Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-11-16


"Henry N. Sollace, one Of the Republican
Presidential electors elect, is postmaster Of
Bradford and therefore ineligible to the place
to which he las been elected. This fact rails
es the question whether his Democratic op-
ponent cannot contest his election and cast q
vote for Tilden, thus deciding the national
contest"
HORRIBLE.
Dastardiy Attempts to Despoil the Lincalu
Monument.
Springfield, Ill.,. dispatch to Chicago Tribune.
An attempt was made this evening
Nov. 7th) to perpetrate one of the
most Infamous Outrages which the
mind Of man can conceive of-that of
stealing the bones and ashes of Abra.
ham Lincoln. Unfortunately the per.
petrators escaped, leaving, however,
the evidences of their c. xime behind
them, and though the clews are next
to nothing, if human ingenuity can
track them it will be done. Somehow
or other, no one exactly knows how,
J. c. Power, the custodian of the Lin.
coin monument, became impressed
with the idea that there were designs
upon the remains, and he c0mmunicat-
ed his suspicious to Leonard SWEET and
Robert Lincoln. Detectives Washburnc
and Ty1rell, of the United States secret
service, Immediately came to this city,
and at about six o'clock, with three
other men, went out to Oakwood and
concealed themselves in Memorial hall
inside the monument to await develop
mentS.
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,
the walls supporting the terrace. His
object was to he the noise made in
the vault if any We're made. After
patiently waiting for near three hours,
and when about tired out from stand
ing still, the utmost silence being inn
perative, he heard grating noise
which lasted about five minutes.
Then, in little while, came several
successive thuds, as if some one was
hammering. The time having arrived
for action, Washburn and his men slip.
ped out of the door, with cooked re-
volvers 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 &C.
cidently exploded his revolver. The
noise was very loud, so still were the
surroundings, and unfortunately it was
too loud, for, though there were but
about 12O feet to 60 over, when the
officers got to the door of the vault the
dastardly villains were gone.
They must have had some one watch
ing to give them the signal of danger
or else had come outside for a breath
of fresh air and heard the swapping of
the cap and ran into the woods which
surrounded the monument. 1t is but
a short distance, and a man could get
within shelter and be undesirable in
a quarter of a minute. The men at
once scattered, and went in the direc.
tion the thieves had gone, and, while
dodging behind the trees, two of them
exchanged shots, each mistaking the
other for one of the fugitives. After
shooting at each other, they cried
"Wash,' s'Wash,' indicative of a
friend in such an emergency, and then
they found out their mistake. The
bullets whiZzed close to both and it
was miraculous that they escaped in.
jury.
No traces of the thieves being dis.
covered, the party returned to the cat
acomb, and there beheld a sight which
made them sad. The body, as is
known, perhaps, is enclosed in q lead
casket. This is surrounded by cedar
case, and the receptacle of these is a
marble sarcophagus. The latter had
a double lid, the upper one not being
as large as the other. Both had been
pried off with 4 chisel or an Ak, and
somewhat Clipped in the operation.
The under lid was laid crOsswise on
the casket, and head piece on the floor,
and the upper lid standing against the
wall.
The casket itself was pulled out
about foot from the body of the
sarcophagus, and a small piece had
been taken off on the floor, where ar
ak with the edge full Of marble-dust
an ordinary chisel, and pair of nip
pers. The other tools had evidently
been taken away since the lock on thu
iron. grated door had been sawed off
Only one motive can be attributed
to these despoilers of the grave, ant
that is the hope Of a reward for thu
restoration of the remains. If they
had succeeded in carrying them off, i
certainly could not have been thei1
intention to take away the casket
for it must weigh from 500 to 6O'
pounds, and half a dozen men coult
not have carried it to the feace fO
transfer to a wagon in the road. 1
is more than likely that they intended
to cut open the casket and gather VI
the bones and dust of the martyr
President and put them in bag
What would have been the indignation
of the country had this been done!