The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-11
VANDALISM IN ILLINOIS.
THE ATTEMPT no STEAL THE BONES
OF 1BR ~ ~ LINCOLN.
The Wretchc- interrupted Mt Their Work
How the strange Booty was to have been
Carried On-rhc Motive OF the Crime.

fpon the Chic1go tribune.
SPRINGFiELD. Ill.,, Nov. An attempt
was made this evening to steal the bones oI
Abraham Lincoln. Unfortunately; the Verpe-
TRAITORS ESCAPED. IT, wing. however. the evidences
OF their crime hehind th.m. oI''t""NW ~, p'1 ,nc
no one exactly knows how >. =. rover, tne
custodian Of the LttcNln monument, ncc"ho
Impressed with the iaca tn"t tnepe weIc tod
his suspicious to Leonard SWEET ana honert
Eincoln. SWEET wrote Col. stewart OF this Guy
about two weeks ago, requesting him to station
n guard at the monument Detective lyrteIl,
Of the United States secret Service, having
i, nooln to see Mr. Power. and to look around
Town, and watch for suspicious oh racters. lie
arrived here three or four DAYS agJ, and began
n vigorous sbadowing OF several OF the small
hotels. but he Jaw no one whom he recognized.
This evenings train BROUGHT from Chicago ex-
Chief Elmer wsshhurn who had been asked by
Rwett and Lincoln to come here and aid Tyrrell.
About half-psst washhnrn, Tyrrell, and three
Hall, inside the monument. One man wss post
ed In the labyrinth In the rear $50 called because
of the walls running In different directions and
making numerous passage ways), where he could
hear the noise made in the vault II any we're
made. After patiently waiting for nearly three
hours he heard grazing noise. which lasted
perhaps i've minutes. Then came several sue
Csssivs thuas as u some one WAS n nan ~
door. with cooked revolvers In their hands, de-
termined to shoot to Kill II any resistance was
made. Just as they were turning the corner TO
she left. one OF the men accidentally exploded
bis revolver The noise was very loud, and
when the officers got to the door OF the vault
she villains were gone. They must have had
some one watching to give them the signal OF
danger, or else come outside for breath Of
fresh air, heard the swapping OF the cap aud run
into the woods which surround the monument.
The men at once scattered, and while lodging
behind the trees, two Of them exchanged shota,
each installing the other for one Of he fugi-
tives. After shooting at each other. theN cried
a. ash" wash and then found out their
mistake. The bullets whizzcd close to both,
and IL was miraculous that they escaped injury.
No traces OF the thieves being discovered. the
party returned to the cataCDmb. The body. Us
j. known. IL enclosed Ia "A lead sket. This -
surrounded BY a ced case, aud the receptacle
of these Is "A ~ .rble = rcni hdgus. Inc "a ter
had doutle Hd, the upper one not being as
large as the other. Both had cen pred OF
with a chsel or an axe, and somewhat clipped
In the operation. The under nd was id cross
wise on the casket, the headpieCe on the floor,
and the upper lid standing against the wall.
The casket itself was pulled out about a foot
from the body Of the sarcophagus. and n small
piece had been taken OF on the floor, where an
exe with tho edge full OF marble dust an or
binary chisel, aud a pair Of nippefs were found.
The other tools had evidently been taken away,
since the lock on the iron-grated door lad been
sawed on.
IN the crypt, being thus placed IN order that
visitors might see IL. The damage done Is com.
paratively slight.
only one motive can be attributed 70 these
tespoilerSof the grave. ana that = the hope OF
areward Tor the restoration OF the remains. II
they had succeeded In carrying them OF, IL GER
faiuly could not have Deen their intentiOn &C
take away the casket, for It must weigh from
UVO to GOO pounds and half a dozen men could
not have carried u. IL Is more than likely TINT
they Intended to cut open the casApt, gather W
the bones and dust Of the MARTYR President
the indignation OF the country mad this beer
done