Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1881-12-10 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

CORPSE STEALING. The theft of a dead body from the coffin and the tomb seems to be a crime little removed in atrooity from cold-blooded murder. The sacrilege with which it is associated excites even a deeper feeling ol detestation and horror. In this country,  fortunately, the crime as hitherto been so . . .  rare that the theft, under aloud of night, of  _ the body of the late Earl of Orawfcrd and Baloarree from the family vault at Duneoht  louse in Aberdeenshire, has had the start ling effect upon the public mind of something altogether unexampled. In America however, the crime is not quite so novel. In that country there are desperadoes who, in the expectation of winning a large ransom, are already, when a favourable opportunity presents itself, not only to kidnap the liv . . log, but to make captives of the dead when laid in what was fondly fancied to be their last:resting place. Everybody has heard of the seizure, several years ago, of the boy  Charlie Ross, who was never suffered to return spin to the parental home, and of the atrocious attempt that was made by human ghouls to desecrate the tomb and  steal the remains of President Lincoln. Still fresher in recollection is the success ful sacrilegious theft of the body of Mr.  Stewart, the New York millionaire, whiel  has never yet been recovered or ransomed. The villains who invade charnel-houses to rifle coffins for the sake of making gain are deeper dyed criminals than the Italian and Greek brigands, who make captives of travellers, and hold out the threat assassination to wring ransoms of large amount from the relatives and friends of their ill— fated prisoners. It was naturally imagined when the startling intelligence of the theft of the body of the earl of Crawford and Balcarres first became public:, that the sole object of the malefactors was to demand their own price for the restoration of the remains; but it now appears the opinion is held by many in the district that the motive of the crime has been vindictiveness or wanton insult, and hence a minute and repeated search has been made by the police of the house and surrounding grou.ds. But if there be anything in this theory, what becomes of the story about the three suspicious foreigners—Florentines perhaps— who were staying in a hotel in Aberdeen, and who had a malodorous parcel" in their possession? Being a nobleman of studious and reserved habits, the late earl could hardly be called a great favourite among his neighbours; but he was inuch respected, and it has never been alleged against him that he was an exacting landlord. As the police are now said to have disovered an important clue, which is expected to lead to startling revelations, there is some prospect of speedy clearing up of the mystery at present attaching to the motive for sacrilegious theft. The crime being one of a kind which is apt to incite imitation, precautions have already been taken no doubt for the better security of family vaults in other parts of the country, just as a watch was set upon the sepulchre of President Garfield to protect it from any attempted violation such as happened in the case of President Lincoln. The mingled feelings of horror and indignation which have been excited, especially in the district surrounding Duneolit House, by the