The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-05-30
IS THE BODY IN THE CRYPT
Rev. DIR. Charles Hall Thinks Stewards
Remains Were Never Stolen.

Rev. DIR. Charles Hall Thinks Stewards
Remains Were Never Stolen.
Rev. DR.. Charles II. Hall, rector Of
;he Church of the Holy Trinity, of
Brooklyn, Sunday ofliciated at the
Church of the Holy Incarnation at
Garden City, the Stewart Memorial
Cathedral. On his return home he was
met by World reporter. The reverend
gentleman expressed the opinion that
the body of A. T. Stewart is securely
resting in the crypt of the magnificent
editice built with his money. Further
more he advanced the marvellous theory
that the body had never been stolen.
Notwithstanding the fact that Judge
Henry Hilton, the trustee of the Stewart
estate, has paid tens if not hundreds OF
thousands of dollars to detectives for
searching for the body, DR.. Hall be-
lieves there never was anything to find.
The rector of Holy Trinity does not
stand alone in the opinion that A. L.
Stewards body has found last resting
place. This conclusion, however, is,
generally based on entirely different
grounds from the simple deduction of
the clerical gentleman.
When it was first announced that
Stewards body had been stolen Mrs.
Stewart was reported as having said
that the Garden City Cathedral would
not be built until her husbands remains
We're recovered. The edfice has not
only been completed, but presented to
corporation ard handsomely endowed.
The Rev. DR. Hall was chairman of the
committee appointed by the Long Island
Protestant Episcopal Diocese that re-
ported favorably on accepting the mu--
nihcent gift. 1t has also frequently
been stated that Judge Hilton paid
$50, 900 to the grave robbers for restor-.
ing the body.
DR.. Hall believes that the whole story
of the famous grave robbery was manu-
featured. 1t is in his opinion piece of
pure fiction. When asked what motive
he thought could have actuated Judge
! Hilton or Mrs Stewart to make such an
announcement he said:
There was every reason for its fab
ricstion. Judge Hilton was constantly
annoyed by the receipt of anonymous
letters, informing him that the body
was to be stolen. If such crime was
successfully consummated, the expected
reward for the recovery of the body
would be so great that the thieves
would feel themselves justified in max
ing any cutlery to secure it. No guard
could be placed upon the body that
would not be bribed, and in order to
defend the body the story of its having
been stolen had to be fabricated. Look
at all the reports in the papers at that
time. You will find that the story is
told with too much attention to details,
while the question, How did the
robbers make off with the body? is al
most entirely lost sight of. No, sir, the
supposed robbery was never committed,
and some day, and at no distant one
either, you will learn the whole story of
the supposed robbery. | believe firmly
that the body of A. r. Stewart is now
IN the crypt at the Cathedral of the In
carnation at Garden City,"
How do you account for the fact that
the grave was found to have been dis
turbed and the discovery OF the trail
over which it was thought the body had
been dragged?' asked the reporter.
That is what | refer to when l say
that the story is told with too much at
tention to details, " said DR.. Hall. ut
all had the appearance of having been
planned. There is no doubt in my
mind that the very fact that so nice and
ingenious a story was told betrays its
weakness, and places the stamp Of falsi-
ty on it"
But Judge Hilton expended $780,
600 or $4,000 in searching for the
body" suggested the reporter.
did hep" interrupted the clergyman.
''Has it not also been denied that he
ever paid such large sums for such an
object? He may have expended Il for
tune, but that does not break down the
theory. 1t might have been necessary
to carry out the original plan and pre-
vent robbery. If the body had been
stolen why did not the detectives keep
up the search? Why was there not
more sustained effort to find it and gain
the reward?'
Mrs. Stewart is said to have paid
$4,000 for the return of the body
is that anything but Il rumor? Judge
Hilton and Mrs. Stewart have never
acknowledged it. The report has never.
been substantiated so far as | have
heard. No, think it is all a myth.
Some day you will learn that the body
lies in the crypt in the Garden City Ca
thedral."
= Have you any positive information
that it is there, Doctor?"
NO sir answered DR.. Hall, very
frankly. Il know nothing about it,
only from such information as | gained
from the newspapers. | have talked
r with my friends about the theory, but
/, never care to obtrude myself by giving
2 publicity to those views Still | am very
positive in my belief | do not know
t Mrs. Stewart or Judge Hilton, and do.
5 not know anything about their plans"
e How did you arrive at such con-
, cluson as you have?"
, Il merely did a little mental detect
| i've work for my own amusement con-
fessed Dr. Hall " Y. World