New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-10
SEEK GHOULS IN VAIN
Continued from FIRST page.

round broken chains and open doors IN
the mausoleum they notified Mrs. Charles
H. Strong. who Is n daughter or MI
Scott, and the wife of Charles II. strong
president of the Erie & Plttsburg Rail-
road. the Erie County Electric Light
Company, and the owner Of 1.-THE Erie
Dispatch" Mrs. Strong notified the
police.
AS soon as the news Of the grave rop-
berry reached the Strong home MIS-
Thora Strong Ronalds, a granddaughter
OF William L. Scott, started for the
cemetery with her father. Charles H.
Strong.
Investigation showed that the CONN
containing the body Of Mrs. McColiuih
had been carried away. The cofhns are
sealed in wall and g. chisel had pee"
used in breaking the seals before '"'
metallic box could be carried away.
This coffin was the FIRST on the lower
tier at the north side of the mausoieuhl'
and directly opposite it on the seconu
tier is the coffin containing the pooy VI
Mrs. Scott, the wife of the millionaire
who built the mausoleum.
Scott Collins Tempered With.
The seal here was also broken, ana
when the tomb was examined II ""'
found that this coffin was hair way oo'
and to all appearances was ready 70 W
carried away. The body OF the miiiioh-
aire. living next to that Of his wife, hau
also been tempered with. A NUMBER o'
palms stored in the mausoleum had oeef'
destroyed, and two other colhns "eio
broken into, but no attempt was nnau7
to carry either of them away.
That the coffin and body OF Mrs NC
Cullon9 were carried away in a wagon
was indicated by tracks in the sho"
about the mausoleum. The footprints Oh
four and I'm some instances SIX men
were discernible about point where the
end Of a wagon might be placed. Inc
wa eon tracks led TO one OF the gates OF
the cemetery and were followed INTO inc
street until lost in the beaten tracks oil
travel.
The local police have notified the ponce
and morgue officials Of cities within sew
eral hundred miles of this place. pu'
said early to-day they believed the BODY
was being held here for a ransom. Every
railroad and freight station Is plcketeu
and eyery avenue of outlet is guarded
tta
Collum is being held for ransom ny de-
signing persons IS substantiateo py di
incident OF two years ago, when the
Strong family was stormed with Blach
Hand letters demanding $1,000. WITT
the alternative of having their summer
home west of this city blown up, Inc
perpetrators were subsequently appre'
hended and are now in the Western
Penitentiary serving out sentences, fol'
lowing conviction in the courts.
Mrs. McCollum was a member OF
prominent family Of Philadelphia am
her maiden name was Tracy.
| William l.. Scott, who built the mauso
ieum over twenty years ago, was
close personal friend Of the late eX
| President Grover Cleveland, and was on
Of the leaders OF the Democracy in tn
House of Representative when Cleve
! land was serving his first term as Presl
dent. Of the United States. Grove
Cleveland was one Of the palibearers a
mis- funeral, his body being the first t
he placed in the vault lie was one o
the most prominent railroad men of Iii
time. and was known by reputation from
coast to coast.
Families Noted Connections,
Mr. Scott left two daughters. Mrs
Charles II. Strong, OF Erie, and Mrs
Richard Townsend. of Washington. Mrs
Strong has one daughter. who married
! Reginald RonaIds, and lives at the Plaz;
Hotel. New York. Mrs. Townsend ha
one daughter. who married Peter +
Gerry. OF New FORK AS Miss Mathild
Townsend she was prominent in Wash
ington social and diplomatic circles
Mrs. McCollum died in Philadelphia
nearly twenty years ago. She was tn
wife Of J. T.. McCollum and daughter o
John 4. Tracy, of this city. The bod.
was brought here and placed in tn
Scott vault. which Is hidden from view
from the street. On account Of the cole
weather recently few persons have
visited the cemetery, and the robbers
were free TO work, with little fear q
| tad