Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-01-05
From Chicago,
The LATE ATTEMPT TO STEAL THE REMAINS OF
THE MARrYRED PREsIDENT-THE MOODY AND
sANKsY MrETINGs-THE SOCIAL EVIL.

| From Cnlcago.
| THE LATE ATTEMPT TO STEAL THE REMAINS OF
THE MARrYRED PREsIDENT-THE MOODY AND
sANKEY MEETINGs-THE SOCIAL EVIL.
CHICAGO, Dec. 20, 1876.
To the Editor Of tho Free Press and Times:
After long Rip Van Winkle sleep. your
ancient correspondent rubs his dreamy eyes
and wonders if the dear old FREE PRESS has
forgotten him. Spare, y. spare me the pain
of knowing that l am banished from its
memory. Hoping still, turn to speak of
few matters here of public interest.
About month ago. you know, an attempt
was made to carry of the remains of the
Martyr President from their resting place at
Springfield, H., and it came very near being
successful. The news of the outrage spread
like wildfre the day after its perpetration,
but the matter was 80 little enlarged upon by
the press of Chicago that many came to look
upon it as something Of hoax, not knowing
that the silence of the newspapers was to aid
in lulling the suspicious of the criminals,
that they might venture back to this city and
be arrested This plan has been sue
cessful. The two leading plotters We're
thus becuiled back to their den and were ar
rested by the celebrated detective, Elmer
| Washburn, and his assistants. For weeks be-
fore the ATTEMPT to rob Lincoln's tomb was
made If WAS well known in certain circles in
CHICAGO that n scheme had been matured to
| carry away tbe remains of the lamented
President and conceal them, with the expec-
tatiop of receiving public offers of large re-
wards eitb0r from the government. the
Monument Association or the surviving mem-
hers of tbe lincoln family. for their return.
Fx.chisf Elmer W.sbburn Mr.. Robert Lin
co,r ord fs,r detect;ves and citizens were
!, ,ba scept al, beinp sufficiently interested
| in tbvartiue the plot and capturing the vii
laius to preserve the necessary quiet The
! plot was Matched out in q vile whiskey den on
| West Madison street, in this city called. the
&c Hub" the keeper of which. one Jacob
Mullins, and fellow named Jack Hughes.
| a well-known counterfeiter, being most active
in the conspiracy. A sharp city detective
adroitly wormed his way into the confidence
of the villains and assisted them In carrying
out their plans in everything except IN ac-
tually securing the body On the night fixed
for the consummation OF their ROBBERY,
Washburn and .his posse concealed then-
selves in the shrubbery in Oak Ridge Gene
terry, intending to rush out and seize them
in the very act. The robbers came ut the
| 81, ta n
tomb, pried off the outer casket containing
the remains, and were about to seize the
body when the accidental discharge of pis-
| tol in the hands of the officers on watch gave
| ;..o, ,,,.;, ss.a,s
al aiAi III anu peini''eu 'nen
The ransom which the grave roooeiS ga
pected for the remains of the man most loved
| of all American na,r;ots was not only $780,
|
| ooo or s3oo'ouor DuI inc ieieA'' u ''.--
| leader in other crimes, Ben Boyd, IRON the
Joliet Penitentiary. where he is serving
| hills
| long term ior eouh'efieinns JULIA OA,'
| 1t is TO be regretted that for this heinous
| crime for tramnlinp upop the very hearts of
| ,~;,, ,,,,r;o,. ,ba criminals
iii'''t01' Vi
can be punished with d hne o. NJ mos'' only
| $500 each and Imprisonment for one year,
| .h;s h.;n,, ,h. ,oo mild nensltv under the
~, A.,
STATUTES vi iiiinoi' i0i b'"'' i'''e
attempt will be made TO indict the prisoners
| ~, sayaro, cbaross sncb al consniracy to
| -, o,,o,,,. 90 s,oo,
oreah open Tue 'oiiio' ioi M A''eiP ~ ''s"
the coffin, for damage to the sarcophagus and
| for body snatching. They are held in default
| ., hoil Gov e. Ocn or C. mn ~, zach cbarca
but thel t'iai VIII ho' uNe liace oeioio Gu
ruary.
Nassrv Moodv and s.ukav c,oss their
three months labors in tbs city This week.
| They have been enineptlr successful. The
| immense tabernacle ereded for their use
contains over EIGHT thousand chairs. having
| still larrar aisles .nd galsries This buildn0
bas hen NIGHTLY crowded and thousands
da;Iv ora nnahle n oct inside the doors rem
dino il nacasssry 10 hold large a overflow
meetincs" outside' several weeks have been
| Javoted o,most eycIpsiv.lv 10 tbe reforma.
| tion of drInlards and their converts to
temperance number many hundreds. Yet
| the nuestion as 10 how many will stick il of
cours. unsolveJ. Brother Moody las de-
| voted many davs 10 younp men. business
men. blind men. etc. etc. but either from
oversight or fear TO prapple 80 hopeless o sub
| iect. he said nothing about the poor fallen
| women of this great wicked city, except to
briefly warn Young men from their danger
ous wars In view of this neglect he re-
| ceiyed a touching letter from leader among
the de,ni.mopde. accusing him of indifrer-
ence TO their condition, partiality to the
sterner sex. and calling him n superficial
preacher. This letter Mr. Moody read to an
| immense audience and announced that he
would devote certain evenings to this class
of sinners, inviting all of the frail sister
hood to be present, and fixing certain eve
nipps when women only would be admitted
Thousands OF this class of unfortunates
thron9ed to hear him, and he hopes he has
shown some of them tho way Of salvation.
The city papers have entered into the sub
| iect larpely. and published many letters from
nrostit1tes' many of whom profess a desire
TO reform. but claim they can get no support
| from tba virtuous of their sex. One moor
woman writes touchinply of her condition
and that of her class, closing thus: e 1t is
very well for Mr.. Moody to tell us unfortu-
ro,a u,on,a, not 20 90 hack To our Gfe of
shame II ia refreshinp for him and his
hi, GRO 70 ,.ll no IN turn our backs unon our
had wavu and onr faces towards Zion. But
a. o'u:',;an ootnraIlv suggssts ;tSelf xbat
ar. we TO do? Every honorable avenue is
cIosaJ 20 NJ M Christian wife will associate
VII, rs " amJ tbs nnaioritv of them are afraid
to b,;n@ ns in contact with their husbands
NJ r,n,Ihar vii ,arn;t her dangbter. 10 rec
ooniya us All look unon MS AZ outcasts
H. tba Iorer Of old wa are eIpected 10 hide
on So, t., ,han ord crv .npclaan , nm
ciaa,, ~, a., annroacb How tben ars
eieah as 'hey hPPione,,' -, ~ - a.
backs supreme trust in nercitul God will
not keep us warm belief In the creed OF
this or that church will not prevent starva-
ton or freezing. great portion OF us are
comparatively penniless. all are ostracised T;
therefore were reformation possible, how
many Of us could bridge over the turning
IOint Of reformation and secure foundation
of perfectly moral life 2
Another woman writes that she came to
Chicago last August, worn out completely by