The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-11-23
MIR. LINCoLN,s TOMB.
The Dastardiy Attempt TO DespeH It--Tbe
Robbers Interrupted by Accident.

| The Dastardiy Attempt TO Despeu It--Tbe
| Robbers Interrupted by Accident.
A letter from Springfield, ILL.,, gives
the following details of the attempt to
steal the remains of ex-President Lin
coin An attempt was made to perpe-
trate one of the most infamous outrages
which the mind of man can conceive of
that of stealing the bones and ashes
of Abraham Lincoln. Unfortunately
the perpetrators escaped, leaving, how
ever, the evidence of their crime be-
hind them. Somehow or other-no one
knows exactly how. @. Power, the
custodian OF the Lincoln monument, be-
came impressed with tho idea that there
were designs upon the remains, and he
communicated his suspicious to Leonard
SWEET and Robert Lincoln. They could
hardly believe that any one could con-
ceive such thing. However, they con-
cluded to adopt precautions, even should
there be nothing III the feeling. Ac-
cordingly, Mr.. SWEET wrote Col. Stewart
requesting him to station guard at the
monument. This was done, but no one
came to disturb the corpse. Detective
Tyrrell, OF the United States secret SER
vice, was requested by SWEET and Lin
coin to see MIR. Power, and to look
around town for suspicious characters.
He arrived and commenced vigorous
shadowipg Of several of the small hotels,
but saw 10 one whom he recognized.
MIR. Power came into town in hurry
and hunted up Tyrrell and informed him
that two very hard looking cases had
around, and he felt assured that they
were there for no good purpose. One
registered as from Racine, the other
from Kenosha, 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. Mr.. Power, not
being used to 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 one in
which to rob the tomb. 81
An evening train brought from Chica-
go ex-Chief of the Secret Service Elmer
Washburn, who, it seems, had been re-
quested by Messrs. SWEET and Lincoln
to come here and aid Tyrrell. About
hNlf-past six Washburn, Tyrrell, and
three other men went out to Oakwood
and concealed themselves in Memorial
Hall, inside the monument, to await de-
velopments. One man was posted in the
labyrinth in the rear, SO called because
OF the walls running in different direc-
tions 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 pa
tiently waiting for nearly three hours,
and when about tired out from standing
still, the utmost silence being impera-
| tive, he hoard "a grating noieo, which
lasted perhaps five minutes. Then, in
a little while, came several successive
thuds, as if some one was hammeripg.
The time having arrived for action,
Wsshburn 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 accidentally exploded his revolver.
The noise was very loud, so still were
the surroundings, and though there were
but about 120 feet to go over, when the
officers got to the door of the vault the
men wero gone. They must have had
some one watching to give them the
signal of danger or else had come out
side for breath OF fresh air and heard
the swapping of the cap and ran into
the ', oods which surrounded the monu-
ment. 1t is but short distance, and a
man could get within shelter and be un-
observable in q quarter of minute.
The men at once scattered, and went in
the direction the thieves had gone, and,
while lodging behind the trees, two of
then, exchanged shots, each mistaking
the other for one of the fugitives. After
shooting at each other they cried :
"Wash," "Wash, indicative of friend
in such an emergency, and then they
found out their mistake. The bullets
whizzed close to both, and it was mi
raculous that they escaped injury.
No trace of the thieves being dis
covered, the party returned to the cata-
comb. The body is inclosed in lead
casket. This is surrounded by cedar
case, and the receptacle of these is q
marble sarcophagus. The latter had a
double lid, the upper one not being as
large as the other. Both had been pried
off with chisel or an ak, and somewhat
Clipped in the operation. The under
lid was laid crosswise on the cas-
ket, the headpiece on the floor, and the
upper lid standing against the wall.
The casket itself was pnlled out about a
foot from the body OF the sarcophagus,
Ond small piece had been taken of on
the floor, where an ak with the edge full
of marble dust, an ordinary chisel, and
a rair of nippers were. The other tools
had evidently been taken away since the
lock on the iron grated door had been
sawed off. 1t should be stated that the
sarcophagus was in the catacomb and
not in the crypt, being thus placed in
order that visitors might see it. The
damage done is comparatively little.
Only one motive can be attributed to
these despoilers of the grave, and that
is the hope of reward for the restora-
tion of the remains. II they had sue
ceeded in carrying them off, it certainly
could not have been their intention to
take away the casket, for it must weigh
from five hundred to six hundred
pounds, nd half dozen men could not
have carried it to the fence for transfer
to wagon in the road. 1t is more than
likely that they intended to cut open
the casket, and gather up the bones and
dust and carry them away.
A Fatal Love.