European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 12, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse Daily Magazine the plot to St by Vera Glaser Nan a staff writer nearly a Century ago a band of grave robbers almost managed to steal the body of president Abraha Lincoln from his Tomb near Springfield. A secret service Man blocked the plot but Only after the ghouls carrying an axe and sack into which the corps of the assassinated president was to be transferred had lifted the casket half out of the dismantled sarcophagus in the Lincoln attempt was carried out on elec Tion night in 1876 at Oak Ridge come Tery two Miles outside Springfield while the town and nation were absorbed inthe returns of the presidential contest Between Samuel j. Tilden and Ruther Ford b. Hayes. Gang of counterfeiters headed by big Jim Neally found their bogus not Supply dwindling after the civil War because Ben Boyd their master engraver was serving 10 years in Joliet state concocted a plan to steal Lin Coln s body and use it As hostage Toby the convict s release from the state. Neally sent five men into Springfield in the summer of 1876 to run a Saloon while preparing for the theft. In a Drun Ken moment one barkeeper blabbed the secret to a parlor House Madam who told the chief of police. Soon the whole town knew. In no time Flat inc ally boys disappeared. On his second attempt operating out of Chicago big Jim had More Luck. Two of his gang Terrence Mullen an Jack Hughes an expert counterfeiter sought by the police were joined by Lewis c. Swegles who had been Patron izing their m the Boss body snatcher of Chi Cago Swegles boasted confiding that he supplied the City s medical schools with most of their three plotted to approach the Tomb at night pry open the Marble sarcophagus lift out the coffin trans Fer the body to a Wagon and drive to Indiana where the remains would be concealed in the Sand brought in a Friend Billy Brown and Neally s men added an other counterfeiter named Cornelius. By late october with Neally calling fraction everything was set but the Date. It a final conference in Chicago on nov. 5, Mullen Hughes and Wegele decided to strike on election night and the following evening they caught the9 o clock train to Springfield. All but Swegles actually an informer assigned to watch Hughes were unaware that six secret service operatives were Riding inthe coach ahead. Robert Lincoln the late president soon and a group of detectives worked out a signalling plan for Swegles As he assisted in the robbery. At the word Wash they would swarm out withdrawn revolvers to capture Mullen and Hughes with the coffin in their custodian John Power who later wrote a Book about the episode was alerted and the plan reviewed. The detectives were to hide in Mem orial Hall the museum room of the Monument opposite the Catacomb where Lincoln was buried. By 5 o clock in the november dusk the secret service led by District chief Tyrrell arrived along with the Detec Tives. With flashlights they explored the dark Damp labyrinth winding through the Monument s foundations. Waiting tensely they saw a lantern Flicker at the door. The ghouls were moving around the outside. M
