Milford chronicle., 1925-02-06
LINCOLN'S COFFIN
SECRETLY OPENED
IN 1902, MAN SAYS
Son Consented To DisprOve RumOr
Body Had Been Tempered With.
Face Was LifeIike.

The New York World on Monday
published the following story which
is of interest to persons all over the
world:
M. o. Williamson, former State
treasurer of Illinois, IS, yesterday
broke a silence of more than >22
years and told how he, with Is
others opened the coffin of Abraham
Lincoln on September 20, 1902, gazed
at the body of the great emancipator
and then closed and sealed the cof-
fin. which was bedded in solid con-
/ crete, never again to be exposed to
mortal eyes.
williamson was a member of the
Board of Trustees of the Lincoln
near for the placing of the body of
Lincoln under the monument, the
board decided, with the consent of
Robert Lincoln, the son, to open the
coffin before it was sealed forever.
Robert T. Lincoln agreed to the pro-
posal to set at rest rumors that
ghouls had carried away his fathers
ashes. But the son swOre all mem
bers of the board to secrecy. He de-
elined to be present.
I'VE had to certify that the body
was actually in the cOffin," Mr.. Will
hanson said yesterday. $50 on the
night in question we secretly assem-
bled at the Springfield, Ill, cemetery,
within the new monument and the
sarcophagus was carried into the
room. WOrkmen opened the casket
with chisels. 1t was a red cedar box,
lined with copper which had been
sealed with solder.
when the copper covering the
bust was bent back, we reVerently
bent forward.
There was Lincoln, looking just
like his last pictures, seemingly
asleep. His face was darker than
yours or mine now. But that was to
be expected. Otherwise there was
scarcely a change. His features
stood out as they had been engraved
in my memory from pictures of
him.
ut seemed as though we might |
have spoken to him and awakened |
him.
He wore a black bow tie like the |
one 1 have on, and one bow was
slightly mildewed. But those were
the only signs of decomposition we
could observe.
at was an impressive occasion.
Then the casket was again seal
ed.
Robert Lincoln had offered to
furnish a steel cage in which to
place the coffin before it was set in
and placed under the mon
lment. His father-in-law, George M.
Pullman, had been buried in coffin
placed within steel bars to prevent
so he furnished the cage and it
was used to contain the coffin. Out
side was the block of concrete eight
feet square. The entire mass was
placed ten feet below the base of the
Springfield monument and have no
fear that the casket will ever be
seen again.
America may rest assured that the I
body of President Lincoln will new I
sr be disturbed in it's resting place I
Ind I shouldn't wonder if that kind ]
y, thoughtful, sympathetic face is
he same today as when we secret ;
y gazed upon it. No air can reach
he interior of the casket and de-
should be resisted for
7ears.
Richard Yates, now Congressman
It Large from Illinois, was Governor y
1t the time and was on the Monu= {
nent Board. But he was away from t
springfield at the time and missed
he occasion. I have had wealthy t
nen tell me that they would have t
;iven half their fortunes to have t
cen LincOln's body.
Several attempts we're made by a
to be present when rumors
# the opening got out, but even {
newspaper men were absent"
OF the 16 who were present only q
light are now alive. They are aging I
apidly. Robert Lincoln lives in C
Washington, D. c., but is in feeble f
ealth.