The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-03-16
THE MODERN JONAH
WAS AN ANANlAS.

WAS AN ANANlHS.
Halifax, N. s., March 16.-Again
| the higher critics and the disciples
of the "old time religion have clash
ed and again the iconoclasts have
won victory. Captain Killam of Var
mouth, skipper of the Good snip Star
of the East. is the unwritting cause
of the discomforture of the defenders
fof the true faith. The story of Jo-
nah's experience with the whale is
the point around which this particular
religious controversy has revolved.
and Captain KiIlam has destroyed
one of the chief props of the believ-
ers in the literal truth of the incident
1t came about in this wise:
About decade ago a veracious ma
riler. James BARLEY by name. appear
ed in London and told a remarkable
story of having been swallowed by
whale while employed as sailor on
the Star Whaler of the East At first
but he was so persistent and appar-
emily earnest that the newspapers fl
lally interviewed him and published
the story under flaming heads. Bart
ley became a popular nero in Lon
don, and he was wined and dined and
exploited by distinguished scientists
and theologians, who looked upon him
in the light of a living proof of the
literal truth of the exploit of Jonah.
The higher critics and materialistic
scientists, who had relegated the Jo-
nah tale to the realm of myths and
allegories and had declared tnat no
whale or fish could possibly swallow
a man, retired abashed before the elo-
quent Barley, who related his exper
fences in the whales belly with Il
great wealth of detail and apparent
candor. The story was cabled to new
spapers in all parts of the world and
created as great a sensation in Am
erica and on the continent as it did
in England. So seriously was it con-
sidered by the theologians that the
learned DR.. Koeing quoted it in mis-
article on Jonah IN Hastings Die
tionary of the Bible" A few years
later BARLEY left England and mis- pre-
sent whereabouts are unknown. 1t
is now evident that with his disap-
pearance England has lost one of Its
most fertile creators of fiction.
Now comes Captain Kiham of the
Star of the East and being duly sworn
deposes ON oath that he was the COM
of that ship at the time of
Bartley's alleged exploit with the
whale, and for many years previous;
that no such man as James BARLEY
was ever a member of the crew of
that vessel, and that 40 such incident
as BARLEY described ever took place.
Killam's story is a little belated. due
to the fact that he has only recently |
heard OF BARLEY and his whale story.
He was hugely amused when inform |
ed that Bartley's yarn had been taken
seriously, and made some flatterIng |
regarding the credulity of |
land lubbers in general a1d "sky pi- |
lots in particular IVY, a'w'als |
couldn't swallow five found baby |
be declared
According to Baruleys story, he |
was thrown into the water by the |
writhing OF harpooned whale, and |
was given up for lost by mis- compan-
ions Tweaty-four hours later he
was found alive but unconscious in
the whales belly.
II remember very WELL" Bartlcy
told his London auditors, "The mo-
nent when the whale threw me into
he air. Then 1 was swallowed and |
Iound myself inclosed in firm. slip
perry channel whose contractions for
,ed me suddenly downward Then