Grave Intrigue: The Plot to Steal Lincoln’s Body

A group of counterfeiters once tried to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body and hold it for ransom. This episode explores one of the strangest and most unbelievable plots in American history, revealing just how close they came and what happened after. Then we’re joined with author of the new book, “Tell It Well,” Taylor Hughes.

There is something about graves that feels permanent, like the story has ended and the world has collectively agreed to leave it alone. That feeling, however, has never really stopped people from interfering, especially when there is money, influence, or curiosity involved. In fact, for a large stretch of history, graves were not sacred places so much as they were vulnerable ones, and people took advantage of that vulnerability in ways that feel shocking today but were disturbingly common at the time.

In the 19th century, grave robbing was not some rare, fringe activity. It was organized, profitable, and in some cases even quietly tolerated. Medical schools needed cadavers for study, but laws severely restricted how bodies could be obtained. That gap between demand and legality created an underground market where so-called “resurrectionists” would dig up freshly buried bodies and sell them. Families would sit vigil over graves for nights after a burial, not out of grief alone, but out of fear that someone might come back with a shovel.

That fear wasn’t unfounded. Protective measures like iron cages, known as mortsafes, were installed over graves specifically to prevent bodies from being stolen. Some coffins were designed with locking mechanisms, alarms, or even glass viewing panels so families could periodically confirm that their loved one was still inside. The idea that someone might steal a body sounds absurd, but for many people at the time, it was a very real concern.

But not all grave robbing was about science or anatomy. Sometimes it was about leverage, and that’s where things start to get particularly strange. One of the most famous examples of this was the case of Alexander Turney Stewart, one of the wealthiest men in America, whose body was stolen from his tomb in 1878. His remains were held for ransom, and negotiations took place behind the scenes until a deal was eventually reached and the body was returned. It was a bizarre mix of mourning and extortion, and it proved something important to criminals at the time.

A body, especially the right body, could be worth a lot of money.

And that realization set the stage for one of the strangest criminal plots in American history.

By the 1870s, Abraham Lincoln had been dead for more than a decade, but his presence in American life had only grown stronger. He was not just a former president. He was a symbol of unity, sacrifice, and the survival of the nation through its most difficult conflict. His tomb in Springfield, Illinois had become a destination for visitors, a place where people could connect with history in a tangible way.

At the same time, Lincoln’s remains had already been moved several times due to concerns about their safety. His son, Robert Todd Lincoln, was deeply protective of his father’s legacy and was wary of any threat to his remains. Those concerns may have seemed overly cautious to some people at the time, but history would prove that they were entirely justified.

Because in Chicago, a group of criminals was coming up with a plan that was equal parts bold and unbelievably misguided.

The central figure in this story is James “Big Jim” Kennally, a Chicago saloon owner who was deeply connected to the criminal underworld. His establishment served as a meeting place for counterfeiters and other shady characters, and among his associates was a man named Benjamin Boyd. Boyd was a skilled engraver, which made him incredibly valuable in the counterfeiting business, but it also made him a target for law enforcement. He had been arrested and was facing serious prison time, and his associates were desperate to get him released.

That desperation led to an idea that, on paper, seemed almost clever in its audacity. They would steal the body of Abraham Lincoln, hold it for ransom, and demand both money and Boyd’s release in exchange for its return. The amount they planned to ask for was $200,000, which was an enormous sum at the time and equivalent to several million dollars today.

The logic behind the plan was simple. Lincoln’s remains were arguably the most valuable in the country, both symbolically and politically. The government would not want to deal with the public outrage that would follow such a theft, so the criminals believed they would have the upper hand in negotiations.

What they failed to account for was how difficult it would be to actually carry out the plan, and how quickly it would begin to unravel.

One of the men recruited for the job was Lewis Swegles, a small-time criminal who was brought in to assist with the physical act of stealing the body. Swegles, however, was not particularly confident in the plan, and as the details became clearer, he started to worry about what he had gotten himself into. Instead of fully committing, he made a decision that would change everything.

He went to the Secret Service.

At the time, the Secret Service was not focused on protecting presidents. Their primary role was to combat counterfeiting, which made this case directly relevant to their mission. When Swegles informed them of the plot, they recognized both the seriousness and the opportunity it presented. Rather than immediately shutting it down, they decided to monitor the situation and catch the conspirators in the act.

This decision set up a sting operation that would ultimately turn the entire plan into a spectacle of failure.

The date for the heist was set for November 7, 1876. Under the cover of darkness, the conspirators made their way to Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, where Lincoln’s tomb was located. The tomb was still under construction at the time, which meant security was not as tight as it might have been otherwise. This gave the criminals a window of opportunity that they were eager to exploit.

Once inside, they managed to access the burial chamber and locate Lincoln’s coffin. The moment itself must have felt surreal, even to them. They were standing in the presence of one of the most important figures in American history, not to pay respects, but to steal his remains.

They began the process of removing the coffin, and for a brief moment, it seemed like their plan might actually work.

But this is where reality started to push back against their ambition.

The coffin was far heavier than they had anticipated, largely due to its lead lining. Lincoln had been a tall man, and the coffin itself was built to preserve his body, which made it incredibly cumbersome. The conspirators struggled to lift it, and their lack of coordination quickly became apparent.

At the same time, Secret Service agents were nearby, waiting for the right moment to intervene. The plan was to catch the criminals in the act, but the timing of that intervention did not go as smoothly as intended. There was confusion, hesitation, and ultimately a delay that allowed the situation to spiral.

The criminals, already struggling with the weight of the coffin and the pressure of the moment, began to panic. In the chaos, they dropped the coffin and fled the scene, abandoning their plan and leaving Lincoln’s remains behind.

What had started as a bold and calculated scheme ended in confusion and failure, and it did not take long for the conspirators to be identified and arrested. Lewis Swegles’ cooperation with authorities played a key role in building the case against them, and the entire plot was exposed to the public.

Despite the seriousness of the crime, the legal outcome was somewhat underwhelming. The sentences handed down were relatively light, which may have reflected the unusual nature of the crime as well as the challenges in prosecuting it. Still, the incident had a lasting impact that went far beyond the courtroom.

Robert Todd Lincoln, already cautious, became even more determined to protect his father’s remains. In the years following the attempted theft, Lincoln’s body was moved multiple times and hidden in different locations within the tomb. These moves were kept secret, known only to a small group of trusted individuals.

Eventually, in 1901, a final decision was made to ensure the security of Lincoln’s remains once and for all. His coffin was placed inside a steel cage and buried beneath several feet of concrete, creating a barrier that would be nearly impossible to breach. This solution was intended to be permanent, and it has remained undisturbed ever since.

Today, visitors to Lincoln’s tomb may not realize just how close his body came to being stolen, or how much effort went into protecting it after the fact. The story has become a strange footnote in history, one that reveals as much about human ambition and desperation as it does about the reverence we attach to certain figures.

It is easy to think of history as something fixed and unchanging, but stories like this remind us that even the most sacred parts of it can be vulnerable. The idea that a group of counterfeiters nearly made off with the body of a former president sounds like fiction, but it happened, and it forced people to confront the reality that even in death, some figures remain incredibly powerful.

And maybe that is the real story here. Not just that someone tried to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body, but that they believed it was worth the risk, the effort, and the consequences. That belief, strange as it may seem, tells us something about how deeply Lincoln’s legacy had taken root in the American consciousness.

Because even in death, he was still valuable.

And apparently, valuable enough to steal.

The internet says it’s true.

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