American History Tellers - The Plot to Steal Lincoln's Body | The Roper | 2

Episode Date: February 16, 2022

By 1876, criminal boss Big Jim Kennally was ready to put his Lincoln body-snatching plan into motion. But his gang of thieves needed one more member before they could attempt the heist.Soon, they found their new recruit: a former horse thief from Wisconsin named Lewis Swegles. But what the gang didn’t know was that Swegles was a “roper” – an undercover informant, employed by Secret Service agent Patrick Tyrrell to bring down Kennally’s counterfeiting ring. When Swegles revealed the Lincoln plot to Tyrrell, the agent knew he had to act fast. First, however, he had to convince his bosses at the Secret Service that the far-fetched plot was real.Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/historytellersPlease support us by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge new seasons of American History Tellers early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Imagine it's June 1876 in Springfield, Illinois. You're a young woman, alone on a street corner, waiting for your brother to take you to dinner. But he's late. You're also a little irritated at the spot he picked to meet you, right next to a busy dance hall and saloon. Several men are noticeably tipsy as they pass you on the sidewalk, coming and going from the venue. And sure enough, just as you feared, one of them

approaches you. He's wearing a beat-up hat and reeks of whiskey. After some fumbling, he manages to light a cigar and stands there smoking and leering at you. Hey, pretty lady. You clutch your handbag and turn away without answering. He doesn't take the hint. You waiting for someone? Yes, my husband. Oh, married, huh? Yes. Then where's your ring? He points to your hand and you hide your ringless fingers behind your back. He roars with laughter. I suppose you forgot your ring at home. Is that right? That's right. I did. He blows a big plume of cigar smoke. Now, why don't you like me? I mean, I like you. Besides, I got a secret. I'm going to be rich soon.

Oh, you don't believe me. I'd sooner believe that you're going to turn into a toad. Actually, a toad would be an improvement. The man's drunken leer turns into a scowl, and you realize it was a mistake to insult him. He flicks some cigar ash at your feet and takes a step towards you. Well, I've got some news for you. On Independence Day, while you and all the other idiots in town are wasting time with fireworks and punch and...

I'm going to be in the cemetery, stealing old Abe Lincoln's body. What? That's right. I'm going to steal it and hold it for ransom. And when the government pays up, we're going to be richer than you can ever dream of. I'll have three or four women, and all of them will be prettier than you. You have no idea what to say. Stealing Abe Lincoln's body? What could he possibly be talking about?

But just then, your brother turns the corner, and you frantically wave at him. Oh, Thomas! Here! Over here! Thankfully, your brother's a big guy. As soon as the drunk sees him approaching, he slinks off. And you breathe a sigh of relief. It was a close call and you're irritated with your brother for being late. But you will have some interesting dinner conversation telling him all about the creepy drunk who intends to steal a dead president's body. experts. I'm Saatchi Cole. And I'm Sarah Hagee. And we're the hosts of Scamfluencers,

a weekly podcast from Wondery that takes you along the twists and turns of the most infamous scams of all time, the impact on victims, and what's left once the facade falls away. Follow Scamfluencers on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. From Wondery, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American History Tellers. Our history, your story. In the spring and summer of 1876, Big Jim Keneally's counterfeiting gang was moving forward with their plot to steal Lincoln's body. They hoped to ransom the body for the release of Keneally's top engraver, Ben Boyd, from prison. Without Ben Boyd's skills, Big Jim's criminal empire was on the verge of collapse. But a drunken henchman with loose lips would nearly

derail the plot before it got started. But Keneally had another, bigger problem. Secret Service Agent Patrick Tyrrell, the man who had put Boyd behind bars, was still trying to take down Keneally's entire operation. And to infiltrate the gang, Tyrrell would recruit an undercover informant who would soon find himself caught up in the audacious plan to rob the tomb of America's 16th president. This is Episode 2, The Roper. In the spring of 1876, Big Jim Keneally's gang came down from Chicago to the state capital of Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln's body rested. They rented a house nearby and converted it into a saloon and dance hall. The gang members knew that their plot would need a good base of operations, and the saloon would provide cover for their meticulous planning.

One crew member acted as the bartender. The others pretended to be customers. The idea was to hide in plain sight rather than risk getting caught sneaking around. This way, they could wander into the bar and chat discreetly whenever they wanted, without attracting undue notice. One by one, the gang members also visited the Lincoln Memorial to case the site. They took a streetcar from downtown Springfield to the Oak Ridge Cemetery, then followed a muddy path to the memorial. There, they took a tour for 25 cents, noting the details and vulnerabilities of the site. After Lincoln's death, his admirers had

pushed for a grand mausoleum smack in the middle of Springfield. But Lincoln's widow, Mary, vetoed the idea. She wanted her husband buried in a quiet cemetery and threatened to move the body to Chicago if her demands weren't met. So the Lincoln Memorial was a compromise. It was built in a cemetery, as Mary wanted, but grander than a simple headstone. The memorial sat on a grassy hill surrounded by trees. The most noticeable feature was a 120-foot-tall obelisk of gray stone. Beneath that stood a low

building made of granite. On one side of the building, there was a tiny museum with some Lincoln artifacts and memorabilia. On the other side was Lincoln's tomb. Through their sometimes blunt questioning during tours, the gang learned that Lincoln's body lay nested inside three containers, a marble sarcophagus on the outside, a cedar coffin inside that, and then an airtight lead coffin in the center. Lincoln wasn't buried underground, so the thieves wouldn't have to do any digging. Their plan was to crack open the sarcophagus and lift out the cedar coffin. The lead coffin inside would be heavy, but they figured four or five men could handle it.

Then they'd load the coffin in a wagon and ride off. By early June, the plot was taking shape. Big Jim's gang felt that they had picked the perfect night for the heist, July 3rd, the eve of the nation's centennial, when everyone in the country would be distracted with celebrations and fireworks. But a few weeks before July 3rd, the plot hit an unexpected stumbling block. One member of the Keneally gang, Thomas Sharp, got drunk one night and tried to impress a woman by blabbing to her about the upcoming heist. Soon, rumors of the plot began swirling around Springfield. People were shocked to imagine that someone would even consider stealing Abe Lincoln's body. Eventually, the rumors reached Big Jim Keneally, who had no choice but to call the whole thing off.

The rest of his men had taken pains to keep the plot secret, but one slip ruined it all. The gang scattered and left town without even paying the last month's rent on the dance hall. Keneally was livid. Months and months of work had gone down the drain, all because of a drunk idiot. But over the next few weeks, the rumors died down as people were distracted with other things. The upcoming centennial,

the shocking news of General George Custer's defeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn, and a nasty mudslinging presidential campaign between Republican Ruther B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel J. Tilden. So when July 3rd came and went with no stolen body, everyone in Springfield figured that a drunken Thomas Sharp had just been running his mouth off and the story was soon forgotten. Keneally was still convinced he could steal Lincoln's body. He just needed a better, more dependable crew. So in August 1876, he began to piece that crew together. The initial meeting took place at a saloon in Chicago called The Hub, which Keneally partly owned. It was a dive, with broken chairs and a crooked pool table.

There was sawdust on the floor to soak up spilled beer and occasionally spilled blood from bar fights. A plaster bust of Abe Lincoln sat behind the bar, but on top of the bar top was a live snake curled up in a box. The bartender was Terrence Mullen, a slim man with a walrus mustache and wavy hair. He co-owned the hub with Keneally, and he was one of the new crew members that Keneally gathered at the bar for the next attempt at the Lincoln heist. The second conspirator was Jack Hughes, a lean, hungry-looking fellow with a long, bushy beard. The last member of the crew was a teamster named Herbert Nelson. Nelson actually ran a legitimate wagon delivery business, but dabbled in crime here and there.

When Keneally finished his pitch, all three men looked uneasy. They were counterfeiters, not grave robbers, and no one felt comfortable planning such a high-profile heist. But then Keneally sweetened the deal. He told them that, in addition to demanding Ben Boyd's release from prison, he also planned to ask for $200,000 in exchange for Lincoln's body, over $5 million in today's money. $200,000 got the men's attention. All three agreed to join the Lincoln plot. Over the next week, however, Herbert Nelson got cold feet. Nelson

wasn't a career criminal and didn't want to jeopardize his delivery business, so he bowed out. Keenely had no intention of participating in the heist directly, and he didn't think Mullen and Hughes could pull it off on their own. So he told his two accomplices to keep an eye out for another recruit. They needed someone quick. As the Lincoln body-snatching plot moved forward, Secret Service Agent Patrick Tyrrell was still investigating Keneally's counterfeiting operations. But he wasn't making much headway. Ever since his arrest of engraver Ben Boyd, Tyrell had trouble pursuing the case.

He couldn't just walk into one of Keneally's bars and start asking questions, because every member of the gang knew his face. But Tyrell had captured Boyd with the aid of an informant, so he decided to try that strategy again. To find someone willing to infiltrate the notoriously dangerous Keneally gang would be no easy task. But Tyrell had a friend in the legal profession who might have some leads. Imagine you're a small-time crook in Chicago in the summer of 1876. You're a horse thief, mostly, and you've done a few stints in prison over the years.

Now you're trying to go straight, but that's easier said than done. Today you're visiting the office of a lawyer you know named Charles Dean. He's helped you out of some tight spots before, and now you're hoping he can help you find a job. There aren't many employers willing to hire someone with a criminal record, but Dean says he has something in mind, although he's being mysterious about what it is. You knock at his office door and fiddle with the wedding ring on your finger while you wait. The ring is new, and it feels strange on your hand. Suddenly, Dean swings the door open. Ah, hello. Come on in, please. Dean's office is small but handsomely decorated, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and two plush

leather chairs in front of an oak desk. Here, sit. I take it you got my message? Yeah, you said you have a job for me? I do. Do you know what a roper is? At the word roper, a chill runs down your spine. I suppose you're not talking about making twine. No, this isn't about twine.

Yeah, I know what a roper is. A roper is an informant. Someone who goes undercover among criminals to get information, then feeds that information to the police. Ropers are despised, and the thought of becoming one makes you squirm. No, I don't work with cops. Well, there wouldn't be cops exactly. Huh? Then who?

The Secret Service. They're trying to bust a counterfeit ring. Sounds like cops to me. Dean frowns at you. All the playfulness from before is done. Look, I'm trying to help you here. You keep telling me you want to go straight. Here's your chance.

No, I don't know. What, are you scared? Is that it? Scared? Hell no. The danger part sounds fun. Dean stutters you for a moment, as if trying to figure out whether you're serious. He shakes his head.

God, I swear, sometimes I think you have a screw loose. I'd have to to become a roper. But as you talk things out with Dean, something occurs to you. Even if you're working for cops, it's not like you'd be hanging out with them. Ropers hang out with criminals most of the time, which you've always enjoyed. They're your people. You feel comfortable around them. You're not quite ready to commit, but you're coming around to the idea. Well, I'll tell you what. I'll think about it. I think that's a smart move.

I can put you in touch. No, no. I said I'll think about it. And with that, you grab your hat and say goodbye. The idea of becoming a roper still sounds crazy to you. But unless something better turns up, it might be your best shot at making a new life for yourself. Louis Sweagles had served time in jail in Wisconsin for stealing horses, but had recently married and was looking to go straight. But he didn't have many skills that would appeal to a legitimate employer. So he went to a defense lawyer who'd helped him out in the past, and that lawyer introduced him to Patrick Tyrrell.

Tyrrell wanted to convince Sweegles to become a roper and infiltrate Big Jim Keneally's counterfeiting ring. In exchange for his services, Tyrrell offered Sweegles $5 a day, a good wage for the time. But Tyrrell warned that the work would be dangerous. Sweagall said he didn't care. He needed to go straight, and he needed the money. So they shook hands and agreed. Tyrrell instructed his new roper to start by visiting Keneally's bar, The Hub. Over time, with luck, he might be able to make contact with members of the Keneally gang, earn their trust, and maybe even join the gang himself. It was fortuitous timing that a new face

might show up at the hub. The Keneally gang was indeed looking for a new recruit, but Sweagles would have to prove his worth and not make any mistakes. Because in Chicago's criminal underworld, even a small slip-up could get him killed. For more than two centuries, the White House has been the stage for some of the most dramatic scenes in American history. Inspired by the hit podcast American History Tellers, Wondery and William Morrow present the new book, The Hidden History of the White House. Each chapter will bring you inside the fierce power struggles, the world-altering decisions, and shocking scandals that have shaped our nation. You'll be there when the very foundations of the White House are laid in 1792, and you'll watch as the British burn it down in 1814.

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I'm Sachi Cole. And I'm Sarah Hagee. And we're the hosts of Scamfluencers, a weekly podcast from Wondery that takes you along the twists and turns of the most infamous scams of all time, the impact on victims, and what's left once the facade falls away. We recently dove into the story of the godfather of modern mental manipulation, Richard Bandler, whose methods inspired some of the most toxic and criminal self-help movements of the last two decades. Follow Scamfluencers on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Scamfluencers and more Exhibit C true crime shows like Morbid and Kill List early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. Check out Exhibit C in the Wondery app for all your true crime listening. In 1876, Louis Sweegles was in his late 20s,

but already had a long history in the criminal underworld. During a couple of stints in prison, he befriended all sorts of convicts, a perfect cover for his gig as a roper. He had a long face with a big nose and was blessed with the gift of gab. He could talk to anyone, a skill that he could now put to use as an informant for Patrick Tyrrell in the Secret Service. Sweagles began dropping by the hub once or twice a week, making friends and glad-handing. He had

a slew of funny stories from his days as a horse thief, which helped him gain credibility among the sketchy characters at the bar. But to make inroads with the Keneally gang, Sweagles tried buying drinks one night for the bartender Terrence Mullen, whom he knewroads with the Keneally gang, Swiegels tried buying drinks one night for the bartender Terrence Mullen, whom he knew to be a Keneally associate. Mullen, however, acted coldly toward Swiegels and kept his distance. Swiegels didn't sweat it. At five dollars a day, he could afford to be patient. Swiegels soon picked another target, Jack Hughes. He noticed that Hughes always chuckled over his wild stories. So one day, Sweegles casually mentioned to Hughes that he was looking to get into the Coney game,

slang for counterfeiting. Hughes was noncommittal. He barely knew Sweegles and didn't know if he could trust him. Sensing Hughes' hesitation, Sweegles didn't push the matter. The conversation was brief, but it was a start. Sweagles reported this development back to Patrick Tyrrell. And together, over the next few weeks, the two of them came up with a plan to win Hughes over. Imagine it's the fall of 1876 in Chicago. You're a roper, working on a tricky undercover case for the Secret Service. It's late one night, and you've been standing across the street from a saloon, keeping your eyes fixed on the entrance.

You're waiting for a regular to arrive. As soon as you see him enter, you take a deep breath, fix a crooked grin on your face, and head for the door. Inside, you walk up to the bar and wave a $50 bill over your head. Hey, listen up. Every one of you bastards is drinking on me tonight. Inside, you walk up to the bar and wave a $50 bill over your head. Hey, listen up. Every one of you bastards is drinking on me tonight. Crowd inside cheers. You smack the bill on the counter and flag down the bartender with a black walrus mustache.

One for everyone, and don't stint. As the bartender lines up the shot glasses, you accept a few hearty pats on the back. But your attention is mostly focused on the fellow at the end of the bar with the bushy beard. Jack Hughes, a member of the Keneally gang. As you expected, he's eyeing you, curious about this apparently spontaneous act of goodwill.

When the well-wishers leave with their drinks, you turn to Hughes. Oh, it's you. We chatted a while back. Philadelphia, right? Yeah, good memory. You raise your liquor. For the next half hour, anyway. That gets a chuckle out of Hughes. I haven't seen you around lately. I had some work in Wisconsin near Madison. Oh, yeah, this and that, you know. But, um, you didn't get a drink. Bartender! Hughes protests, but you insist. Then you raise your glass and toast.

To lucky breaks in Wisconsin. After you drink, you settle down on a stool, leaning back on the bar and enjoying yourself. You let a minute pass in silence, and then two. You want to play cool and draw out his curiosity. Sure enough, Hughes finally clears his throat. Well, you seem pretty flush with cash tonight. You find a horse you're liking up there? You laugh. Last time you chatted, you told him

about your days as a horse thief. You've got a good memory, too. No, no, no. That's a young man's game. Then you fall silent again, letting him stew some more. Well, what then? Fifty dollars doesn't just appear out of thin air. Oh, it's not just fifty dollars. At this, you look around conspiratorially. Then you open your coat and point to a pocket sewed in the lining. Peeking out of it are several more crisp bills. You lean in toward the man. Well, the truth is, my friend Billy got a tip. Tannery up there. They were dumb enough to make their bank runs without an armed guard.

They're not going to make that mistake again, though. At this, you snap your coat shut, leaving the man staring. Well, I feel like playing some pool. See you around. You spend the next hour carousing and catching up with friends. But you notice Hughes call the bartender over to chat. And every so often after that, you catch one of them looking at you. Sight warms your heart.

You know you've got the fish on the hook. Now you just have to reel them in. Lewis Sweagles never robbed a tannery in Wisconsin. He just claimed he did to get the attention of Jack Hughes and the mustache bartender Terrence Mullen. He was trying to prove his bona fides. To show Hughes and Mullen he was a real criminal and could be trusted. He wanted them to take him into their confidence about their counterfeiting schemes. But Hughes and Mullen had something else in mind entirely.

They still needed a third man for the Lincoln heist. And after hearing Sweagle's tall tale about robbing a tannery, they began to think he might be just who they were looking for. Still, they had to be cautious. So they began to ask around about Sweagle's. In particular, they met up with a crooked detective they knew, an old-timer with a vast knowledge of criminals in the Midwest. They got him drunk one night,

then casually asked the detective what he knew about a new acquaintance of theirs, Louis Sweegles. The detective answered that Sweegles was the biggest horse thief in the tri-state area. Hughes and Mullen were glad to hear it. Sweegles was the real deal. But they had one last reservation. He was a big talker, too. And after what happened to Big Jim's crew last time when someone got drunk and blabbed, they needed to make sure Sweegles could keep his mouth shut.

So they devised a little test. The pair pulled Sweegles aside one night at the hub and told him that a rich fellow had just died up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. They were going to rob the grave and hold his body ransom. They asked Sweegles if he wanted in on the job. Sweegles was stunned to hear this. He didn't take Hughes and Mullen for body snatchers, but he managed to keep his cool and told them he'd need to think about it. He had a suspicion they were testing him. A few nights later, he returned to the hub and declined the job. Hughes and Mullen weren't too upset by this. After all, there was no job. So they said no hard feelings and sat back and waited. Criminals were often the worst gossips in the world. If Sweagles breathed a word of the Wisconsin plot to anyone, they would be sure to

hear about it. But a week passed and the two men heard nothing. Not only was Louis Sweagles a hardened criminal, but it seemed like he knew when to shut up. They had their third man for the Lincoln plot. And he was just in time, too. Big Jim Keneally was getting impatient. He needed money fast and demanded that they stop wasting time and get on with the heist.

So one night in early October 1876, Hughes and Mullen met with Sweegles at the hub for a secret meeting. Sweegles showed up excited. After all the hours he put in, he was finally going to infiltrate the counterfeiting ring and get some useful information. But Hughes and Mullen dropped an absolute bombshell on him. Their real intention had nothing to do with counterfeiting

or robbing the graves of some rich guy in Wisconsin. Instead, they aimed to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln. Sweegles was flabbergasted. After the Wisconsin story, his mind began to race. Was this another test? Hughes and Mullen convinced him it wasn't. The Wisconsin plan had been vague, hypothetical. The Lincoln plot was detailed and well thought out. They knew everything about the layout of the tomb and knew exactly where they planned to bury the body, too, along a desolate stretch of Lake Michigan,

where the wind would sweep away their wagon tracks. They'd even looked up the criminal penalty for stealing bodies in Illinois. It was just one year in prison. Having laid all of this out, they looked at Sweegles and demanded to know whether he wanted in. Stunned, Sweegles didn't know what to say. Finally, he blurted it out that, coincidentally, he was the biggest body snatcher in Chicago, the king of grave robbing. Of course he wanted in. And to prove

himself, he proceeded to tell more of his wild stories, this time about body snatching. But unlike his tales about stealing horses, these stories were complete fabrications. He made them up on the spot. But Sweagles was a gifted storyteller, and as he went on, he could see Mull and the Hughes visibly relax. Once again, he'd won them over, and they welcomed him into the Lincoln plot.

After the meeting broke up, Sweagles said goodnight and stumbled back home in a daze. He wasn't sure what he'd gotten himself into. All he knew was that he needed to alert Patrick Tyrrell as soon as he possibly could. This was a much bigger criminal plot than either he or Tyrrell had bargained for. Now he was right in the thick of it. In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand,

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In November 1991, media tycoon Robert Maxwell mysteriously vanished from his luxury yacht in the Canary Islands. But it wasn't just his body that would come to the surface in the days that followed. It soon emerged that Robert's business was on the brink of collapse and behind his facade of wealth and success was a litany of bad investments, mounting debt, and multi-million dollar fraud. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondery Show Business Movers. We tell the true stories of business leaders who risked it all, the critical moments that define their journey, and the ideas that transform the way we live our lives. In our latest series, a young refugee fleeing the Nazis

arrives in Britain determined to make something of his life. Taking the name Robert Maxwell, he builds a publishing and newspaper empire that spans the globe. But ambition eventually curdles into desperation, and Robert's determination to succeed turns into a willingness to do anything to get ahead. Follow Business Movers wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen ad-free on the Amazon Music or Wondery app. When Patrick Tyrrell first heard about the plot to steal Lincoln's body, he had trouble believing it was real. It sounded crazy. He actually thought Louis Swiegels was drunk when he first explained it. But as Swiegels relayed more of the details,

Tyrrell began to get a sickening feeling in his stomach. His roper had discovered a major crime in the making. Finally convinced, Tyrell ordered Swiegel's to play along and gather more information. And then he picked up his pen to send news to his bosses in Washington. The Lincoln matter was completely out of Tyrell's jurisdiction. He wasn't sure how to handle it and needed guidance. He sent the message via telegram and anxiously awaited a response. Meanwhile, Louis Sweagles had been considering his own position in the plot. He was committed to playing along, but he didn't like being outnumbered

two to one. He wouldn't stand a chance against Mullen and Hughes if his cover was blown and things got ugly. So he decided to convince Mullen and Hughes that three men was too few for the job. If they wanted to do things right, they'd need a fourth. And Swiegel said he knew just the man for the job. Imagine it's past midnight on a chilly evening in October 1876. You're following a bearded man

into a dingy saloon in Chicago. It's one of those bars with broken chairs and sawdust on the floor. Normally, you'd never be caught dead in a place like this. You're a hard-working bricklayer with a family back home, but you happen to be friends from way back with Louis Sweagles. You can't believe what he's talked you into. At this late hour, the saloon is eerily deserted. You notice a plaster bust of Abe Lincoln behind the bar. And given your mission tonight, the sight of Honest Abe makes you wince. You wish Sweagles was here with you. But he said the men you're meeting tonight insisted that you come alone. The bearded man leads you to a small back room

with a coat rack and a poker table. Seated at the table is a slim man with a black walrus mustache. He stares hard at you as you sit down. So, you're Swiegel's friend. He said you were tough. You've been coached to act surly, so you do. None tougher. He said that you helped him rob the tannery. It was almost too easy to call it robbing.

Tell me how it went down. Well, I was laying low on Racine after another job, and I knew a tannery there. Let me stop you there. Racine. Jack, didn't Swigel say it was Madison? From the corner, the bearded man nods, and your stomach feels like it's dropped into your shoes. Swigel's coached you on what to say about the bogus robbery, but you've apparently mixed up the details. Before you know what's going on, the bearded man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gigantic knife. The man with the mustache turns back to you,

his eyes smoldering. So which is it, Racine or Madison? You glance at the knife, scrambling to think. Oh hell, you know Sweagles. He'll tell the same story three days in a row with three different endings. It was definitely Racine. You shut up and wait. There's a moment of tense silence. And both men burst out laughing. Yes, Swiegels likes to run his mouth, all right. But I guess that cash was real enough, right? You melt with relief. They've bought the lie. But the interrogation

continues. Sweegles told them that you used to blow open safes. In truth, you've never blown up anything bigger than a cherry bomb. But as a bricklayer, you've worked with some construction folks and picked up a few things. Mullen asks you about gunpowder and fuses, and you stumble through some answers. I can talk about explosives all day. But why? Sweagle says the door to the tomb are thinner than a matchstick. No, no, it's not for the doors. It's for the marble box he's in. The sarcophagus, whatever. If we can't bust it open with an axe, we're going to have to blow it open. The idea makes your stomach lurch. It could easily blow up Lincoln's body, too. But you've got to play along. Yeah, but the marble floor's in there.

Any explosion's going to echo like crazy. Wake the whole town up. You want a clean getaway, don't you? Mullen frowns. We do? Well, I know my way around some stone-cutting tools. I bet I find a quieter way. The two men exchange looks.

Maybe we can use someone with those skills. Anyway, we'll let you know. Apparently, your answer satisfied them, and the meeting breaks up. On the one hand, you're relieved. They didn't kill you. They, in fact, don't seem to suspect a thing. But as you leave the saloon, you wonder just what the hell Swiggles has gotten you into. The bricklayer who met Hughes and Mullen at the hub was a man named

Billy Neely. The Sweegles introduced him as Billy Brown, a master thief and explosives expert. But in truth, Neely had zero qualifications for the heist, beyond the fact that he had some thugs for friends and knew how to talk like one. But Neely was a good enough actor to convince Hughes and Mullen, and over the next few weeks, the four conspirators set about gathering supplies. This included saws, files, drills, and just in case, gunpowder and fuses. Big Jim Keneally also came up with a clever idea for how to demand the ransom after the heist. Though Keneally would not be in the tomb that night, he wanted to handle the ransom negotiations with the police.

So one night in October, during a meeting at the Hub, Terrence Mullen took the front page of that day's newspaper and tore it in half. One half he folded up and slipped into the hollow bust of Abe Lincoln behind the bar. The other half he slipped into his pocket. He explained that Big Jim told him to drop this other half at the tomb as they stole the body for the police to find. That way, when Big Jim approached the police about the ransom, he could hand them the matching half of the newspaper as proof he was really in touch with the thieves. The gang considered this a masterstroke of brilliance. All the while, Louis Sweagles was relaying these details to Patrick Tyrrell,

who couldn't have been happier with his roper. But Tyrrell was growing increasingly frustrated with his bosses in Washington. He still didn't know whether he had jurisdiction to pursue the case. And if he did, he wanted more agents. But the Secret Service refused to believe Tyrrell's story. They thought a plot to steal Lincoln's body sounded too far-fetched. No matter how many telegrams Tyrrell sent asking for support, his requests were ignored. Meanwhile, master counterfeiter Ben Boyd was stuck in prison. He had no idea about the Lincoln plot. But his wife, Allie, was free and living in Chicago again. One day, Jack Hughes and Terrence Mullen approached Allie and asked her to chip in some money for supplies.

They figured it was only fair, as the crime they were about to commit was for Ben Boyd's benefit. But that's not how Allie Boyd saw things. She saw two dumb coneymen hatching a ridiculous plot, and she told them to get lost. But still, the Lincoln plot moved forward. There was only one crucial bit of information the conspirators had not yet nailed down, the date of the heist. Tyrrell was eager to learn this detail, and Sweagle said he'd find out as soon as possible. When the gang met on the night of November 5th, they were still planning to take a few more weeks to prepare, but they realized that waiting so long could fatally compromise their plan. In two weeks, the ground could freeze, making it impossible to hide Lincoln's body by burying it.

So they had to act soon. The gang settled on what they thought would be the perfect date, Election Day, November 7th. The four men left the meeting in high spirits, Hughes and Mullen genuinely so, and Sweegles and Neely pretending to be. The next morning, Sweegles burst into Tyrrell's office to tell him the news. The crime was going down the very next day.

Tyrrell instantly saw that however absurd the thieves' plan was, their choice of date was ingenious. As the state capital, Springfield was full of politicians and government workers. Everyone would be carousing and huddled around telegraph stations that night, riveted over the election results.

It was the ideal distraction. So Tyrrell swung into action. He had only a matter of hours to get a team together in a desperate bid to stop the theft of the president's body. And with his bosses in Washington still scoffing at him, he had to take matters into his own hands. From Wondery, this is Episode 2 of the plot to steal Lincoln's body for American History Tellers. On the next episode, the thieves head down to Springfield with Patrick Tyrrell right on their heels.

And as the grave robbers close in on the tomb, Louis Sweagles and Billy Neely have no way of knowing if the Secret Service will catch them in time or if they'll have to find a way to thwart the plot themselves. If you like American history tellers, you can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey. by Derek Behrens. Music by Lindsay Graham. This episode is written by Sam Kean, edited by Dorian Marina. Our senior producer is Andy Herman. Executive producers are Jenny Lauer Beckman and Marsha Louis for Wondery.

In a quiet suburb, a community is shattered by the death of a beloved wife and mother. But this tragic loss of life quickly turns into something even darker. Her husband had tried to hire a hitman on the dark web to kill her. And she wasn't the only target. Because buried in the depths of the internet is The Kill List, a cache of chilling documents containing names, photos, addresses, and specific instructions for people's murders. This podcast is the true story of how I ended up in a race against time

to warn those whose lives were in danger. And it turns out, convincing a total stranger someone wants them dead is not easy. Follow Kill List on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to kill list and more exhibit c true crime shows like morbid early and ad free right now by joining wandery plus check out exhibit c in the wandery app for all your true crime listening