The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1909-10-13
THE PETRIFIED MAR.
a Cardiff Giant swindle That Came to
Sudden End.

a Cardiff Giant swindle That Came to
Sudden End.
Not very long after Barnum's
Cardiff giant went into history some
young men appeared at Lancaster,
Mo-, with the petrifed body of a
man which they said they had found
on their fathers farm in Iowa
while plowing.'' reIated the man
who was telling of the incident.
sHThe young men were exhibiting
their petrifed man in tent. chare-
ing 10 cents admission. To the
large and leenly interested. crowd
they explained that while working
IN the field one day the plow struck
something hard, supposedly a rock.
The ploSman stopped down 10 re-
move the obstruction, but could not.
he called his brother. By their
united efforts with shoyeIs they I'M
covered the rock. which turned out
to be petrifed man, perfect IN
every outline. A great many peo-
pie came to the grave and identified
the remains as a neighbor who had
gone off to the war, returned home
and mysteriously disappeared. a
mark under the eve and some pecul-
lar scars in the back were the main
means of Identification, the speaker
said, ard there was no doubt that
the soldier had died and turned to
stone.
"a large man who had been lis
tening thoughtfully spoke up when
the description was finished.
You are sure that's Jim -
he asked.
Certainly" said the speaker.
Ny father knew him well. BE has
positively identified him.
"know how he came to his
death?'
No, Sir. It's mystery.
Then we'll hold an inquest
"In response to the amazed ex-
clamation from the owners of the
petrifed man the inquisitor explain
ed that he was the prosecuting at
tofney of the county and that it was
his duty to see that inquests were
held in all cases where death was
mysterious. The boys protested.
but in vain. They tried to get out of
town with their exhibit. but were
arrested and put under bond. The
petrifed man was laid out in state
and the coroner summoned. He
brought mallet along. The crowd
was immense, for this time the
show was free.
eff there's anybody here who
knows how this man came to his
death he will please come forward
said the prosecutor.
Nobody responded. for the boys
had jumped their bond.
I" "Then 1 will make postmor-
tea examination said the coroner,
picking up his mallet.
sHe tapped the petrifed soldier
alongside the head. 1t rolled around
anG around like baby on doll
rack when the thrower hits bulls
eye. Then he tapped an arm. That
member also did the whirling act,
because an iron rod ran through the
center. The other arm performed
the same way under the coroner's
scientific manipulation.
"'What DO you find was the cause
81 death, doctor?' asked the prose
cutor.
"'Too much iron in the system
without another word be picked
up his maIlet and left the death
chamber. The petrifed man was
patched up and sold to a travelling
Spectator for $50, which Just about
covered the costs of the inquest and
the attorneys fees. The last /
heard of the petrifed man he was
being shown in the Ozarks as the re-
mains of Persian king or duke
who had been slain several thou
ssad years ago by his subjects, who
thought he was hard. New York
Sun.