The New York herald., 1878-11-08

trimmed with the heaviest gold fringe bullion and
gold tassels The caskct six feet in length,
twenty-three inches in width and eighteen in depth
The interior lined with white tufted satin.
and underneath the satin there bed or mat
tress which the body reclned The interior Of the
casket was also trimmed with white silk fringe and
pinked and futed with wondrous beauty. pillow.
richly ornamented was laid in the casket. Tho ex-
tension handles well the handles at the end were
thicky plated with gold Ahe were all Of imi-
tation gold and the knobs plated with gold The In
scription plate was of solid silver. which was en-
graved the words:-
ALEX. +. STEWART.
5 Born 1In. October ssais ,d y ;sss lsos s
This costly casket made Of red cedar. the most
enduring Of all wood. and must have been At
once recognized by the robbers This casing
Of cedar broken open. and the
leaden box which enclosed the oaken
casket cut through apparently with large knife
The robbers to have been under the impression
that the mountings of the casket were in precious
metals but having evidently discovered their error
they cast them away. except solid silver inscrip-
ton plate which placed the lid Of the oak
coffin.
REMOVAL rHR BoDY.
The body was then taken out Of the coffin. all the
closed in an alright leaden box. there is unmis-
taxable evidence in the coffin which was left behind
that the body in state Of advanced decomposi-
ton. It is supposed that the remains when taken
from the coffin placed In q sack and then handed
through the opening in the vault to accom-
plices who had remained outside. But
how it removed from the churchyard Ia still
puzzle. The gates found locked and apparently
undisturbed. In all probability false keys had been
procured for the gates Of the churchyard and
the robbers having secured the remains able to
convey them to wagon which was kept in waiting to
receive and convey them to hiding place. Not tho
least mysterious part Of this outrage that trace
of footsteps could be discovered though the ground
soft and damp from the rain and snow of Wednes
day night. The only mementoes Of their presence
which the robbers left were the rifed grave. the
abandoned FIRE shovel dark lantern. which
and had before been in use the stocking and the
HERALD already alluded to.
oYFIcERs ON DUTY THAT NIGHT.
The officers who left the Fifth street station house
to 20 on duty in the neighborhood Wednesday. at
midnight, were Henry Schmenck. whose beat led di-
rectly by the cemetery, Afom Houston street. along
Second avenue. to Fourteenth street; Officer Maurice
Reed. whose beat was along Tenth street. past the
church and cemetery, from Fourth avenue to avenue
D. and Ofacer McNierney. who patrolled Eleventh
street. on the north side Of the church and cemetery
from Fourth avenue to avenue B. None of these
three officers any trace of the body snatchers.
did they even dream Of anything happening like what
is here described. It was raining in drixzling way
from past twelve o'clock till near nve in
the morning, and the police say . moro
favorable night for the nefarious undertaking could
hardly have been selected. They ascribe the mis-
chance Of none Of the three officers named leach Of
whom must have passed and repassed the cemetery at
least half dozen times his beat not observing the
least sign Of anybody stirring within the grounds of
the church to the probability that experienced and
numerous gang Of thieves at work and had their
vdettes out at the neighborng to give timely
notice Of the approach Of the police All the workers
at the grave had to do when the police chanced to
come upon the to alp behind the trees and
stand in the broad shadovs they threw across the
grass or when they had opened the grave sufficiently
deep to lie down fat in the excavation until the dan
ger passed away.
Detective Robinson. Of the Seventeenth precinct
opposed to the theory advanced by some that the
gang opened the gate Of the churchyard with false
keys and brought out the body that way He was
satisfied that it passed the railing and placed
in an air tight metallic coffin. He thought II must
have taken them fully an hour with the crude imple-
ments they used to open tho grave far reach
the fagstone shove the coffin. After that the work
easy enough.
THE MOTIVES
There can be little doubt that the crime was
prompted the hopes of obtaining large for
the return of the remains It was, of course, gen.
orally known that Mrs. Stewart only waiting for
the completion Of the magnificent ediice at Garden
City to transfer her husbands remains the beaut
full crypt which is preparing for their re-
ception. and the robbers counted on Mrs.
Stewards affection TO Q large reward for
their return In this however. the robbers likely
to be disappointed. as Judge Hilton yesterday
pressed strong opinion that no reward would be
offered themiscreants will not be long able keep
the remains above ground without discovery. In
view Of the prompt action Of the police IL will be
difacult If not impossible. to the body out Of
the city get rid of it leading detection
The theory advanced by some people that the body
was carried of by medical students S most unlikely.
students must have known that the body could
be used the dssecting table. SO far all the evi
dcnce points to bold and carefully conceived plan
get possession of the body. and the object could
scarcely have been other than 10 compel Mrs. Stewart
to pay high ransom for the body of her late hus-
band.
JUDGE HILTON AT THE VAULT
When Mr. Hammill brought the news Of the out
rage to Mr.. Hilton that gentleman Immediately or
dercd his carriage and drove to the church yard The
news of the crime had already spread through tho
neighborhood and . large crowd of curious people
were assembled outside the church raiings gazing in
tcntly u the square hole which had given access to
the vault. The crowd was by no silent ono.
and the motive Of the strange crime was the
absorbing question discussed by the various groups
Some Of the remarks passed showed that the people
had formed some curious theories on tho subject Of
the outrage.
Il wonder why they took him r. said ono youthful
observer
'They wanted to sell him 10 the DOCTORS" replied
sharp looking fellow. 80 that they could find out
how to make money by studying his brain"
'Hc was awful rich" chimed In girl land must
have had plenty Of diamonds and gold In his coffin"
The older folk. however. accepted the more prob
able theory that the motive Of the crime was black
mail