Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-10-19
What Became of A. I. Stewards Body?

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When Alexander T. Stewart died, 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,OOO,OoO, including real es-
tate which, alone, was assessed at
over S5,OOo,OOO The bulk of his es-
tate was bequeathed to his widow, with
million dollars as personal gift
to the executor, Henry Hilton. The
Stewart funeral, eliminating in the in
terment 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 half
years later, Judge Hilton, the executor
Of the Stewart estate, electrified the
police with the announcement that the
grave had been rifled and Mr..
Stewards body stolen.
Upon examination, it developed that
an even greater mystery surrounded
the affair than appeared upon the sur
! face. During the early autumn of
1878, Judge Hilton, learning that the
grave had been slightly tempered with
and fearing the depredations of
ghouls, had caused the Stewart head
stone to be removed to another por-
/ tion of the plot, although it 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 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 grave-robbers at
work, for they had chosen a stormy
night and it was not until several
hours after daylight that the watch
man had discovered the looting of the
merchants grave. The ghouls had
left behind them only a newspaper,
an iron shovel and bull's-eye lantern
none of which bore any distinguish
ing marks, nor could they be traced
by the detectives assigned to the case
1t appeared to be impossible that the
body of dead man could be carried
across New York without attract
ing the slightest notice or that it
could be re-interred or concealed with
out detection-but this is precisely
what took place, for nothing definite
was ever learned Of the fate Of the re-
, mains.
Judge Hilton refused to countenance
overtures for the return of the BODY,
declaring that neither he nor the es-
tate would be blackmailed and, when
a reward of $4,000 was finally offered
it was made with the distinct under
standing that it was not for the BODY
itself but for information which would
lead 10 the detection of the persons
! who had committed the depreciation.
The executor of the estate advised
! Mrs. Stewart 10 have no dealings
, whatever with the men who had stolen
J the body of her husband and the wild
ow, who is said to have teen extreme
! ~ affected by the blow, followed this
. advice during the ten remaining wears
of her life
! Some time after the violation of the
sanctity of St. Marks churchvard. the
impression was allowed to gain preva-
lence that the body had been recovered
and that it had been re-interred in
the vault of the beautiful cathedral at
Garden City, Long Island. But those
VINO attempted to secure proof of this
report found that they were blocked at
every turn and the question of who
stole the body of a. 7. Stewart and
= what disposition was made of il re-
mains unsolved to this day.
I