West-Jersey pioneer., 1876-11-16
VANDALISM In ILLINOIS

SPRINGFIELD, Ill, Nov. 7.-An attempt
was made this evening to steal the bones of
Abraham Lincoln. Unfortunately, the
perpetrators escaped, leaving however, the
evidences of their crime behind them.
Somehow or other, no one exactly knows
how, j. 9. Power the custodian of the
Lincoln monument, became impressed with
the idea that there were designs upon the
remains, and he communicated his suspi-
cions to Leonard SWEET and Robert Lin
coin. SWEET wrote to Col. Stewart, of this
city abont to weeks ago, requesting him to
station guard at the monument. Detec-
tive Tyrrell, Of the United States Secret
Service, having business here, was request
ed by SWEET and Lincoln to see Mr.. Power,
and to look around town, and watch for
suspicious characters. He arrived here
three or four days ago, and began vigor-
GUS shadowing Of several of the small ho,
tells. but he saw no one whom he recognized
This evenings train brought from Chica-
go ex-Chief Elmer Washburn, who had
been asked by SWEET and Lincoln to come
here and aid Tymell. About haf-past six
Washburn, Tyrrell, and three other men,
concealed themselves in Memorial Hall, in
side the monument. One man was posted
in the labyrinth in the rear (so called be-
cause OF the walls running in different di-
rections and making numerous passage
ways) where he could hear the noise made
III the vault if any were made. After pa
tiently waiting for nearly three hours he
heard a grating noise, which lasted perhaps
five minutes. Then came several successive
thuds, as If some one was hammering-
Washburn and his men slipped out of the
door, with cooked revolyers 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 accident
ally exploded his revolver The noise was
very loud, and when the officers got to the
door of the vault the villains were gone.
They must have had some one watching to
give them the signal of danger, or else come
outside for a breath of fresh air, heard the
swapping OF The cap and run into the woods
which surround the monument. The men
at once scattered, and while dodging be-
hind the trees, two of then exchanged Shots
each mlstaking the other for Que of the fu-
gitives. After shooting at each other, thew
cried 'Wash," ''Wash," and then found
out their mistake. The BULLETS whizzed
close to both, and it was miraculous that
they escaped injury.
No traces of the thieves being discovered,
the party returned to the catacomb. The
body, as is known is enclosed in a lead
casket. This is surrounded by cedar
case, and the receptacle of these is a marble
sarcophagus. The latter had double lid.
the upper one not being as large as the
other. Both had been pred off with
chisel or an axe, and somewhat chipped in
the operation. The under lid was laid
crosswise on the casket, the headpiece on
the floor, and the upperlid standing against
the wall. The casket itself was pulled out
about a foot from the body of the sarcopha
gus, and small piece had been taken off
on the floor, where an axe with the edge
full of marble DUST an ordinary chisel. and
pair of nippers were found. The other
tools had evidently been taken away, since
the lock on the iron-grated door had been
sawed off.
The sarcophagus was in the catacomb
and not in the crypt, being thus placed in
order that visitors might see it, The dam
age done is comparatively slight.
Only one motive can be attributed to
these despoilers Of the grave, and that is
the hope of a reward for the restoration of
the remains. If they had succeeded in car
rying them off, it certainly cond not have
been their intention to take away the cas-.
ket, for it must weigh from 500 to 600
pounds, and half dozen men could not
have carried it. 1t is more than likely that
they intended to cut open the casket, gather
up the bones and dust of the MARTYR Presi-
dent, and put them in bag. What would
have been the indignation of the country
had this been donei