Stealing Lincoln's Body

by Thomas J. Craughwell

On the night of the presidential election in 1876, a gang of counterfeiters out of Chicago attempted to steal the entombed embalmed body of Abraham Lincoln and hold it for ransom. The custodian of the tomb was so shaken by the incident that he willingly dedicated the rest of his life to protecting the president's corpse.

In a lively and dramatic narrative, Thomas J. Craughwell returns to this bizarre, and largely forgotten, event with the first book to place the grave robbery in historical context. He takes us through the planning and execution of the crime and the outcome of the investigation. He describes the reactions of Mary Todd Lincoln and Robert Todd Lincoln to the theft - and the peculiar silence of the nation. He follows the unlikely tale of what happened to Lincoln's remains after the attempted robbery and details the plan devised by the Lincoln Guard of Honor to prevent a similar abominable occurrence.

Along the way, Craughwell offers entertaining sidelights on the rise of counterfeiting in America and the establishment of the Secret Service to combat it; the prevalence of grave robberies; the art of nineteenth-century embalming; and the emergence among Irish immigrants of an ambitious middle class - and a criminal underclass.

This rousing story of hapless con men, intrepid federal agents, and ordinary Springfield citizens who honored their native son by keeping a valuable, burdensome secret for decades offers a riveting glimpse into late nineteenth-century America and underscores that truth really is sometimes stranger than fiction.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, True Crime, Civil War, Presidents, Crime

250 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2007

Reviews

[Eric Knudsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book. Not a great book, but a good one. The main problem is that Mr Craughwell touches on so many subjects connected to the attempted tomb robbery that are worthy of whole books of their own. Lincoln's funeral, the Republican's theft of the 1876 presidential election, the rise of American Nativism, the Pullman strike,...the list goes on and on. Still, I enjoyed it, and it inspired me to read more on the subjects above. There is also a wonderfully creepy "spirt picture" of Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln in the illustrations section. Check it out.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching a documentary on the History Channel about how the body of Abraham Lincoln was almost stolen, I knew I had to read this book. One might think this was a work of fiction, but it is actually a narrative of true events. Craughwell takes Abraham Lincoln, a President who, at this point has been dead almost a half a century, and reignites his character. This time, however, Lincoln is sought after by "body snatchers."

Reading this book showed me that reading texts based on history can be fun, and certainly surprise the reader at times. As a writer, this instance of American history (unknown to most people), allows me to catch a reader's attention and show them that they might not know everything about American History. In writing about Women's Role in the Government, I attempted to reflect this type of narrative at points, showing the reader that they were going to learn something new, and not just dust off old ideas lost in the dust of time.

[Simon Robs · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much a history of counterfeiting beginning with Lincoln's establishing early Secret Service efforts just days before his assassination to combat the already disruptive process of reconstruction planning for the southern states. Soon after his martyrdom Lincoln's body interred in Oak Ridge Cemetary family vault was the object of a counterfeit ring plot to steal his corpse and bury it in the Indiana dunes while holding it for ransom. My hometown Chicago is written all over this dastardly scheme along with the crooks, saloon personalities and the Secret Service agents who sniffed out this caper & eventually brought to justice its villain's. Oh Chicago!

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who knew that some bumbling counterfeiters would try to get their engraver out of prison by holding Abraham Lincoln's body for ransom? Or that as a result Lincoln was reburied multiple times before finally ending up inside a lead box inside a wood crate inside a steel cage completely covered in concrete? If they'd only mention the interesting stuff in history class!

[Damon Lively · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a challenging book to rate. Mainly due to story as a whole. The story of the attempt to steal Lincoln’s body is very simplistic and short as a whole. The author therefore branches into other historical components – such as the history of counterfeiting in the U.S. – which is interesting to know. Probably the more compelling part of the story is the acts to protect Lincoln’s body, multiple interments, how his remains were “in a sense” mishandled for a period of years – leading up to the memorial as we presently know. That may be the more luring part of the story. The book is written in a fashion that is easy to read – sometimes it branches into people or topics that are dull (as you can sense the writer was grasping to make this a complete book that would be even readable). The author though – on a number of occasions – cites a lack of information, missing documents, among other things that do a disservice to anyone writing on this topic. So although it is an important – and at times – interesting topic – you realize trying to write a 210 page book just doesn’t work. Even some of the ancillary characters involved hold more interest than general story – e.g. Robert Lincoln, Powers – or even side stories such as the Pullman railroad strike. Because of this – I can only give it “okay” marks – although it’s an easy read and you can still find your way through it.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. I have to say that this book did not paint Robert Lincoln in a good light at all.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1876 plot to steal Abraham Lincoln's body from its tomb in Springfield, Illinois is not one that many people know about. I didn't know much about it besides a brief summary in some books about haunted Illinois that I had read. Even the Abraham Presidential Museum has just a small note about it in a display case. So a whole book about the plot was a great idea for a book.

Sadly, I was a bit disappointed in "Stealing Lincoln's Body". The book is great when it's talking about the plot and Lincoln and I got into it when it was talking about that. But the book is too bogged down with facts and history that doesn't really relate to the story of the plot to steal Lincoln's body. First Mr. Craughwell goes into a long winded summary of the history of counterfeiting money. I guess it's related to the story since the people who tried to steal Lincoln's body were connected to the counterfeiting but I think just a page or two of a summary of the history of counterfeiting would have been sufficient for me.

Then the author goes in the history of Irish in Chicago that goes on for far too long. Other than some of the players in the story being Irish, I have no clue why Thomas Craughwell felt it was necessary to include that part. It goes on for far too long and really drags the story to a glacial pace. Later on in the book, Mr. Craughwell slows the story down again with the history of George Pullman and the Pullman strike. Just because Robert Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son, was George Pullman's lawyer. The history of George Pullman doesn't have much to do with the story. Yes, Robert was his lawyer and Robert got the idea of burying Lincoln in steel cage and cement from Pullman but the history of George Pullman and how he led his business and employees have no relation to Lincoln's body. Robert and George's history with each other could have been summed up in a paragraph, not several pages.

But when the book was actually focusing on Abraham Lincoln and what happened to his body after he died, it was quite good. It is kind of amazing how long it was before Abraham Lincoln could truly rest in peace. I really wish there had been more focus on that part of the story. It's kind of like Thomas Craughwell didn't know how to fill up a book with just the subject of the plot to steal Lincoln's body. Perhaps, instead of focusing on other subjects that really don't relate to body snatching plot, he could have talked about Lincoln's funeral and his journey back to Springfield. That way it's still on the subject of Lincoln and doesn't stray too far from what is supposed to be the subject of the book. I would say most people didn't buy this book for the history of counterfeiting, Irish in Chicago, or George Pullman. The History Channel just recently did a show based on this book and I think it handled the balance much better and kept the subject on track. I saw the show first and read the book second and while I love reading books about Lincoln, I think the History Channel show did a better job covering the subject and making it interesting.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an odd, odd little story. Did I say odd?

I first encountered the book “Stealing Lincoln’s Body” in the gift shop at Gettysburg on a vacation a couple of years ago. Such a curious story but running low on money, I didn’t buy it.

This is the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth and remembering the book, I found and bought a copy.

“Stealing Lincoln’s Body” begins with his death on April 15, 1865 and follows the saga of his body. It seems he did not go home to Illinois to rest in peace. The R.I.P. took awhile. Our 16th president may have survived the turmoil of governing the Union during the Civil War but Mr. Lincoln’s ordeal wasn’t quite over. Honest Abe’s mortal remains did not find a secure, final resting place until 1901, 36 years after his assassination in Ford’s Theatre. Surprisingly, there was a period of 11 years when only the nine members of a secret society knew where Lincoln's body was hidden.

This is a macabre little known story of American history. A story of hapless con men, crooks, counterfeiters and a small group of honest folks trying to do the right thing and protect the Lincoln family from any more torment.

Hat's off to author Thomas J. Craughwell. Well researched and written. Fascinating, but did I say odd?

[Heather Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a history buff, this book may have A LOT of appeal for my it introduced way too many characters at the same time. I had a difficult time keeping track of who was bad, the mastermind, a helper, etc. I also felt it repeated inself a bit, just adding a bit more detail each time. This 2 factors made it difficult to continue to read. However, I LOVED the pictures and the last 2 chapters. It was new material, less characters, and very informative.

The old saying goes "the book is always better than the movie". This wasn't the case for me on this one. I felt the movie/documentary was very well done. Plus, it was structured in chronologically order that just made more sense than the book. It flowed better. The characters were introduced slower as well. Plus, the author Thomas Craughwell, has a great speaking voice as you can tell him and the other commentaries are very passionate about their work.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about Lincoln...just not as a pleasure reading. If you have some background, so some of the names are familiar it may not be as difficult of a read as well. Watching the movie and THEN reading the book I feel would enhance the enjoyment as well.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed Thomas Craughwell's Stealing Lincoln's Body. The description of the planning and execution of President Lincoln's funeral in the Prologue was highly engaging. The sections pertaining to nineteenth century funeral and cemetery customs was also quite interesting. However, chapters one and two regarding the history of counterfeiting and the Irish immigration to America in the nineteenth century proved to be rather dull. The chapters dealing with the trial and conviction of the would-be grave robbers was also uninteresting. Though I enjoyed the book, it seemed as though the author had difficulty getting to the point in several sections. Furthermore, the author included too many periphery details that were not needed in order to understand the central theme of the book. I do have to give credit to Mr. Craughwell for making me aware of Edward Steers, Jr.'s Blood On The Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The author cited Mr. Steers's book several times and I look forward to reading it.

[Meleya]

I enjoyed this book because it was extensively researched per all of the footnotes. I found the information regarding Mary and Abe's relationship to be fascinating. It is amazing how one person's grudge can turn into a "fact" throughout history. I always had the image that Mary and Abe didn't get along but it is nice to know this is a falsehood. Too bad Abe's son didn't think the letters were important, I'd certainly like to read some of those.

A quick read, and an interesting topic. I'd never even heard this story but that is probably because I'm on the West Coast and not in the thick of Abraham Lincoln history. I see that many reviews state that one must be a fan of history to read this book. I'm not sure why else you would pick it up? I also found a lot of moments in the book that made me laugh out loud. It is funny how the minds of criminals work.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a few years after his death, a couple of con men conspired to steal President Lincoln's body and hold it for ransom.

I learned quite a bit from reading this book. It's short and presents a bit of history that I had never even heard of, which is amazing when you think about it. A couple of guys hatch a plan to grave rob one of the most beloved presidents, getting so far as to pull his coffin from its sarcophagus, and we never hear anything about it? Crazy! While I liked learning about this interesting bit of history, Craughwell took sort of a roundabout way to get there, providing information about things that ultimately were not exceedingly relevant to the main story. Overall, though, I was fascinated with learning about this long-neglected crime.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a really interesting history of the plot to steal Lincoln's Body. There was some good background given regarding counterfeiting at the time. I would have liked more information regarding embalming practices in that era.

The reason I only gave it three stars was the writing style. It was a bit dry for my tastes. For such a weird piece of history, the storytelling was not that engaging.

I also would have liked to know more about the would-be grave robbers.

As a former Springfield resident who has been to Oakridge Cemetary several times, I was glad to know more about the story.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew?!! What an engaging and interesting book. I love knowing out-of-the-way details on Lincoln and this book does not disappoint. The author has a love of the subject, a depth of historical knowledge and a refreshing sense of humor that makes the book a pleasure to read. I highly recommend it.

[Clay Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less would have been more.

[bob walenski · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first thought was that this 2007 history might not be a great choice for my nonfiction book group, but I found it interesting and compelling. I enjoyed reading about what actually happened to Lincoln after Ford's Theatre and his death. Craughwell's research was meticulous and the book effectively narrated the story and also added a picture display of many of the key figures. There was fascinating information about our society in the 19th Century, how ramshackled, scattered and wild things were. Half the US Currency in circulation in 1870's was counterfeit and conmen, hucksters and thieves were rampant as the forces of government and society were forming and creating a way to solve these problems.
There WAS a real attempt to steal Abraham Lincoln's remains....in the hopes of ransoming it off in exchange for money and the release of a criminal counterfeiter. The entire event was right out of the Keystone Cops. It was a hilariously stupid plot and the characters involved matched their stupidity with boldness and greed. It was easily foiled and eventually the crooks went to prison, but it woke people up to the need for security and common sense.
Craughwell tied in many secondary issues that were tangent to the Lincoln story, about the times and the country and society in general that all added immensely to the narrative. The book was a fun way to learn some history and get a few chuckles over 'the way we were'.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Brady Carlson's "Dead Presidents", I discovered this book and this astonishing story of an attempt to, yes, steal Lincoln's body and hold him for ransom. The culprits are a scattered cast of counterfeiters eager for cash and for the freedom of a jailed compatriot. It doesn't take long in their company to understand why their plan ultimately fell apart; what is baffling is how little-known (at least to me) this story is. Carlson sets the stage well with the history of counterfeiting in America from colonial times through the turn of the century. There are great nuggets, like the enterprising housewife who used damp muslin and and her own iron to transfer the ink from legitimate bills onto fake ones. Carlson also thoroughly covers the jostling among towns for the honor of who warrants a stop of Lincoln's funeral train on its way home to Springfield, as well as the unseemly efforts to thwart Mary Lincoln's express wish as to where her husband should be buried. We learn much about embalming, much about the brand spanking new Secret Service, much about grave robbers, and much about subsequent lookie-loo behavior on the part of town fathers and self-appointed guardians unable to resist re-opening Lincoln's casket through the years. At times this book has the faint whiff of being padded for length, but overall it's a skillful, fascinating read.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not boring at all, unlike some history books. Thomas Craughwell did well with his descriptions and detail to history. He didn't just cover the short period of time surrounding the plot and attempt at stealing Lincoln's body, but he describes Lincoln's time in the White House, details of his family, those making and attempting the plot (those behind it), journalists, keepers of the tomb, and those dedicated to keeping Abraham Lincoln's body safe. At one point, his casketed body was removed and put in the basement on boards to keep out the moisture from water seeping into the ground. Some of these stories are hard to believe that such a hero was not handled better. His son Robert contributed to some of the happenstances, though, as did others. Robert even destroyed most of the correspondence between his father and mother.
At the end, details as to all the people involved were concluded.

[Tasneem · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author of the book Stealing Lincoln’s Body is Thomas J. Craughwell. He is also the

author of several books on Catholic history, like Saints Behaving Badly and The Wisdom of the

Popes, and books about American popular culture, including Urban Legends.

Thomas J. Craughwell’s purpose in writing the book was to inform. Very few people

know that there have been attempts to steal Lincoln’s body, and it is mentioned in very few

biographies about Abraham Lincoln. He wanted to tell this story so people know something like

this can and did happen. Even though the book’s purpose was to inform, it was entertaining.

The main point of the book is the story of a gang of counterfeiters who attempted to

snatch Lincoln’s body and hold it for ransom. This book also goes into the origins of the secret

service, counterfeiting in America, the rambunctious growth of Chicago, and the assassination

of our president. The story includes ludicrous crooks, determined government agents, and loyal

guardians devoted to the memory of they’re native son.

In the 1870's one of the nation's largest counterfeiting rings was based in central Illinois.

Problems arose for the gang when Ben Boyd, the gang's master engraver, was imprisoned.

Soon their supply of counterfeit money was almost gone. The gang needed an idea for freeing

Ben Boyd. Therefore, "Big Jim" Kinealy, the crew's leader, hatched a plot to steal Abraham

Lincoln's body. President Lincoln's remains would be held as ransom until the government paid

$200,000 in gold and freed Ben Boyd.

The first time he tried, his partners in crime failed. Kinealy would not give up, however.

He moved his headquarters to Chicago, and accepted a man named Lewis G. Swegles into

his gang. Little did Kinealy know that Swegles was actually a Secret Service agent. The plans

were made - Lincoln's body would be taken and put in the back of a horse-drawn wagon, taken

to northern Indiana, and hidden in the sand dunes. The date for the grave robbery was set:

November 7, 1876. This was an election day, and Kinealy figured Oak Ridge Cemetery would

be deserted that night as Springfield citizens waited for the votes to be counted.

The gang went to the cemetery, sawed the padlock off the iron door of Lincoln's tomb,

pried the marble lid off the sarcophagus, and attempted to lift the heavy wooden coffin. At

this point Swegles alerted the eight detectives who were in hiding. These men, with revolvers

cocked, rushed to the tomb. However, the tomb robbers escaped out the east gate of the

cemetery.

Even so, they were captured in Chicago 10 days later. Robert Lincoln, Abraham's son,

hired the best lawyers in Chicago to prosecute Kinealy's gang. The case did not come to trial for

eight months. Finally, the trial began, and the grave robbers were found guilty and sentenced to

one year in Joliet State Prison.

The main points are covered thoroughly, leaving the reader with absolutely no questions

about what happened, or about who the people involved with the story were. It is obvious

how well researched this book is, because of all the details Thomas J. Craughwell includes.

For example, to make sure the reader thoroughly understands the gang of counterfeiters who

had the plan to steal Lincoln’s body; Thomas J. Craughwell explains the complete history

of counterfeiting in America. To explain Patrick D. Tyrell, one of the men who helped in the

capture of the grave-robbers, the entire history of Irish immigrants in Chicago is described. A

mini biography is included for all of the men who aided in the arrest of the con men who wanted

Lincoln’s body.

The most interesting part of the book was seeing the truth of what happened compared

to what was written in newspapers. Swegles was an informant working with the Secret service,

Washburn was the chief of secret service and a man of integrity, and Mullen and Hughes were

the two men who wanted to steal Lincoln’s body. Chicago’s Inter-Ocean printed that Mullen

and Hughes “were at best accessories and the pliant tools in the hands of Swegles.” The Inter-
Ocean editors were inclined to believe that the Lincoln tomb case was indeed a hoax concocted

by Elmer Washburn. Even after new details from new witnesses came every day, “Inter-
Ocean persisted in their misguided belief that Lewis Swegles was the link between Washburn’s

ambition to the return to power in Chicago and Mullen and Hughes’s hunger for a share of

the two-hundred-thousand-dollar ransom.” Most newspapers didn’t even report the attempted

robbery of Lincoln’s body, because it seemed to far fetched, and because they had a bigger

story to print about the election of 1876.

If I had to recommend this book to someone, I would tell them that overall I enjoyed

Thomas Craughwell's Stealing Lincoln's Body. As far as historical books go, this is one of the

most intriguing books I have read. Chapters one and two regarding the history of counterfeiting

and the Irish immigration to America in the nineteenth century was highly engaging. The

description of the planning and execution of President Lincoln's funeral in the Prologue was also

quite interesting. However, the sections pertaining to nineteenth century funeral and cemetery

customs proved to be rather dull. The chapters dealing with the trial and conviction of the would-
be grave robbers were also uninteresting. Though I enjoyed the book, it seemed as though the

author had difficulty getting to the point in several sections. Furthermore, the author included too

many details that were not needed in order to understand the central theme of the book.

[Amber Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a kid's book on the theft of Lincoln's body that I honestly thought superior. This had basically the same information and often strayed from the topic. The part about Pullman was interesting, but off topic and only marginally added to the story about Lincoln.

This book did expand the whole Keystone cops sequence of the theft and Lincoln's sad shameful reburial in the basement (why a basement existed in a tomb at ALL?) of a badly built tomb. I just wanted to scream at them to add better security, more locks, bars or other measures to his sarcophagus and just leave him be instead of stashing Lincoln under some moldy lumber!

[Rohan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Well Written. But extremely padded like there was no need to dedicate a whole chapter to the Pullman strike. Though I did find the facts used for padding more interesting than the main story at times. I didn't know there was a graverobbing attempt on George Washington's body and they made away with a random skull!
There needs to be a book simply about attemts at grave robbing high dignitaries and holding them to ransom you could call it "Digging up the Founding Fathers" or "All the President's Graverobbers couldn't put them together again" . Idk that would make a much more interesting book.

[Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sure this was a good book for me. I was wrong. Tons of details about this true event which was bungled by almost all involved. I found the book slow and it just never caught on with me. Maybe it was the forty or so pages in which the author discusses counterfeiting as a way of introducing the Secret Service and since most of the thieves were counterfeiters it was pertinent but just thinking about it makes my eyes glaze over. You'll know if you want to read this. No recommendation.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of the little-known attempt to steal Abraham Lincoln's body, bury it in sand dunes and hold it for ransom: release of a leading counterfeiter and $200,000. The Springfield, IL tomb was unguarded, and the sarcophagus was above ground in the Memorial. What could go wrong with a plan like this? Well, everything! The story involves the newly minted Secret Service, gangs of counterfeiters, and the Lincoln Guard. Robert Lincoln, the President's only surviving son plays a prominent role, too.

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating topic - never knew about this attempted threat and the subsequent (very interesting) treatment of Lincoln's remains - but the book structure itself was far too dragged out. The first third of the work focused mainly on the issue of counterfeit currency in the U.S. at the time, which arguably helps with context for the main premise of the book, but not tens of pages of content. Hang in there for the first third - the rest of it is much more interesting and to the point.

[Linda A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought that this would be an interesting story since our library book club had it as it’s monthly choice. I am still wondering why a book club would choose this type of book! I agree with all the previous comments about too many names, dates, etc to be able to follow with interest. I did find the information about counterfeit money and Pullman’s attitude toward his employees interesting. I would not recommend this book for a book club read.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

The titular crime was actually a half-assed, quickly thwarted plot to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln from its Springfield, Illinois, tomb in 1876. Craughwell gets his book by expanding on the perpetrators, a brief history of both counterfeiting money and the Secret Service, and then strange history of housing (and often, unhousing) Lincoln's remains in this tomb during the ensuing decades. Craughwell deftly covers a lot of ground in this interesting slice of Lincoln-iana.

[Silena · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a full account of the conspiracy of several counterfeiters to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln and ransom the body to get their associate released from prison. The author does a great job of explaining the circumstances that led to this audacious crime and what later happened to those associated with the crime.

[Heidi's Dad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story with insights to the rise of embalming, the history of counterfeiting in the U.S., and the beginnings of the Secret Service. Everything built around the failed attempt to steal Lincoln's remains to be held for ransom. The text feels a bit over long, and toward the end, it didn't hold my interest. Still, I learned some things, and those made the reading worthwhile.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who knew? Counterfeiters plot to steal Lincoln’s poorly secured remains - for ransom! - to get their buddy out of jail!

This well-researched account also includes insight into Robert Lincoln, the late President’s son & Mary, his wife, struggling with mental illness. The world of counterfeiting, the origins of the Secret Service & Pullman cars, oh my.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to know everything there is about the attempts to steal President Lincoln's body, this is the book for you. This book is thick with facts, names, and dates, yet does not drag. I learned tons of interesting facts to bore my friends & family with :)