Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-18
Pennington WOrkmen
Dig Out Human Arm
While Excavating
Especial to Kennebec Journal,

Pennington, May 17.-Workmen ex-
House, and just off Boardway, I'M
earthed human arm, still covered
with flesh and apparently not long
enough separated from the remainder
of the body for decay to have set in,
this morning. 1t is a left arm to
above the elbow joint, with hand, fin
gers and even the nails perfect in ev-
cry way. The arm was turned over TO
a local undertaken and Sheriff w. b,
Small was notified. The arm was
found in the ground where a shed had
been torn down last fall, in the rear
and for many years part of the Stod-
dard House property. Excava tons are
rage to be erected where the hotel
shed and stable stood for many years.
There was at first considerable eX-
element over the discovery, and it is
hard to believe that this arm could
have been long buried and that the
dissolution which follows almost at
once the removal or death of animal or
human flesh could have been arrested,
but no evidence has yet been found of
any recent crime, or even amputation
in fact, the arm does not have the
appearance Of having been amputated
scientifically a least Nor can any
body be found who has any remem-
brance of anything that might help in
finding a solution of the problem of
how the arm came to be there, much
less how, if not buried there recently,
it could be so perfectly preserved. II
is even soft to the touch, like living
flesh, or at least as though very re-
Gently living.
1t looks as though Pennington had
real mystery on its hands and there
are those who will not be surprised if
the excavating, which is still going on
leads to further revelations In the
meantime the officers have the matter
in charge and will attempt to solve the
mystery.
There is a difference of opinion
among those. who have seen it as to
whether the arm is that of man or a
woman, but the hand is small enough
and the texture of the whole limb is
fine and delicate enough to have been
that of a woman, and Of the many peo-
pie who ,have today called at the I'M
dertaking rooms to see it the majority
believe it to have been that of a wom-
an, probably a young woman, but there
are no marks by which anybody has
vet been able to recognize it as one
they had ever seen.
Many suggestions have been made
as to the manner and time of the bur-
ial of the arm, one suggestion being
that it might have been years ago
owned by some physician or medical
student, and that it might have been
so we'll preserved in alcohol of for
mer day that it's preservation may
have continued since its burial. An
other is that it may have been buried
in the sand in which it was found
many years ago, and its preservation
in it's original form without petrify
ing or decaying may have been due to
the extremely dry character of the
soil.
The shed which stood for many
years where the human relic was
found was an open one without floor
which anyone might enter at any time
and when the buildings were standing
it would have been very easy to bury
anything there without discovery. But
from its present state of preservation
1t is difficult to believe that it could
have been there long, and further de-
velopments, if there are any, are
awaited with a great deal of interest.