Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1922-10-13
WHAT BECAME OF A. T.
D

WHEN Alexander T. Stewart died
w on April 10, 1876. in New York
city, he was credited with being one
Of the richest merchants in the United
States, for his wealth was estimated
at more than S40,000,000, including
real estate which, alone, was assessed
at over $5,00O.OOO. The bulk of his
estate was ~beQueathed to his widow,
with a million dollars as a personal
gift to the executor, Henry Hilton.
The Stewart funeral, eliminating in
the interment of the body In st.
Marks churchyard, New York city. was
one of the largest and most impressive
ceremonies of its kind ever held In
the city-and then, some two and a
half years later. Judge Hilton, the
executor Of the Stewart estate. cleo
trifed the police with the announce
ment that the grave had been rified
and Mr.. Stewards body stolen.
Upon examination, 1t developed that
an ever greater mystery surrounded
the affair than appeared upon the
surface. During the early autumn OF
1878, Judge Hilton, learning that the
grave had been slightly tempered with
and fearing the d%epredatiOns Of
ghouls, had caused the Stewart head
stone to be removed to another por-
ton Of the plot, although 1t was not
thought wise at that time to disturb
the remains. The knowledge Of this
change was confined to four persons,
but Notwithstanding this, the excava-
ton had been made with almost math-
ematical precision, the earth having
been cut away straight down to the
leaden case which enclosed the coffin.
This case had been opened, the lid
of the coffin had been unscrewed and
the body taken out-presumably being
carted off in a wagon of which the
tracks were still visible nearby.
The most searching inquiries on the
part of the police failed to reveal any
one who had seen the graverobbers al
work, for they had chosen a stormy
night and 1t was not until several
hours after daylight that the watch
man had discovered the lOoting Of the
merchants grave. The ghouls hat
left behind them only q newspaper
an iron shovel and a bulrs-eye Lantern
none Of which bore any distinguish
ing marks, o could they be traced
by the detectives assigned to the case
1t appeared to be impossible that thu
body of a dead man could be carried
across New York city without attract
ing the slightest notice or that
could be re%-interred or concealed with
out detection-but this Is precisel.
what took place, for nothing definit
was ever learned of the fate of the re
mains.
Judge Hilton refused to countenanc
overtures for the return Of the body
declaring that neither he nor the es
tate would be bIackmailed and, whel
a reward of $4,000 was finally offere
! It was made with the distinct under
standing that It was not for the bod
itself but for information which woul
lead to the detection Of the person
who had committed the depreciation
The executor of the estate advise
Mrs. Stewart to have no dealing
whatever with the men who ha
stolen the body Of her husband an
the widow, who is said to have bee
extremely affected by the blow, TO
lowed this advice during the ten n
naming years Of her life.
Some time after the violation OF tn
sanctity of st. Marks churchyard, tn
impression was allowed to gain Prev
lence that the body had been r.
covered and that 1t had been re-il
tered in the vault of the beautifl
cathedral at Garden City, Long Islan'
But those who attempted to secuI
proof Of this report found that the
were blocked at every turn and tn
question Of who stole the body OF
T. Stewart and what disposition We
made Of 1t remains unsolved to tn.
day.