OLD-MISSOURI-NEWSPAPERS-L Archives

From: Virginia <>
Subject: [OLD-MISSOURI-NEWS] MARBLE MAN #4
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2002 10:29:21 -0500

THE NEWTON COUNTY NEWS
NEWTONIA, MISSOURI

MAR 14, 1895
THE PETRIFIED MAN TRIAL
The case of Mrs. Stillings against Dr. G. W. Harrison, G. T. Tatum and H.
D. McBride to gain possession of Newton county's petrified man, was tried
at Springfield last week. Mrs. Stillings was represented by attorney W. G.
Robertson. The law firm of Benton & Sturgis of Neosho and Attorney E. C.
McAfee of Springfield represented the defense.

Mrs. Stillings was the first who testified. She described the features of
her father, which tallied with those of the petrified man. She first saws
the petrified man, while it was being exhibited at Newtonia. A number of
witnesses were examined who testified that they knew Adam Cluck, Mrs.
Stilling's father, in his lifetime, and thought the stone man resembled
Adam Cluck.

Hugh Testman of McDonald county testified that he knew Adam Cluck, and
Cluck was taken prisoner at Fayetteville during the war and that Cluck was
killed there. N. G. Lusk of Lawrence county remembered of the report about
Cluck being killed while a prisoner at Fayetteville. He said the report
was generally believed.

David W. Nutting of McDonald county said that in 1851 he and his father
were going to the mill and that they helped to bury a man while on the road
whose name was West. The place in which the man was buried is to the best
of Nutting's memory the place where the petrified man was found. He said he
saw the man laid out and saw the grave but did not see the corpse put in it.

The jury after hearing the evidence in the petrified man's case, returned a
verdict in ten minutes after the case had been submitted, in favor of the
defense, and Messrs. Harrison, Tatum and McBride, the owners by purchase of
the stone man, have possession of him. The West relatives have as yet put
in no claim as rightful heirs of the stony man, and the stone as yet is
without a name. The costs in the case were $151.65.

APRIL 18, 1895
The petrified man arrived in Newtonia last Friday and lay in state at Dr.
Harrison's office at the drug store until Monday morning, where many viewed
his stolid features once more. This quiet star actor has made quite a tour
over the state of Missouri and his stoneship needed a few days of rest in
the pleasant village of Newtonia in order to quiet his shattered nerves
before going on another tour. He was taken to Ritchey Monday, and left
Wednesday morning for a grip south through Wanda and other places in the
southern part of Newton county. He never fails to draw a crowd although he
never makes a big blow about his attractions, but takes things quietly and
continues to rake in the dimes.

Submitted by Virginia Brown

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