Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-10-07


burial spot to Ben Boyd in Joliet.
The negotiations for the return of the
body in exchange for his own release
and the payment of 500. 900 ransom.
were 10 be conducted by Boyd on be-
half of the cOunterfeiters. In order 10
render the opening OF these negotia-
tons the easier. the conspirators cal
culaled, a plan would have TO be de-
vised by which the federal authorities
could be easily convinced That Bovd
could actually furnish the information
concerning the location OF the body
in short, they foresaw that BOYD
would have TO he in position 10 prove
to the authorities that he had accurate
knowledge Of its Whereabouts.
In order to overcome this obstacle
it was decided that a copy o. an Eng
lish or some other foreign newspaper
should be secured. a foreign paper he
ing decided upon so that Boyd could
convince the government representa-
tives that the copy OF the paper Of
which ne had part was not one that
could haYe been obtained in any other
way than the one claimed by him.
This newspaper was 10 be torn into
two pieces. in an irregular fashion.
One piece was to be left in the Lin
coin tomb, where it was certain to be
found when the discovery Of the loss
or the body was made and the other
piece was TO be sent 20 Boyd in prison.
After the discovery Of she WORK OF the
ghouls Boyd was to let IL be known
that he could solve the mystery and
10 prove lie told the truth. could pro-
duce the missing part Of the foreign
paper which. of course, would demon
strate to the authorities that the tomb
robbers had sent Boyd the paper and
with Il the key 10 the location OF the
body.
In It's details the plot was carefully
worked out So far had Swegles
yormed himself into the confidence OF
the eonspirators that on the night OF
the first OF November they met In his
room TO complete the details OF the
plot Five days later / learned that
Tuesday, November {. had been chosen
as the night 20 commit the crime. this
date being chosen on account OF its
being presidential election day. on the
night OF which. the criminals Judged.
the excitement incident TO the receiv-
ing Of the returns would serve TO
shield them from any attention they
might attract under ordinary circum-
stances. Hughes. Mullen anu SweEles
we're TO open the tomb. extract the cas-
ket and load IL into the waiting waE-
on SweSles' part Of the preliminaries
was 70 secure the wagon and driver.
which he assured his ooconspirators
had been done. and after the work at
the tomb had been done he was 10 &C
company the contractor furnishing the
conveyance into Indiana. II had also
been decided that the trio should 70
to Springfield on the night OF Novem-
Der 6, IN order to be able TO make such
preliminary surveys and arrangements
as might be found necessary.
On the theory that with the infor-
nation IA hand. there could be no diEi-
Guilty in preventing the conspirators
from carrying out their plan. there
had been no dissent among the govern
--cct employees ~~ - thc wisdom -
going further and permitting the
tomb robbers TO progress FAR enough
with their work a. enable the law on
GERS 70 capture the criminals red
handed. Robert r. lincoln son cf th,
martyr president, ana Leonard SWEET
had been kept fully informed OF the
conception and development OF the
plot and had agreed that the capture
or the counterfeitors in their initial
grave-robbing effort would be prefer
able merely TO frightening them out
or the attempt. a course that had been
pursued in the instance OF the plot OF
eight months before. At a conference
at which Mr.. Lincoln was present the
services OF Elmer Washburn. who had
an the meantime been superseded in
the chiefship OF the secret service.
John Mcdonald. who had assisted in
the capture OF Ben Boyd and John
McGinn and George Hay, Pinkerton
men, were provided for TO assist in the
capture OF the vandals. Owing 10 the
Importance OF the case Allan Pinker-
ton had assigned his best two men.
Mr.. Lincoln protested against the
plot being allowed TO proceed 10 the
point where profane hands miFnt
actually be laid on his fathers coffin.
but Mr.. SWEET insisted that an overt
act must be committed by them before
the vandals could be successfully pros
ecuted, and our plans were not
changed.
This conference was held in the aft
ernoon, and at niue o'clock the evening
OF the same day Mullen, Hughes and
Swegles swung aboard the front plat
form OF the front coach OF the Alton
train Just as il moved out of the Chi
cago station. McGinn, Hay and
boarded the last sleeper OF the same
train. after having satisfied ourselves
by careful shadowing that the profess
sionRl counterfeiters, now amateur
tomb robbers. were aboard. Washburn
and Mcdonald were TO go TO Spring
field on the next train and arrive there
a. four O'Clock on the afternoon OF the
day set for the robbery We arrived
az Springfield two hours late and reg
istered az the ST. Nicholas hotel under
assumed names. We found that Null
len and Hughes. also ur Ger false
names, had registered at the st.
Charles hotel. small house not far
from the ST. Nicholas. They had r.