it was
placed upon flat car and shipped thru
to e. Burghardt, stone and marble cut
ter, Chicago, Ill. 1t was taken in the
night to Mr.. Burghardt's barn on Clark /
street. Precautions were taken to
deaden the noise of cutting and also to |
escape the curiosity of outsiders by Linz
ing the interior of the barn with quilts |
and carpets. Two German sculptors, !
Edward Sale and George Markham,
were engaged to carve the block of !;
gypsum into the semblance Of human |