Year: 1878

profound sensation was created yesterday in this
sty by the that the grave Of the deceased mill
Sonnaire Alexander T. Stewart had been desecrated
and his remains carried of from the vault In St.
Marks churchyard. where they have lain since April
a. 1876. At hrst the received with incre-
aulity. Man could scarcely recognize the possibility
II such = revolving crime but the proved to be
Snly too well founded. When fully recognized
Mat this outrage had been committed the deepest in
ngnasion Wa manifested by the citizens. and con-
siderable surprise was expressed that such crime
eould have been committed under the very eyes Of
The polica


THE cRIM1 DrscovEnED


Tsking advantage Of tho storm on Wednesday night
gang Of robbers effected an entrance into the grave
raxd Of st. Marks Church. and breaking into the
vault carried OF Mr.. Stewards remains The thieves
accomplished their nefarious work without inter-
uption. and It was not till yesterday morning that
he crime was discovered At seven o'clock Francis
Parker. the assistant sexton Of St Marks Church,
upon entering the churchyard glanced over to that
part Of the grounds facing Second avenue, and to
his astonishment discovered fresh earth lying in
ths sunted grass Immediately in the vicinity Of the
Stewart family vault. At first he thought the earth
had been taken from the Worthen vault few
lest distant; but. when he TO the spot,
Ae 1t glance that the covering had been removed





The churchyard aft carefully locking the great iron
gate the Eleventh street side and sough: Mr. Ham,
MILL the chief sexton Tho two returned to the spot
and descended to the vault below.


The rst object that attracted their attention in the
gloom was the heavy casket in which the body of the
merchant prince had been enclosed. 1t had been re-
moved from it. resting place and lying the
westerly side Of the wall and In close proximity to tho
steps, Upon examining the lid Of the outer oaken
box II discovered that tho had been caro-
fully taken out both sides and that tho lead lining
had been cut with sharp knife It had been
wrenched from its end fastenngs and had again been
placed in its old place. This removed and when
the main casket reached its lid was found to be
nnscrewed. and when they put their hands in they
realized that the body had been taken away. Tho sill
plate the side Of tho Id Immediately
the face had also been pred of carried away


THE scxNx OF THE OUTRAGE.


st. Marks churchyard. the scene Of the outrage
Hes in the very heart of tho city. It s exposed TO
the view Of passcrs by three sides and this fact
had much to do with the increduity with which the
story at first received by the public for NO more
unlikely place for the commission Of such q crime
could we'll have been chosen. Unlike ordinary church
yards. there neither monuments nor standing
tombstoncs TO obstruct the view screen men NOV
Ing among the graves. The memorial slabs marking
The resting place Of Of tho most honored Of New
FORKS dead almost hidden in the grass and the
surface Of tho graveyard is level as . hwn,
broken only by . line of willow trees which
btand back from the grave and to the church
Even At night tho situation is very exposed. Tenth
Dtresk. running parallel to Eleventh. crosses from
Second avenue TO Third. directly in front of tho
shurch and cemetery At this very point stuyvesant
place intersccts Tenth street obliquey and wide
pacs n crested the south side of the ediAce The
semstcry, enclosed by iron railing. skirts Second
avenue for distance Of about hundred and Atty
sct ths side front Of the church standing back about
nfty fest The Stewart vault the most conspcu-
ous part Of the ground: and while there is number
of trees scattered around Of them intervene be-
tween tho view of tho grave and the avenue The
esmetery rises like terrace from tho edge OF the
sidewalk to . height Of about Ave feet In
parallel line to the rear Of the vault
s two willow trees. to the south two Others and
between the sets II . space Of about fourteen feet
Between tho grave and the church are three or four
more trees forming sort of broken background,
whis the grave sek lies prominently in 'front.' with.
Sut twig TO obsruct the view Of II from the avenue
10 policeman casual pedestrian passing this way
night could possibly fail to observe. IL they hap
Dcnsd to be there. or moro human figures on the
Aevatod ground where tho vault 10 situated not none
bscsuss IL In opposed but also account Of the
manner IN which the whole wide is lighted up.
u tho block between Tenth and Eleventh streets on
keond avenue. the building OF tho His
Sortcai Society and ths Baptist Tabernacle. In
oont Of these stand . row Of balloon glass
lamps. which illuminate tho avenue clear
ncross. 20 that one might read Newspaper on the
spposits side Of tho street At each corner Of the
block on which the church stands is regular street
Mdb. and along stuyvesant and Tenth streets the
hnps. owing to the two streets intersectng. are
more snan usually numerous. In fact. no better
lighted section OF the city be named than where
this outrage perpetrated The iron railing which
noosss the church and cemetery Is about eight feet
high surnounted by spikes inches long, and rest
Ing ON stone coping about foot In depth boy
nsiae y - aAaGASsshssd, n stssmptias 70 srsss