Lincoln's Grave Robbers (Scholastic Focus)

by Steve Sheinkin

Overview

A true crime thriller — the first book for teens to tell the nearly unknown tale of the brazen attempt to steal Abraham Lincoln's body!

The action begins in October of 1875, as Secret Service agents raid the Fulton, Illinois, workshop of master counterfeiter Ben Boyd. Soon after Boyd is hauled off to prison, members of his counterfeiting ring gather in the back room of a smoky Chicago saloon to discuss how to spring their ringleader. Their plan: grab Lincoln's body from its Springfield tomb, stash it in the sand dunes near Lake Michigan, and demand, as a ransom, the release of Ben Boyd —and $200,000 in cash. From here, the action alternates between the conspirators, the Secret Service agents on their trail, and the undercover agent moving back and forth between the two groups. Along the way readers get glimpses into the inner workings of counterfeiting, grave robbing, detective work, and the early days of the Secret Service. The plot moves toward a wild climax as robbers and lawmen converge at Lincoln's tomb on election night: November 7, 1876.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545405720
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/01/2013
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,109,617
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.84(d)
Lexile:	930L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Steve Sheinkin is the critically acclaimed author of National Book Award Finalist and Sibert Medal winner Bomb: The Race to Build — and Steal — the World's Most Dangerous Weapon; Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War, winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction; and National Book Award Finalist The Port Chicago 50. He resides in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Read an Excerpt

At ten o'clock that night, Whitley was sitting at the desk in his hotel room, writing up a report. There was a gentle knock on the door. “Come in,” said the chief. The door opened. A voice sang out, “Good evening, Colonel!”Whitley turned to his guest. “McCartney!” he shouted, drawing his revolver. “How are you here?” “Put up your shootin'-iron, Colonel,” McCartney said. “I merely called to pay my respects. I am going back, of course.”And McCartney really did walk back to prison. Smiling all the way. Herman Whitley never did figure out how McCartney got out of jail that night. However he did it, the stunt illustrated a serious challenge facing the U.S. government in the 1870s. The Secret Service was absolutely determined to catch counterfeiters and keep them behind bars. But coney men were just as eager to get free–and they were good at it, too.

Table of Contents

Cast of Characters vi

Prologue: Midnight Escape 1

Chapter 1 The Operative 8

Chapter 2 The Pull 18

Chapter 3 Coney Men vs. the Secret Service 25

Chapter 4 Big Jim 33

Chapter 5 First Try 45

Chapter 6 Boodle Game 66

Chapter 7 Prince of Ropers 75

Chapter 8 The Trap 86

Chapter 9 Last Details 98

Chapter 10 Overnight Train 106

Chapter 11 Election Day 112

Chapter 12 Night at the Monument 122

Chapter 13 Devilish Work 133

Chapter 14 Search Begins 146

Chapter 15 Back to the Hub 156

Chapter 16 Gathering Evidence 166

Chapter 17 Compromise Verdict 176

Epilogue: Final Resting Place? 182

Body Snatcher Bonus Section 199

Glossary of Phrases 208

Source Notes 209

Index 212

Acknowledgments 214

Editorial Reviews

This meticulous and tremendously suspenseful account of the attempted heist of Abraham Lincoln’s body in 1876 reads like a smartly cast fictional crime thriller, with a skillful buildup of tension and sharp character portrayals. Sheinkin (Bomb) lays the groundwork for the plot by delving into the history of counterfeiting, a booming business during and after the Civil War (“By 1864, an astounding 50 percent of the paper money in circulation was fake”). James Kennally, leader of one of the largest counterfeiting rings in the Midwest, masterminded the plot to steal the late president’s body from the Lincoln Monument, outside Springfield, Ill. His intent was to ransom the purloined corpse, hitting up the government for a tidy sum of money and the freedom of his jailed, top-notch engraver. Perhaps the most dynamic player is Lewis Swegles, a shrewd career criminal who juggled double roles as Secret Service informer and alleged conspirator. Sheinkin’s study of Swegles’s thought process and machinations intensifies the drama of the final showdown between the would-be robbers and government officials. A sizzling tale of real-life historical intrigue. Ages 10–14. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

This meticulous and tremendously suspenseful account of the attempted heist of Abraham Lincoln's body in 1876 reads like a smartly cast fictional crime thriller, with a skillful buildup of tension and sharp character portrayals. Sheinkin (Bomb) lays the groundwork for the plot by delving into the history of counterfeiting, a booming business during and after the Civil War ("By 1864, an astounding 50 percent of the paper money in circulation was fake"). James Kennally, leader of one of the largest counterfeiting rings in the Midwest, masterminded the plot to steal the late president's body from the Lincoln Monument, outside Springfield, Ill. His intent was to ransom the purloined corpse, hitting up the government for a tidy sum of money and the freedom of his jailed, top-notch engraver. Perhaps the most dynamic player is Lewis Swegles, a shrewd career criminal who juggled double roles as Secret Service informer and alleged conspirator. Sheinkin's study of Swegles's thought process and machinations intensifies the drama of the final showdown between the would-be robbers and government officials. A sizzling tale of real-life historical intrigue. - Publishers Weekly starred review

From the Publisher

It is estimated that by 1864 50 percent of the paper money in the United States was counterfeit. This prompted the Treasury Department to establish the Secret Service in 1865 for the purpose of protecting the integrity of U.S. currency and bringing counterfeiters to justice. In 1876, on the very eve of the most-contested election in history, a band of counterfeiters set in motion a plan to rob the grave of Abraham Lincoln. Their intention? To hold the President’s body ransom and free a notorious counterfeit engraver from prison. Sheinkin—author of last year’s wildly acclaimed Bomb: The Race To Build – and Steal – The World’s Most Dangerous Weapon (Flash Point/Roaring Brook, 2012)—again sets a story of intrigue and derring-do against the backdrop of history, here the origins of the Secret Service and the presidential race between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden (which makes Bush vs. Gore look downright civilized). While aimed at a younger crowd than Bomb, Lincoln’s Grave Robbers still delivers for the adult set.

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Library Journal

Gr 5–9—Lively dialogue and a fascinating narrative make this an entertaining read. A true-crime thriller set in 1876, the story involves Secret Service agents on the trail of counterfeiters who hoped to spring their leader from jail by holding the body of President Abraham Lincoln for ransom. The men involved included "Big Jim" Kennally, the mastermind behind the plot; Terrence Mullen; and Benjamin Boyd. Among the lawmen are James Brooks, chief of the Secret Service, and agents Patrick Tyrrell and Elmer Washburn. The account of the body-snatching plot is interwoven with the presidential election of 1876 between candidates Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden. There is also information about Mary Todd Lincoln and her son, Robert, who was a prominent Chicago attorney at the time. Readers also learn about the workings of the association in Springfield that operated the Lincoln Tomb. The book includes a glossary of phrases used in the dialogue. Readers will be entertained by the animated writing style, which creates a real page-turner, and learn history at the same time. An essential addition for all collections.—Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges

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