The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-11-09
No Clew TO the DeSecratOrS of
Phoebe TiltOn'S Body.
A DETECTIVES STRANGE TALE
DeCla red the Dead woman's Heart
Was Stolen by a Physician, Who
Desired 60 Possess It-A Woman
Relieved 10 Have Taken Part I'm
the Grave DespoiliDg.

/
robbed the grave and mutilated the body OF
Mrs. Phoebe Tilton, remain unknown. It's
d mystery of stolen heart. The nanSl ell
tody has been la ID TO rest gain in tie shat
tered cUffin, tut the heart is missing
learing the motive for the CHASTITY crime
more mysterious than ever.
IL WAS apparently not the mtentio of tie
despoiiers of the grace to let the woman S
roly rest IN peace az long a. il did Six
weeks ago the graveyard was entered, the
earth was dug fTom the coffin andthe coffin
plate taken oft. Why the crime was not
comple' ell tren is as much mystery as he
identity of the body snatchers. To terror.
ize the heart oc the feeble man who once
loved their victim. tae ghouls sent the
coffin plate TO him. The screws hat fas
tened n To the lid they gave a. a present
10 Mrs. 1nton's daughter.
An ak that has been identified as the
property Of James Sayre stolen from his
wood-pilc, ana a shovel, taken from the
cemetery tOolhouSe, Were the tools OF the
miScrcants. Having dug their way to the
coffin, one of tire ghouls climbed down into
the grave. pried off the coffin lid, and the
body was pulled from its coffin auI thrown
upon the ground,
Tying piece OF muslin to the ankles,
the ghouls dragged the body, feet first, to
a hole made ia the picket fence. 1nd out
into the woods beyond. Strewn along the
path the next morning were found various
articles of grave apparel. When the body
yal- -
creek. ;he eshroud as caught at the foot and
jerked over the uead woman's head.
The arms, when the body was found,
were stretched hack and held there hy a
rag. The ak had been used to hack open
the body from the thorax to the pelvis.
Several nf the ribs had been removed, anI
with them the heart.
The grave robbers made DO attempt to
prevent rheirtracks from remaining plainly
upon the gronnd From the size of the foot
prints one of the criminals must have been
a very smsll man, or. perhaps. the authori
ties We're inclined 10 believe, woman.
A detective went To the office cf Mayor
Payn, this Afternoon anc informed himtai
he eCouldtellnotonly why Mrs TiIton' 5 grav-
was robbed, Eut who the robers We're. He
said hedcel was done atthe direction Of a
physician WHO wished TO possess the
woman's heart. THE doctor. he declared.
carried away the heart in a buggy driven
up a road back of the cemetery.
The detective said he had seen where the
buggy stood, and " here two men walked
about il, taking 10 the physician who &C
cIpied [. He stated that neither OF the n,eu
supposed to have robbed the grave were al
home from Saturday afternoon until late Oh
SUNDAY wheno noneof them arrived home he
was intoxicated He il said To have re-
marked:
MY God, VIC cut her depp!"
cut who deep" his wife asked.
Why, old Phohe Tilton.'
Although hs does hot place much credence
in the story, Ma vor Payneis invests" aJing l..
John Henderson "a ys that about O'Clock
Saturday night he was talking 10 young
woman on & street corner IN the vicIait Y 0f
the cemetery, be saw a man carrying an
AK, a shovel and jug, pass on theopposite
side Of the street and 20 in the direction
of the cemetery.
The MoUa Plea SAINT Genet cry Association
this afternoon put up posters announcing
"A reward Of 500 for the arrest and convic-
tion Of tie criminals. Mayor Pavne sa "
that he expects the MnlviIle city council
20 offer reward al least equal TO that.
In tue meantime he VIII pay literally for
any Information.
Mrs Tilton died under peculiar cirCum-
she was taken ~ one evening,
but nothing was thought Of IL. The next |
morning She failed TO respond 1" repeated |
calls. aud was found dead IN bel. County |
L hysioian Thompson ridiCules the idea |
that her 'leath was dueto ot her than ma ral |
causes. |
MIS-. Tilron left q husband. four chill |
dren and hall brother, the Rev. Samuel /
Cossa ',oon. a. Alton, III. The farnilv are
ali living IN Wiliiamstown. One Of her |
daughters arrived ia this city tonight and
was indignant when she learned Of the |
Dissertation of her mothers body. She |
is at loss to ascril,c any motive :or the
deed
The only other "a sc OF body sDatching |
hat has ever ia ken place in this city |
'ccJrreC twenty years ago, when the body
Df Gabriel Heritage was stolen. Rewards
or it's recovery Were offered. but nothing
was ever heard of it. The penalty for
he crime Il $1,000 or five years impris
n..,sn