The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-08
ATSTEWARTS BODY STOLEN
.,rcurD EBOM 4 TOMB RIGHr IN
TuE HEIRr or THE CITY.

.osthe sIabs over tho Vault In ~. Mnrk's
cemetery Pr,ed Up md the Lead CHsSet
u,,Leu Open Grave Robberswho worked
a., ,n. Light of Four street Lnmpa-Tho
Mou,e Vae Npiaiaed aud no Clue obtained'
r,v. uitla mounds Of red-colorcd earth
.,,,nJ small holo in the ground. and fow
,oc, of downtrodlcn grass. were oil that
-o.rtcd tho last rcStlng-paco OF the lato Alex
.ndcr r. Stewart yesterday morning. In the
aoaI ~ tho night robbers had dug into tho
.orth nl,oye the vault removed one oil the stones
,ho, covered it. and stolen tho body OF the dead
uiIionnirc. The discovery was not made until
noorlv \ O'Clock yesterday morning. although
,hou.,nds Of PERSONS must have passed the
oman churchyartl between daylight aud the hour
OF the discovery.
g, Marks Is one of tho most ancient existing
,.nJ,,arks Of old upper New York. and its
graveyard contains the remains OF many men
wbo bad national as we'll as local fame. The
s,u,ycsants. winthrops. Dccklyns. Cockroits.
Fwrns. Tookers Van Burens. and other hon
orod names are commcmora,ed 10y plain tablets
sct dush with the ground. the only signs
oi ornamentation being an enclosed
monument of severely simple style on the west
n, ,bc church. and q sculpturcd lamb on n tomb
IN the eastern section. This severe simplicity
"a adj ercd to also In the inscriptions. which are
slmo.t Invariably confined TO the names OF the
,am.lios whose dead are in the vaults beneath.
eix large willows. imported many years ago
from France. Gus, their shadows over tho tombs
and impart an mir Of sOmbrcncss To the church
ward that would he missed were they not there.
ior they are almost the only mortunry signs
that can be seen from the street. Passcrs 10y
ean sec into every corner OF the churchyard
through tho heavy spiked iron fence that sur
rounds It. not only from Second avenue. but
from Stuyyesant street and Eleventh street rs
we'll Street lamps are located at the Second
avenue corners. and there are two In front and
two In tho rcnr Of the church. OF which last
two lear full upon the eastern section. In which
the robbery was committed. Thus there are
four lamps that throw their rays directly
Into the yard. while on the east aide
OF SECOND avenue there are three others
tha, aid to illuminate II. Second ave-
nuo Ia well travelled. both by daJ
and night and Stuyycsant street being a con-
yenient cross-toWn cut. is seldom deserted
Eleventh street is quiet. but there Is always
moro or less travel. The big trees in the yard
might serve to conceal evil docrs from obser.
vatiun from one side at a time. but II any one
were on the lookout for them they would afford
but a slight screen against observation. Three
ponce olncers pusn the church w le"s' "h''
every hour OF the night. One patrols Second
avenue from Houston street to Fourteenth
street. the second has Tenth street from Fourth
avenue to Avenue b. and the third covers Ninth
street from Avenue to Fourth avenue.
Mr.. Stswarts family vault Is on the east sid'
OF the church. and about ifieen PAGES from II
Like all the others it il flush with the ground
and was marked prior to the robbery By a sim
pie white tablet. inscribed.