Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-11-15
GHoULS.
Dastardly Attempt to Despoil the
Lincoln Monument.
Thieves Trying to Steal the Bones
of the Martyr President.
The Robbers Interrupted by Acci-
dent, and ContTive to Escape.
Special Dispatch to the Tribune.

SpeclaI DlSpatcn 10 tne ITlDuue.
SpRINGFIELD, Nov. 7.-An attemp
was made this evening to perpetrat,
one of the most infamous outragcs
which the mind of man can concciv,
of-that of stealing the bones ant
ashes of Abraham Lincoln. Unfor
tunatcly the perpctrator escaped
leaving, however, the evidences o
their crime behind them, and though
the clues arc next to nothing, if hu
man ingenuity can track them it will
be done. Somehow or other,no on,
exactly knows how,J J. {. Power, th'
custodian of the Lincoln Monument
became impressed with the idea tha
there were designs upon the remains
and he communicated his suspicion.
to Leonard SWEET and Robert Lin.
coin. They could hardly believe tina
any one, even the meancst and lowest
scoundrel in the land, could conceive
such thing. However, to prevent
tho horse from getting out Of the sta.
Bile, they concluded to lock the door
to adopt precautions even should
there be nothing in the feeling. Ac.
cordingly, SWEET wrote Col. Stewart,
of this city, about two weeks ago, re.
qucsting him to station a guard at the
monument. This was done, but nc
one came to disturb the corpse. De-
tcctive Tyrrcll, of the United States
Secret Service, whose hcadquarter:
are in Chicago, having business here
was requested by SWEET and Lincoln
to see Mr.. Power, and to look around
town and watch for suspicious char.
actors. lie arrived here three or four
days ago, and at once commenced a
vigorous shadowing of several of the
small hotels, but he saw no one whom
he recognized. 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
around, and he felt assured that they
were there for no good purpose. One
registered as from Racine, and the
other from Kcnosha, Wis. Their
names are suppressed, since they have
had nothing to do with what occurred
later. An effort will of course be
made to find out who they are, and
should they prove to be innocent, in.
justice would be done them by telling
now who they are. Mr.. Power. not
being used to the detective work.
could give but meager descriptions OF
them. The result Of the interview
with Tyrrell is unknown, but he must
have concluded that election night
was an excellent night in which to
rob the tomb.
The evening train brought from
Chicago ex-Chief of the Secret Ser.
vice Elmer Washburn, who, it seems
had been requested by Sweet and
Lincoln to come here and aid Tyr.
rell. About half-past 6 clock Wash
burn, Tyrrell, and three other men,
went out to Oakwood 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 different directions
and making numerous passage-ways,
these walls supporting the terrace
His object was to hear the noises
made in the vault, if any were made
After patiently waiting for nearly
three hours,and when about tired out
from standing still, the utmost silence
being imperative, he heard a grating
noise, which lasted perhaps five min.
utcs. Then, in little while, came
several successive thuds, rs if some
one was hammering. The time hav.
ing arrived for action, Washburn and
his men slipped out of the door with
cooked reyolvers in their hands, de
termined to shoot to kill if any resist.
ance was made. just as they wert
turning the corner to the left one o.
the men accidentally exploded his re
yolyer. The noise was very loud, Sc
still were the surroundings, and un
fortunately it was too loud, for, though
there were about l2O feet to go over
when the officers got to the door ol
the vault the dastardly villains were
gone. They must have had some ont
watching to give them the signal O.
danger, or else had come outside for .
breath of fresh air and heard tn,
swapping of the cap and ran into tn,
woods which surrounded the monu
Iucut. ~ Is bul " siloIJ ulSluucc, ull
a man could get within shelte1
and be undesirable in quarter of
minute. The men at once scattered
and went in the direction the thieves
had gone, and, while dodging behinf
the trees, two ofthem exchan ged shots
each mistaking the other for one O.
the fugitiyes. After shooting at eacl
other,they cried "Wash, "Wash, in
dicative ofa friend in such an emer
gency, and then they found out thci
mistake. The bullets whizzed clos,
to both, and it was miraculous tha
they escaped unhurt.
No traces of the thieves being dis
covered, the party returned to tn,
catacomb, and there beheld sigh
which made them sad. The body, a.
is known perhaps, is inclosed in
lead casket. This is surrounded by
cedar case, and the receptacle of thes
is sarcophagus. The latter had
double lid, the upper one not bein!
as large as the other. Both had beef
pried off with n chisel or an AK, ant
somewhat Clipped in the operation
The under lid was laid crosswise OF
the casket, the head-piece on the foo
and the upper lid standing agains
the wall. The casket itself was pull
ed out about foot from the body o
the sarcophagus, and a small piec