The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-10-18

But this much I will say, and you may
consider it authoritative: Judge Hill
ton is not in possession of the remains OF
the late A. T. Stewart, unless he OBJ
tanned them surreptuously within the
past two weeks. This can sacredly as
sure you is the truth. Early in the pres
emit year I felt confident I had the body
almost within my grasp, and if the
ghouls had possessed more confidence
in the police authorities it would have
been recovered. An individual came to
us and informed us that for the sum of
$25, 600 the stolen body would be de-
posted in q certain place. OF course,
the individual making the offer was
known, but he protested to be merely an
agent in the affair and was undoubtedly
such. I was delegated to speak to Judge
Hilton, and he was willing to deposit
the sum named in the hands of suitable
person, to be paid over upon the deliv-
cry and Identification of the remains.
The negotiation with this party
occupied q period of nearly three weeks
and then came abruptly to an end. Al
though we promise immunity, the rob.
bers feared that we were making efforts
to discover their identity, and of course,
that ended all. It seems they did not
fear Mrs. Stewart or Judge Hilton, and
believed that the money would undoubt-
eddy be paid them Immediately on the
delivery of the body. Still they feared
arrest under the indictment still pending
against them in the district attorneys
office charging John Doe, Richard Zoe
and others with robbery, and refused to
act further
what was the plan suggested by the
robbers?"
"They demanded that the money be
sent by express to small country Office
not mentioned, and they promised that
Immediately upon receipt of the cash the
remains would be forwarded to New
York"
"What objection was there to this?"
"There were two very serious objec.
tons. One was that Judge Hilton
naturally objected to sending a fortune
to number of self. confessed thieves
and trusting to their honor to return o
bundle of bones--all that now evidently
remains of Mr.. Stewart. Then, again.
the parties could easily procure suita-
BILE skeleton from some country grave.
yard and forward it.; or, more easily still,
having once gotten possession of the
money, why should further risk be en-.
ccuntered by sending anything? That
would appear to be the most common.
sense plan"
"Do you believe these negotiations
were with the real robbers?"
II know they were. In fact there
could be no doubt on that point. The
parties presented evidence that no one
except the purloiners of the body could
possibly have become possessed of. For
instance, q certain trinket, OF no in
trinsic value, was unknown to any one
except Mrs. Stewart, buried with her
husband. This was infinitely described,
as were o dozen little details which moth
ing but an examination of the remains
after burial could have revealed. Oh,
yes; the real robbers we're undoubtedly
our correspondents. The strangest part
OF the affair WAS" continued the official,
THAT it changed our entire theory re-
garding the theft of the body, and proved
the story of Reilly, the hackman, pre-
sumed to know where the remains were
buried, to be false. T. established be-
yond doubt the fact that Stewards body
had been buried and removed at least
three times before it was finally laid
away in distant state--the spot said to
be known to only two people. That the
remains are in that grave now am con-
fdent."
"Was this the only communication had
with the real robbers?"
"There was one other occasion, when
party giving his name as Romeyn
called upon Patrick Jones and desired
HIM to act az medium for the restoration
of the body. Jones, instead of seeking
Judge Hilton, went to Police Superinten-
dent Wslling, and the thieves having
Swallowed him, the negotiations were
broken off. It WAS on this occasion, you
remember, that the piece Of velvet cut
from the casket, the silver plate, and the
three small shirt studs we're produced "a
evidence that the robbers really held the
body. Judge Hilton admitted that these
were genuine the cent shirt studs
forming part OF the burial garments"
even if the remains should be re-
covered. would it be impossible to
identify them?"
"By no means. All that has been
said concerning an embalming process
is nonsense. Nothing now remains but
the skeleton. That is certain. But there
are certain marks by which that can be
positively identified. The false teeth
were fitted into Mr.. Stewards mouth by
peculiar process which it is impossible,
dentist declares, to duplicate, and there
are other marks by which the skeleton
would be known"
"When do you hope for restoration