Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-02-10
The Scott Mauso|euin1 al
Erie, Penn, Broken Into
And Remains Of SCOTS Sister,
in-Iaw, Mrs. McColIuIn, Stolen.
Believed That Deed Was for Pur-
pose OF Exiorting Ransom.

eric, Pa, Feb Bod, snotcp;r,
mat may equal 4 Z daring crave roh.
h'fN thdt stirred the cuuatrv NOR.
imam an quarter &c Il century ago
When the body of \. r. Stewart. New.
FORKS pioneer merchant. was stolen
mas Stifr"d this section OF PenrsyI
Nania as nothing has since the SEN
Satfonal kidnapping which occurred
IN this vicinity Il few wears ago.
The mdusoleum of the family oT
the late Representative William /.
scott WAS deSeCfated sometime be
tween Monday ana yesterday after
noon and the Lody OF Mrs. MeCollun
sister law OF Mr. Scott. is miss
ing from the vault.
The discovery VAS made by two
women walking through tho Erie Gem
eterN. The family was inm ediatclv
notified and details of Eric police Kept
watch Il the tomb during the night
t" greet the body snatchorS should
They return None appeared, how
tVr Whose body was taken has not
been ofHcially disclosed
The first information to the public
came from the family. The police. be
Iieve tha body is being held for ran
sem and that the Nandals also in
tended I" carry away the bodies II
III" millionaire and his wife.
When the women IN the cemetery
found broken chains and open doors
III Tie tna1Sol"um they notified Mr.
Charles II. strong. daughter of Mr.
Scott ard wifi" OF Charles II. Strong.
presri"nt OF the Ere and fittsburp
railroad and the Eric County Ele"-
tri@ Light 60. and owner OF III" Erie
dispatch. Mrs. strong notified III"
police and Mrs. Thora Strong Eon
aids. granddaughter OF Mr.. Scott
started for tn" cemetery With her
rather, Mr.. Strong Tho caskctS are
sealed in wall and eaisel had
been used in breaking Tn" seals he
fore the metallic DoX could be CIR
| ried AVA.
The caskct taken was tho first %
tho lower tier NJ the north side Of III.
| nauS0lo5ln ard directly opposite ii
| on tire saennd Tier are the CaAkc'
containing the BODY Of Mrs. Scott, thu
wife Of the millionaire who built tho
lnauS Dleun,.
Tn" seal here vas also broken and
when the tomb WsS eNamineG it was
found that this caskot was half way
out ana to all appearance was ready
| Il b. carried away The remains "a
TIE millionair" were lying next to-
those OF his wife but his casket was
not disturbed. y number af palms
| stored in the mausolcum had bncn
broken dpwr and tive cther easilats
| Mere broken INTO. but 10 attempt was
made t. carry -ith,r Of them away.
That the caskct and body We're car
ricd away in 4 wagon is indicated
| bH tricks in the snow about the maus-
ol"um. Tho footprints Of four and w.
some instances six men are discern
| lille about ii point where the end o.
| a wagon might be placed. The wagon
tracks lead to nnc of the gates of
! the cemetery, whore they are lost in
| the beaten tracks of travel
An Italian settlement near the Gem
| cterN mas a"rcnt an OBJECT OF scrutiny
| by the police ana every dwelling Is
| being searched from cellar to garnet.
The idea that the body of Mrs,
CCll'rn Is beng htH for ransom by
| designing persons 5 substantia,ed b"
IN incident of two years ago Wh'r
| the Strong family was Stornled WITH +
| Black Hand letters demanding NV
| o0G with the alternative of having
| their summer home west OF this city
| blown 10 atoms. The perpetrators We're Z
| subsequently, apprehended end are how5
| in tie Western peniteatiary.
Mrs. McCollum was member of as
| prominent family OF Philadelphia ana
| hor maiden nam" was Tracy. &
William l.. Scott, who quilt tines
maucoloum over % years ago, was y
close personal fricrd of the late cX-S
President Grover Cleveland and was
| one Of the leaders OF the Democraticg
party in the House Of representa-
tivcs when Cleveland was serving hiT
first term as President OF the United
States Grover Cleveland was one of
| the ,.all bearers 1t his funeral. his
rellains being the first to be Inferred
| in the vault He was one of the most
| prominent railroads maenates OF ms
| time.
When daylight broke ropes Were
stretched around the mausoieum L
| hold in check hundreds of curious