Grave Robbers Arrested, 1879

Grave Robbers Arrested

Utica Morning Herald, April 28, 1879

When Detective Wheeler, of Utica, and Chief Smith, of little Falls, arrested Nathan Lewis, of Jacksonburg, Friday night, all of the ghouls believed to be guilty of the robbery of the remains of Harry Burrell, last Monday, were in custody. The trio consists of William Van Alstyne, residence unknown; Thomas Kane, of Lichfield, and Nathan alias "Pop" Lewis, of Jacksonburg.  Van Alstyne and Kane are about 22 years of age and Lewis about thirty-six. The officers went to Jacksonburg in search of Lewis, but he was not at home. Returning to Little Falls they found him in a saloon quite drunk.  He begged not to be locked up over night, but the officers assured him that he would be very fortunate if the one night's confinement did not extend into months and years.  Lewis has been engaged in the manufacture of pop and the bottling of lager at Jacksonburg for a few years.  He formally resided in Mohawk.  He occupied the old hotel or house adjoining the barn under which the stolen remains were hidden.  One of his horse blankets was around the body with the one stolen from Fox with the horse and wagon.

About 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Lewis was arraigned before Justice Smith, of Little Falls, on the charge of complicity in the grave robbery.  District Attorney Duddleston was present.  Lewis had no counsel but waived examination and his bail was fixed at $3,000.  Officer Shepardson took him to Herkimer where he applied to his brother-in-law to become his bondsman.  This relative told him plainly that he could have nothing to do with any man who was directly or indirectly concerned in this terrible crime and Lewis was then handed over to Jailor Eaton.  A reporter of the Herald inquired if he had any statement to make in his own behalf, and he replied that he had not.

District Attorney Duddleston is accumulating evidence to convict Van Alstyne of the burglary and midnight assault at the residence of Alvin Richmond. The penalty for this offense is twenty years' imprisonment, and if convicted, he will undoubtedly get the whole of this term.  He has not been arraigned on the charge of complicity in the grave robbery, for which the extreme term including the accompanying burglary at Fox's stable and the cemetery vault will be but fifteen years.  Little Falls breathes freer since this fellow has been caged.

The grand jury meets within the first week in May, and these cases will undoubtedly be the first that are presented.  The people of Herkimer county express the hope that there will be no delay or postponements of these trials. The evidence now that the witnesses have all the facts fresh in their minds, no time should be wasted.  Prompt convictions and hasty punishment of these criminals will have a better tendency in the prevention of crime in the Mohawk valley than anything that has occurred within many years.

The body of Harry Burrell was reinterred Saturday in the private vault prepared for that purpose last week.  The remains were in an admirable state of preservation.  Only the immediate family of the deceased, C. Miller and family of Constableville, and a few other relations were present.  Rev. Mr. Potts, of the Presbyterian church officiated, simply offering a brief prayer thanking the Almighty for the recovery of the remains.

A reporter of the Herald visited Jacksonburg with Detective Wheeler Saturday.  The barn where the remains were found was carefully examined.  It stands on the south of the canal lock, opposite the store kept by Squire House.  It is a part of the old hotel, and in the west end of the building Rodney House and Nathan Lewis reside.  Mrs. Lewis says her husband was in the habit of reading after he went to bed.  As far as she knows he did not leave his bed after retiring at the usual hour last Monday evening. She claims to have no knowledge of the hiding of the body under the barn and did not hear any unusual sounds last Monday night or Tuesday morning.  The sleeping room of the Lewis family is about twenty-five or thirty feet west of that part of the stable under which the body was hidden. The barn stands on a side hill.  The foundation wall of the east end of the barn is about twelve feet in height while the roadway runs on a level with the floor of the barn.  There is quite a little hill just east of the barn.  By turning to the north before ascending the hill one strikes the level of the canal lock. A pile of manure about six feet in height lies against the foundation of the barn, and standing on this you can look through the hole in the wall through which the body was passed. The hole was originally about two feet in height and four feet wide, but it has since been enlarged.  On entering the hole one can almost stand erect, but the height decreases to about three feet as you approach the wooden pier behind which the remains were laid.  Hay seed, hay and small quantities of straw fall through he floor of the stable above.

Rodney and Squire House, of Jacksonburg, feel aggrieved at what has been said of their connection with this affair.  Rodney house showed the Herald's reporter over the premises, Saturday.  He is an honest-looking man with a goodly sized family and a worthy wife.  Mrs. House remarked, "I believe my husband to be an honest man; if I did not I would not live with him a minute."  Mr. House referred to Judge Loomis, of Little Falls and others as to his character for honesty and industry in the past.  His aged father was present at the interview. Rodney House said:  "Wednesday, at 7 a.m. I came to this hole in the wall and got under the barn to look for eggs.  All of my family, these gentlemen here (pointing to four or five others) and the neighbors generally know that hens have been in the habit of laying under the barn.  They pick food out of this manure pile and fly from that into this hole.  I found one nest and nine eggs in it only a few days ago.  I went under the barn, looked for eggs on the south side and then passed to the north.  When I got to the pier I saw what I supposed as a tramp rolled up in blankets.  I immediately went over to my brothers' store on the lock, and in the presence of Fred Orrenburg, John Casler and Paul Casler, told Squire that a man, dead or alive, was lying under the barn.  Orrendorf said, "I wonder if it can't be the body of Harry Burrell?"  We had heard of the vault robbery, Tuesday, from a party of fisherman.  Orrendorf, old man Casler and my brother returned with me.  I took the blanket off from the face and we all identified it as the body of Mr. Burrell.  We left the body where it was, told the boys to keep watch of it, and my brother, his hired man and myself hitched up our team at once to go to Little Falls.  Nathan Lewis asked to ride with us and accompanied us to Little Falls.  As far as I knew he did not know the object of our trip. We went to Mr. Burrell's store, and my brother inquired what would be given for the recovery of the remains.  Mr. Burrell inquired what would satisfy us and requested us to set our figures.  My brother said they ought to give $1,000. Mr. Burrell thought that was a large sum and $500 was afterwards named.  No settlement in the matter of reward was made.  Mr. Burrell told us to go to Churchill's and shortly afterward we returned to Jacksonburg with him. After we returned with the body we were interrogated by Sheriff Ives and the Albany detective. the latter said he intended to go for us rough shod, but he soon cooled down and said he was satisfied;  that is all I know of the affair."  Mr. House showed his sleeping room which is on the extreme west end of the building.  Nothing additional of importance was learned.

Chief of Police Smith, Officers Shepardson and Collins of little Falls, and their associates concerned in working on this case are entitled to great credit.  Since the discovery of the outrage they have labored with sleepless energy, following every clue and watching every suspicious character by day and night.  They have a hard gang to deal with, as the mob has friends and sympathizers in people who claim to be respectable, and thus keep track of the movements of the officers.  If the authorities of Little Falls will stand by Chief Smith and his associates a hole will be made in this gang of young rascals.  The evidence already accumulated is being strengthened every hour, and by the time the court opens a chain of testimony will be woven around the accused that can not be broken, Detective Thos. Wheeler of Utica, has handled this case with his accustomed skill and energy and is entitled to great credit.  His knowledge of the ways of criminals in the Mohawk valley is invaluable in this instance.