New-York tribune., 1878-11-08

time ago threatening the removal of the
body if money were not sent the writer
watchman was employed to guard tho
yoult but was dismissed only day or two
AGO. The body is in an extreme state of de-
composition.
THE DISCOVERY In THE CHURCHYARD.
uow THE THEFT WAS ACCOMPLISHED VERY LITTLE
LEFT BEHIND BY TUE ROBBERS BY WHICH THEY
CAN BE TRACEp-ACTION OF THE POLICE-
sr.rrNESTs OF JUDGE HILTON. COMMISSIONER
NICHOLS AND OTHERS
Pranc,s Parker, the assistant-sextOn of st. Marks
Church, unlocked the gate OF the churchyaId aI .
oclock Yesterday morning to begin his days labor
Az he entered, something unusual in the appear
snca of the place arrested his attention. Beyond
some trees which stood in-the churchyard he saw
baan Of newly-upturned earth. Ho ran TO the spot,
and made discovery which filled him win terfl-
ble fear The layer of earth above one OF the vaults
had been removed, and stone which had covered
the entrance had been thrown on one slde FROM
the open vault came an odor OF putre1action. IL
needed only q hasty glance to tell him that the
vanlt was that in which had been placed the body
of Alexander I. Stewart
Parker rushed out of the churchyard and ran to
the office of George W. Hamill, the sexton OF the
church. Almost breathless with excitement, he
told Mr. HamiL his fesrs. They returned to the
ehurchyard together, and Mr.. Hanill went into the
yault There he made the discovery that Mr.. Stew
arts body had been stolen. The top of the strong
cedar box containing the coffin had been
pried off. and the lid of an hermeticaLy
sealed leaden case had been cut away
The cofin-lid had been unscrewed from its
position and removed to side of the vault. The
body of Mr. Stewart with the clothing had been
taken away. The thieves had also carried of the
solid silver plate of the coffin. on which the name,
age and date of death had been engraved. They
had left behind them dark-lantern, a small iron
shovel and piece of rope tied about one of the
stones which had covered the entrance to the vault
Both the shovel and the lantern were new and bore
DO marks by which they could be traced to their
owners The interior of the vault was filled with
an intolerable odOr from the coffin, indicating
that the body was much decomposed when
lt was removed. The OdOr could be perceived
plainly while standing near the entrance OF the
vault.
When the report was spread throughout the city
that the body of Mr.. Stewart had been taken from
its resting place, it received with ncreduhty.
That the tomb of millionaire, a central part of
the city, had been red, seemed too astonishing to
be believed 1t was not long before the report was
known TO be true, and the accounts of the robbery
produced profound sensation III all parts of the
city. Judge Hilton drove TO Police Headquarters
about 10 o'clock. He had been informed OF the rob
berry about an hour before by Mr. Hamill,
and he had also visited the churchyard and looked
at the pluudered vault. He gave to the police au-
thorties their first information of the robbery.
Police Commissioner Nichols, Inspector Murray and
Inspector Dilks who was acting III place OF Superln-
tendent Walling consulted with Mr.. Hilton, and it
was decided to send out an alarm to every precinct
IN the city. Inspector Dilks wrote the following
crdar and had IL ont over the DOlice wires:
TO all Preeiaets;
from the family vaut in St. Marks churchyard. The
casket was found broken and. the body removed Toe
decomposition OF the remains is so offensive that they
cannot concealed This apparent from standing at
the opening Of The vault this morning, consequently it
ShoHS rPouSd Po Wb6GT deovey Cause se2t seafc
10 be made in your precinct ss the remains were ey
denty stolen in the hope OF reward - -
(sIgned) INSPECTOR DILKs.
Captain Kealy, Of the detective force, called to-
gether all the detectives on duty at the Central
Office and sent them ont in search of clews.
Commissioner Nichols and Inspector Murray got
into Judge Hiltons carriage and drove with him TO
the churchyaTd at Tenth-st. and second-ave. Many
persons who had been informed of the robbery had
eathered about the churchyard, but prevented
from entering 10y the high iron fence which nclosed
It, They stood in groups the sidewalks and gazed
at the few policemen and citizens who exam
ming the vault
The detectives who examined the churchyard and
the vault found very little which they believed
would be of value IN their search for the robbers.
The ground was covered with thick, closely cropped
grass which had any tell-tale impressions
Of mems feet and there no footprints OH the
earth which the thieves had thrown aside from the
vault entrance At a distance from the vault lay
plank used by the attendants at the church in low
eying coffins into the vaults. 1t had been taken
from its position and used by the thieves,
probably to pry up the stone which had
barred their entrance INTO the vault Under
tins plank was found piece OF a newspaper, crum-
pied aud soed though it had been used by one of
she thieves in wiping off some sand from his hands.
The paper was perfectly dry. As it had rained
during the greater part of the night this was be-
heved TO be an indication that the robbery COM
nritted at an early hour yesterday morning, after
the rain had ceased.
HOW THE ROBBERS OBTAINED ENTRANCE.
Mr. Parker, the assistant sexton. said that when
he came to the church in the morning he found the
gates of the churchyarl locked, and that he had
seen that they were all locked on the previous
evening His statement led TO the belief
that the robbers had lifted the body OF
Mr. Stewart over the iron fence ut one
Of the sides of the churehyard. The
fence was examined closely, but nothing could be
found 10 indicate the place where the body was re-
moved TO the sidewalk. On the north side of the
yard there is a narrow iron gate opening on
EIeventh-st An examination of the paddock which
fstens this gate resulted IN the discovery of some
sand winch seemed 10 have been left on
the lock by the hands of some person who had been
tamperng with it. 1t was discovered also that the
paddock was not fastened In its usual position.
This aroused suspicion that the robbers possessed
Key to the lock- and had used the gate in entering