Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1880 — A Remarkable Discovery. [ARTICLE]

A Remarkable Discovery.

The old residents of {Southern Illinois recollect very well Gen. Al. AT. Rawlings, a prominent man in the State and the founder of Mound City, and his son, Frank Rawlings, in his time th • most brilliant young attorney and orator in tin’s part of the State. The latter died a comparatively young man, probably about 3K years of age, over twenty years ago, and his father died some years later. They were buried side by side at Villa Ridg<. A few days since relatives of the d< ceased raised and removed the bodies to a situation thought more desirable and pleasant. The coffin of Frank Rawlings was found to be unaccountably heavy, six stout men being required to handle it. The friends thought they would open the casket to discover the cause of this, when they found the corpse apparently as natural in every line* of form ami feature as when interred, even the beard being preserved. The body was petrified, but the pallor of the corpse was retained. There are several witnesses to verify these facts, including a physician of reputation residing a.t Villa Ridge, who was called to examine the corpse. This is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable cases of its character on r< <•- ord, and, for the benefit of science, should be thoroughly investigated in detail. It promises to upset the general theory in regard to petrificatiolis, as we understand the coffin was both water and air tight.— Mound City (III.) Art/iinJournal.