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Show THAT ENGLISH MUMMY. ARival of the Original Now on Exhibition Exhi-bition in the Land of Roast ",. ' Beef. A JAWBREAKING COGNOMEN. A Story That Will Paralyze the Majority of People Who Peruse a Paper1 s Pages. It seems more than curious that his history has not been written. It is simply sim-ply extraordinary that even his place of residence is known to so few among the many thousands who pass and repass it every day. It is true that for about one hundred and fifty years he waa secluded se-cluded from the world, in fact, dead to it; but for forty years he has been upon exhibition. For forty years he has been subject of great interest to a comparatively compara-tively small circle, and during that period pe-riod he has never shown signs of temper even under circumstances that might be warranted to ruffle the composure of a "bearded lady" at a circus. In various parts of the United Kingdom the mere fact of having been born a century age is considered sufficient to account for any quantity of notoriety. Yet in this article the intention is to tell something about a person who was born, probably, two centuries ago, and who, it can be easily proved, has not in forty years moved a muscle. Some days ago a discussion took place in the public prints on the subject of mammies. In a discussion of the kind it could hardly be expected that the Egyptian brand would be overlooked, but if reference had been male only to the Egyptian article little would remain to be said, for Barneses II, as a mummy, has really received quite as much prominence promi-nence as he deserves. ' There is a mummy that can hold its own against all comers on exhibition in a very modest way in the church of St. James, Garlickbithe, or Garliekhyve, or Garlickhythe, for the name is spelt in three ways. It was so named, according to an old chronicle: "For that of old time, on the River Thames, near to the church, garlick was usually sold." The thorough-fare thorough-fare that bounds the church building on the west is still known as Garlick Hill, Not long ago an old house that stood near the church was demolished. In digging a cellar for a modern structnre-on the old site several piles were found. , These piles were of the peculiar greenish hue that wood which has been a long time in salt or brackish water always obtains. The ground in the vicinity of the church it of chalk formation. - So many parishioners were buried In the little church yard that it was decided, about forty years ago, to cover the diminutive dim-inutive cemetery with a heavy coating , of concrete. Before this was done a larger umber of bodies were disturbed. Those engaged in the work were surprised sur-prised to find that, whQe the coffins had been reduced almost to dust, the bodies inclosed in lead lining were in a state of almost perfect preservation. "With one exception the bodies were .reinterred. The exception had suffered somewhat from exposure to the atmosphere atmos-phere and perhaps from careless handling, han-dling, but it is today wonderfully well preserved. The identity of this English mummy could not be discovered, for the coffin in which it had been incased bad crumbled away, and had not been fur niahed, apparently, with a plate. The soil, it is supposed, had dried up the animal ani-mal tissue by absorbing every particle of water, and thus prevented putrefaction, At any rate, the mummy that can be seen at St. James (Garlickbithe) church shows no signs of decay today, though it has been out of the ground forty years, and had been in mayhap 150 years or more. Just within the entrance to the church, on the south or Thames street side, is a plain wooden case. It is about 8 feet in height, 2 feet in breadth and 18 inches in depth. "You want to see the mummy, I suppose:"' sup-pose:"' said the sexton, Robert Sharp, when I presented myself at the church yesterday. Without more ado he opened the wooden case. Inside the wooden door was a glass front that no key would peu. Inside the glass, gazing pensively through eyeless sockets at a flagstone that was a little darker than its fellows, was the English mummy. The skin would have been white but . for a pale yellow tinge. The skin was everywhere smooth and intact. The figure was that of a young man who must have stood six feet in height and been of fine proportions. The shoulders were broad, the arms long and powerful looking. Every linger and toe was perfect. per-fect. Both hands and feet must have been small. That the figure was that of a young man seems certain from its general gen-eral appearance, but more particularly from the small size and excellently preserved pre-served condition of the teeth. There had been hair upon the head when the body was exhumed, but atmospheric influences had destroyed every vestige of it. Unless Un-less the visitor looks closely at the head an impression will be carried away that, there is still hair upon it. This impression impres-sion will be due to a network of cobwebs, which is yearly growing thicker. When the body was taken from the ground the teeth were perfectly white. They am gradually turning black. "The glass front was put in the case, Sexton Sharp said, "to prevent visitor from jabbing the mummy with fingers, canes or umbrellas." "Why did they jab the mummy?" Sexton Sharp said he supposed "they wanted to hear his i asides rattle." Be then explained that while handling the mummy he and others had discovered that the intestines had become shriveled, vnd would make a noise like a kettledrum kettle-drum when the mummy was shaken. Not a great many people visit the church to see the mummy, the sexton Baid. For people who did not live in the city the church was in an cut of the way place, ho supposed. He had heard that the rmmj was 200 years old, but could not certify to that of his personal knowledge, for he was only 43 years of age, and had "been around the church only about forty years." London Her- |