THE "PETRIFIED MAN"

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2158, 26 June 1889, Page 2

THE "PETRIFIED MAN"

At length tbe origin of the ''petrified man" (saya the Sydney "Da'Jy Telegraph") has been plaood beyojud doubt, and it now transpires that the ao-oalled fossil ia a >rlm and palpable fraud. [This Is what Mr Wilkinson, the Government Geologist, said from tho first.!' A moment's glanoe waa enough to convince him that those perfect Rommiaatura& had never qiaojd a pro-hiatorio visage, 'and thai", no far from that giant frame ever -baring pulsated with life, it was nothing, •nd never had been any thing, but a block of oold marblo. Tbe medloal men who vlaifced the abrlne drew widely different conclusions, and the surgeon whom moat people were diapoaed to regard as a apaoiallst m matters of the kind, jadging f*om parely external evldenoe, and that n&erely • the-evldoooa -of nhape and form, was aa positive of the bona fides of the " petrlfaoiioa" as Mr V/likluson and hla fii^nda ware that it was the work of an impostor. However, SnbLnepeotor Ford, of Orange, tolls the MiaisteF foe Mines m a report on the i matter : — . ■ ■;■ • ■■..:> >\

"I am thoroughly ebh»lnoed that the marble figure was made at Oroakac'a old pnbUo-hoaae. at Cow Flat, by Q, F- Sala, and that the marble was obtained from Bell's quarry, about two miles from Caw Fiat. I hare obtained the following Information :~That Joseph Bell conveyed from hli marble quarry about five months aiuoe a large pleoe of marble, about one tou weight, to O. F. gala's eesidfmoe (Oroakec'a old publlchotue] at Oow Fiat; and pat It oat of the dray half-way into the kitohen through the door, and Bell atatei thit some ten or twelve weeka afterwards be saw that a man bad been modelled out of It by S»la, and that he aaed aoids, and that whilst" Sala was making tbe figure that hia ion Fred waa ilwayaon.tbe watoh, and woatd whistle at OCO3 if any person oam'e m sight, and that tiala wonld then come oat of the kitchen and ohut tbe door." ;' ,