Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-17

The London Standard of December 3. gives
the following additional particulars about the
robbery of the body of the Earl of Crawford
There can be no doubt that some time between
Wednesday night and Thursday morning the
plan adopted for furnishing convincing evidence
OF the theft had been executed. So many neo.
pie pass the vault daily that any interference
with 1t would be almost Immediately observed
The chapel is practically part of Dun Echt
House. there being an entrance to it from
the library, The apparatus necessary to
raise the SLAP and remove the railing would
be conveniently handy, building operations be-
ing at present in progress at Dun Echt. The
collins were opened skilcully and without the
least violence. Neither the outer one of oak
nor the inner wooden one has been broken, the
lids having been simply unscrewed AS fine
lead Shell had been sOdered it had To he emf
open; but this also had been neatly performed.
and SO the appearance of the vault Yesterday
did not awaken in the spectator any such feel
ln@s as would naturally be associated with the
application OF force and violence The object
OF the tneves seems pretty clear, and the
opinion is that they must have been well
acquainted with the district That sew
erai persons were engaged in the rob-
berry is pretty certain The slabs were of Cath
ness stone, very heavy being six feet square ard
mile from the road. and so the thieves might
carry on their operations unmOlested by tie
public: but the fact of the chapel being con-
nected with the house makes it a matter of GER
tainty that the theft must hay" h." -, perpetrated
curing tne night. The de. earl being a
spare man the thieves would to carry of
the body all the more easily. o.. .,urslay morn
ing labOrer. passing the spot On his way to his
work, observed that the ground on the ton of
the entrance to the mausOleum had been dis
turDed. ana that the slab opposite the first step
OF the stairs was on its side, supported by a
SLICK. Inc man communicated with the ser
wants az the house, but it was decided not to en-
ter the vault until the arrival of the commits
siOner and police officers from Aberdeen. m ose
omciais were at once summoned and when
they arrived In the forenoon. they decided to
enter and examine the mausoie,im For th,S
purpose another slab had to be lifted and two
persons entered. They were horrificd hr tbs
sight that met their view. Strewe,l mon tho
ground were pieces Of wood ard sawdnst
and the collins in which the remains ~
the late Earl had lain were ix;nn ~
the shelf in a state Of wreck. The woo3aa aro ~"
ton placed in front to protect the coffin no.,
been torn away The authors of the ontra a GO
lad then unscrewed the lid of the outer corn
The others were not treated so Respectfully
these they cut with chisels or some sharp tools
and, after making an opening in the end lar~e
enough to admit Of their doing 50, they pulled
the remains of the noble Earl out by the feet
and carried them away. The silver mountincs
OF the coffin were untouched, a circumstance
which leads to the belief that the main object
the robbers had in view was the ransom which
they hoped to obtain for the body.