Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-11-08
SINGULAR AFFAIR.
A. T. stewards Body Stolen from Its
Casket.
PARTICULARS OF THE ROBBERY.

NEW YORK. November 7. Judge Hilton rush.
ed into the police headquarters this morning,
greatly excited, and held a consu ltation with ia
spector Diks, who is acting for Chief Walling.
He stated that the body of Mr.. A. T. Stewart
was missing, and the vault WAS broken open. The
casket was in the vault, but the body was gone.
Inspector Diks at once sent out a general order
announcing the theft, and stating that the decom-
position Of the remains is offensive that they
cannot be concealed. This is apparent from
stancing at the opening Of the vault this morn
ing.
An attempt was made in October to steal Mr.,
Stewards remains, aud guard was placed over
them until a few nights since.
When the assistant sexton came to the church
yard this morning he saw that the vault had been
opened. "A dark lantern and shawl lay beside Q
heap Of earth. The thieves had not been de-
ceived by the false position of the slab, but had
began their work directly over the opening of the
vault. He went to Hammill's office and reported
the affair Hammill at once proceeded to the
church yard and entered the vault aud discovered
that Stewarts body had been stolen. The thieves
had pried open the strong outer box. and laid the
top on the side. They then cut open the leaden
box with knife, wrenched off the silver plate of
the inner casket, and took of the top The body
was then removed with all its clothing, and the
silver casket. Only one of the stone slabs cover
ing the opening Of the vault was removed, and
the aperture thus made was only large enough to
admit one man. The boldness Of the robbery is .
the vault this morning.
The thieves must have known that the watch
men employed BY Mr.. Hilton had been discharged,
and this surmise furnishes q clue by which the
thieves may be discovered. The church yard 10
surrounded BY an iron railing about feet high,
surmounted by sharp spikes, and the gates Of the
railing were locked and undisturbed.
The thieves must have placed the body in bag
or other receptacle, and lifted it over high rail-
Tag into wagon. This must have required the
strength of at least six men.
The body was in an advanced state of decom-
posiuon and gave out 3 strong odor, and the
vault emitted a noticeable stencil this morning.
Judge Hilton says that the thieves evidently ex-
pect reward for the return of the body, which
was probably their only incentive. He said that
II has been thought that there considerable
gold and silver valuables buried with the body,
wich is q mistake, as the only valuable was q
massive silver plate, which was gone with the
body.
He does not think that professional thieves had
anything to do with the theft, as the leaden box
had been cut instead of forced open. He is un-
willing to implicatc the sections, but strongly
limited at It by remarking that they were the only
two persons besides himself who could accurately
locate the opening Of the vault and dig directly
over it.
The body was thoroughly embalmed in order
tnat II might be IN good condition to be placed in
the crypt Of the Stewart cathedral in Garden City,
l.. /.
No reward will be offered for it. return, but it
10 believed that the thieves will be captured soon.
The sexton is Of the opinion that the body retain
ed much Of its old form though decomposed, for
the stencil in the vault this morning was horri-
ole ~ to overcome persons not accustomed to
graveyard odor. The police express the opinion
that the robbers must have had experience in dis
secting rooms or they would not have been able
TO endure so horrible an atmosphere.