The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-11-16
The Attempt 10 Steal the Re-
mains of Abraham Lincoln.

AN attempt was made at Spring
field, H., on the night Of the 18th, to
-4~.-r IL - He---IA----
from the monument near that city.
The following particulars of the at
tempted robbery are given in a
special from Springfield to the Chicago
I'riJhne:
Somehow or other, no one exactly
knows how, J. G. Power, tho custo-
dian of the Lincoln monument, be-
came impressed with the idea that
there We're designs upon the remains,
and he communicated his suspicious
to Leonard SWEET and Robert Lincoln.
Col. SWEET wrote Col. Stewart, of this
city. about two weeks ago, requesting
him to station a guard at the monu-
memt. This was done, but no one
came to disturb the corpse. Detective
TYrrell, Of the United States Secret
Service, whose headquarters are in
Chicago. having business here, was re-
qreSted by SWEET and Lincoln to see
Mr., Power, and to look around town.,
and watch for suspicious characters.
lie arrived here three or four days ago,
and at once commenced a vigorous
shadoWing of several Of the small no.
tells. but he saw no one whom he rec
ogniZed. This afternoon Mr.. Power
came into town in hurry and hunted
up Tyrrell and informed him that two
very hard-looking cases had been out to
the cemetery looking aromd, and
he felt assured that they were
there for no good purpose.
One registered as from Racine
and the other from Ken0sha, Wis.
Their names are suppressed, since they
have had nothing to do with what oc-
CURED later. An effort will, of course,
be made to find out who they are;
should they prove to be innocent in
justice would be done them by telling
their names now. Mr.. Power, not be-
ing used to detective work, could give
but meager descriptions of them.
The result of the interview with Tyr
rell is unknown, but he must have
concluded that election night was an
excellent one in which to rob the
tomb.
This evenings train brought from
Chicago ex-Chief of the Secret Service
Elmer Washburne, who, it seems, had
been requested by SWEET and Lincoln
to come here and aid Tyrrell. About
half-past six Washburn, Tyrrell and
three other men went out to lakewood
and concealed themselves in Memorial
Hall, inside the monument, to await
developments. One man was posted
in the labyrinth in the rear, so called
because of the walls running in differ
ent directions and making numerous
passage-Ways, these walls supporting |
the terrace. His object was to |
hear the noise made in the vault, if |
any were made. After patiently wait
ing for nearly three hours, and |
when about tired out from stand
ing SlIllt IIIC lLnIhOU DIINIlLC bCllIS
he heard a grating noise
which lasted perhaps five minutes.
Then, in little while, came several
thuds, as if some one was
The time having arrived
for action, Washburn and his men
slipped out of the door, with cooked
revolvers in their hands, determined
TO shoot to kill if any resistance was
made just as they were turning the
corner to the left one Of the men acci-
exploded his revolver. The
noise was very loud, SO still were the
and, unfortunately, it
vas too loud, for, though there were
tut 120 feet to go over, when the Off
ers got TO the door of the vault the
astardly villains were gone. They :
must have had some one watching to
i've them the signal of danger, or else