The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-11-30
R0BBING A TOMB.
The Attempt to steal the Remains OF tx
President Lincoln, and tho Part the De-
tsctlvss Had In the Affair.

The attempt to rob the tomb of the
late ex-President Lincoln of its remains
it now seems was q job put up by de-
tective officer Of Chicago named Swigle.
The detective was intimate with thieves
apd when the matter was broached
Swigle approved it, but asked for time
to see lawyer and find out what the
penalty would be in Illinois for such an
oflense. He wanted q little time, he
TOLD them, to consider whether he had
better go into so hazardous an under
taking at all. With that he left them.
IL was believed ly Tho thieves that il
they could get possession of the remains
and secrete them the relatives would
| pay n large sum for their recovery.
Swigle, after leaving the party, went
at once to tho detective headquarters
and unfolded the plot. Officers rapidly
consulted, ahd ag,eed that it would be
best to communicate with Robert Lin
coin. They did so, and Mr.. Lincoln at
once called in Leonard Swett. The
matter was thoroughly canvassed by
these gentlemen, who advised Swigle to
go on, to continue in the confidence OF
the confederates, learn aud enter into
their plans and communicate them to
Operative Tyrc'l in season to prevent
their consummation. NV. Lincoln was
Mt iirst for breaking up the design alto
gether, but the question arose, how
coald it be broken up aud he could not
answer it. Since the outrage was to be
essayed ho fell in with the detectives,
but insisted that the thieves should not
b. allowed to haudle the casket contain
ing his fathers remains.
| SwirIn 70 h;a f,;,,,J, Ia,
thieves Hughes and Mullen, and re-
ported that he believed the plan feast
BILE, If not easy, and well conceived :
that his lawyer bad assured him that the
penalty at the utmost would be only n
year in jail and slight fue but thai
he had no idea they would be caught,
Hughes and Mullen, pleased to hear
this kind of talk from so cautions man
az "the prince OF ropers," determined
to carry the plan into operation at as
early a Gate as possible. They took
into their confidence and advised with q
certain contractor in good and regular
standing, both socially and in business,
and he made trip 10 Springfield and
examined the tomb aud its surround
ings aud repo. ted its condition.
This was the state of affairs When at n
council held it was determined that the
business should be done on the night Of
the seventh of November. This night
was selected because they believed that
public interest would be SO absorbed in
the election that whoever or whatever
they might meet would be less likely to
be curious as to their business or
whittier they were going than upon al
most any other night of the year.
1t was proposed that team should be
held in readiness in the vicinity OF the
Spring gield cemetery, and that when the
robbery had been accomplished the
party should get into the wagon with
the coffin and drive 10 the Sangamon
river, where it was crossed by the high
way little distance rofth Of the ceme-
tery. Here they proposed tolbury the
casket in the sand under the bridge, or
sink it i'll the water. The plan was q
cunning one, for nothing short of q
miracle could have led to the discovery
OF the remains in that place.
The party went to the cemetery on
the night il question and entered the
tomb. Swigle, the detective, was left
outside to watch, and the detectives
party, who had been kept fully posted,
were also near at hand. Swigle whisper.
cd to Tyrell that the thieves we've saw
ing the lock off the door. One of the
detectives, who had worked his way in
between the brick walls above alluded
to until he had reached tie wall separat-
ing the erypts from the interior Of the
monument base, distinctly heard the
blows of the burglars in their efforts to
force open the sarcophagus. In nc
ment the noise ceased and Swigle made
bis appearance at the reception-room
door and said they we're all ready to
move the casket, and sent him to the
road, where they supposed he had the
team in waiting, to tell the tlusty driver
to come up and help them carry it 80
the wagon. He had left them few
minutes before standing at the door OF
the vant, and had worked his way
tectlves Immediately left the reception.
room to pass around the east side of The
monument. AS they were leaving the
door-hapg sharp report of pistol
rang out on the night, and was double d
an treblcd hundred times among the
trees and hills of the cemetery. One OF
the detectives had accidentally exploded
u cap on his revolver. Caution was
dropped now for haste. Tue robbers
must have heard the noise, and the only
hope of catching them lay in precipitate
action. The party arrived at the north
door before the echo of the pistol shot
had died away, and found it open and
the place deserted. Not man was to
be seen except those of the detectives
own party. There was no moon. The
sky was thick with clouds. 1t was 20
dark that person could scarce be dis
tinguished ten feet away. Tie officers
Immediately scattered in ali directions,
but nothing could be seen or heard OF
the thieves. Swigje was amazed, and
could not conceive what had become 0.
Mullen and Hughes.
The lid of the sarcophagus is slab
OF marble about two feet broad and eight
long and two inches thick. 1t can be
handled easily by two men. The thieves
had laid it upon edge against the doors
OF the crypts, and bad taken the end
piece off. The ends and sides are set
in plaster of paris, and bound in place
by copper hooks across The corners.
10 lift these hooks and remove the lit
tie slab at the foot OF the casket was
easy. Nothing had been damaged OF
scratched. The slabs and the hooks
were found unhurt and close at hand
They had then taken hold of the casket
itself and drawn the end of it out of the
open end OF the sarcophagus about two
feet, SO that when the driver and Swigle
came up they would merely have to lift
! IL ont There was M disor3ar in tbo