Asalreadystated，therewasbutonethinginthefigure，asI
hadseenit，whichpuzzledme，andthatwasthegroovingoftheunderside，apparentlybycurrentsofwater，which，asthestatueappearedtobeofourOnondagagraylimestone，wouldrequireverymanyyears。Butonedayoneofthecool—headedskepticsofthevalley，anoldschoolmateofmine，cametome，andwithanairofgreatsolemnitytookfromhispocketanobjectwhichhecarefullyunrolledfromitswrappings，andsaid，\"Thereisapieceofthegiant。Carefulguardhasbeenkeptfromthefirstinordertopreventpeopletouchingit;butIhavemanagedtogetapieceofit，andhereitis。\"Itookitinmyhand，andthematterwasmadeclearinaninstant。ThestonewasnotourhardOnondagagraylimestone，butsoft，easilymarkedwiththefinger—nail，and，ontestingitwithanacid，Ifoundit，nothardcarbonateoflime，butasoft，friablesulphateoflime——aformofgypsum，whichmusthavebeenbroughtfromsomeotherpartofthecountry。
Ahealthfulskepticismnowbegantoassertitsrights。ProfessorMarshofYaleappeareduponthescene。Fortunately，hewasnotonlyoneofthemosteminentoflivingpaleontologists，but，unlikemostwhohadgivenanopinion，hereallyknewsomethingofsculpture，forhehadbeenfamiliarwiththebestgalleriesoftheOldWorld。Heexaminedthestatueandsaid，\"Itisofveryrecentorigin，andamostdecidedhumbug……Veryshortexposureofthestatuewouldsufficetoobliteratealltraceoftool—marks，andalsotoroughenthepolishedsurfaces，butthesearestillquiteperfect，andhencethegiantmusthavebeenveryrecentlyburied……Iamsurprisedthatanyscientificobserversshouldnothaveatoncedetectedtheunmistakableevidenceagainstitsantiquity。\"[27]
[27]SeeProfessorMarsh’sletterinthe\"SyracuseDailyJournal，\"November30，1869。
Varioussuspiciouscircumstancespresentlybecameknown。ItwasfoundthatFarmerNewellhadjustremittedtoamannamedHull，atsomeplaceintheWest，severalthousanddollars，theresultofadmissionfeestotheboothcontainingthefigure，andthatnothinghadcomeinreturn。ThinkingmenintheneighborhoodreasonedthatasNewellhadneverbeeninconditiontooweanyhumanbeingsuchanamountofmoney，andhadreceivednothinginreturnforit，hiscorrespondenthad，notunlikely，somethingtodowiththestatue。