Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-11-15
Our View York Letter.

Dun POLITICAL TIDAL wAyE-TAMMANY UT
TERLY DEFEATED.
New YoRK, Nov. It'll, 1873.
OF all foul deeds, the foulest one upon
which the heavens have looked for many
day was that discovered by the sexton of St
Marks Church. last Thursday morning Up
on opening the church gate, it became evi
dent that the place had been invaded during
the night. A dark lantern and shovel lay
beside heap of freshly uptuned earth, d.
rectly over the vault in which the body of the
late A. T. Stewart was deposited, and hasty
examination of the premises revealed the as.
founding fact that the body of the late million
nire had been removed.
The startling intelligence was at once sent
to police headquarters, and Commissioner
Nichols, in company with ex-Judge Hilton,
(the present head of the house of A. T. Stew
art d Co., } proceeded TO the spot, where il
was found that one Of the three stones which
covered the opening Of tie desecrated vault
was out of place. A small aperture about
twenty-five inches square was thus made, aud
through it the thieves must have crept to eff
feet their nefarious work The vault occupies
a commanding position, being in the centre
of the churchyard which fronts on Second
avenue. Three large trees toss their huge
branches over the tomb, and their dark shad-
ows afforded protection to the six men who
must have been concerned in the robbery.
The vault is constructed of brick, and is arch
ed at the top. The floor is twelve feet below
the surface of the ground, and granite stone
staircase leads to the bottom of the vault,
which is a room eight by ten feet. When
Mr.. Stewards body was placed there on the
18th of April, 1876, it had three receptacles ::
first, coffin of oak, covered with velvet cloth,
then leaden case Theoretically sealed, and
lastly heavy cedar box.
The thieves, after unscrewing the lid of the
outer box, cut open tho leaden case which en-
closed the casket, with knife, showing that
the work was not done by professionals, who
would have brought the ever present Jimmy"
into play. The leaden case once cut through,
the removal of the body was only the work of
a moment At first thought it seems almost
incredible that such an act could be success
fully and secretly accomplished in so public
and exposed place as St. Marks Church
yard but the explanatory circumstance is
that the beat covered by the policeman on
Second avenue extends half mile above and
below the scene of the robbery, giving ample
time for the thieves TO lift the body of Mr.
Stewart from the vault, place it in some re-
ceptacle, carry il across the church yard, and
lift it over the high iron fence into wagon.
In looking about for motive for this out
rage that which stands out in greatest prom
inence is-reward for the recovery of the
body. Judge Hilton declares that no reward
whatever will be offered, and how the wretch
ed matter will end is past finding out until
some new light is thrown on the subject
There has been prevailing idea that great
quantity of gold and valuables was buried
with the body, and since the discovery Of the
loss it has come out that about month ago
the sexton discovered that the marble slab at
the head of the vault had been tempered with,
and to deceive any person intending to rob
the grave, this slab was moved about twenty
five feet from the true entrance.
This shocking occurrence has excited uni
versal and deep indignation not only against
the criminals but against the police authori-
ties The latter cannot ignore the popular
feeling, and this circumstance. together with
the grief of the outraged family, has melted
them to great activity. Every available de-
tective is employed on the case and the scene
at police headquarters is one of much excite
ment. The nature of the object stolen rem
ders its successful concealment next to i'm
possible, and the arrest of these ghouls in hui
form, 10 alVnpcf hon Vi "a . Mill
go hard with them if caught for the necess-
ity of making an example of them is only too
evident, As Mr.. William Libby (Mr Stewards
partner exclaimed on learning of the robbery:
1T is atrocious, diabolical. A city in which
even the dead arc not permitted to rest is a
good city to get away from. There does not
seem to be any protection. 1t was the inten-
ton of the family to remove Mr.. Stewards
remains TO final resting plAce in the magnif-
cent mausoleum now building at Garden City,
Long Island, and should they be recovered,
this disposition will probably be made of
them.
With the usual noisy demonstrations about
the polling places, and the flashing of calcium
lights around the offices in Newspaper
Square" political parties have met, fought
and disbanded, with no one killed, if except
one poor fellow who hung himself in the eel
lar of his house upon hearing of Tammany's
defeat. He had been promised position in
case of its success, and he couldn't stand up
under his disappointment.
Yes, Tammany Hall, which ever since
Tweed's time has stood, among the thorough
ly honest men of all parties, as synonym
for political trickery and corruption, has at
last been overthrown, vanquished, busted"
As Sachem Kelly announced to a sorrowing
crowd of reporters on election night, he was
routed all along the line" During this con-
test, party lines were for time forgotten in
the general determination to get out from UNI
der the heel of Tammany. Tammany, in
turn, nerved to desperate endeayors by this
unwonted opposition conferred its energies on
the one task of electng its mayor, Augustus
Schel, careless of what should become of the
rest of its ticket. But it was of no avail
New York had made up its mind. Edward
Cooper received nearly twenty thousand ma
jority, and John Kelly has gone to meet Ben
Butler. This result is very gratifying, if for
no other reason than that it shows that this
city is neither DISTINGUISHED nor sunk in
apathy. But, on the other hand it viii not
do to crow too loudly before We are out of the
woods. Tammany is both subtle and power
full, and there have been such things known
as its getting hold of opposition candidates
after the election of the latter, and quietly |
leading them into the wigwam. We must
wait and see whether it will succeed in cap
turing Mr.. Cooper. RADIx.
Another year is coming, sure, for here is
Robert b. Thomas's "(old) Farmers Alma
mack, for 1879, fresh and bright from the |
press of William Ware 4 Co., Boston, with
the publishers announcement written over liz |