http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...a4bcf6878.html
Copper sword atop Lincoln's Tomb is stolen
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Thieves have nabbed a 3-foot-long copper sword atop Lincoln's Tomb in what is believed to be the first theft at the site in more than a century.
An employee noticed last week that the sword was cut from a statue of a Civil War artillery officer, the (Springfield) State Journal-Register (http://scrapmetalforum.com/sxWgJm ) reported Saturday. Officials think the sword was stolen sometime between September and early November.
Nothing had been stolen from the Springfield site, which is the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, since the sword on the same statue was taken more than 100 years ago, said Dave Blanchette, a spokesman for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Then, the sword was bronze.
"We just cannot imagine why someone would even think about doing it, let alone climb up the steps and actually do it," Blanchette said.
The statue is on the tomb's balcony, which is closed to visitors. Workers would likely have spotted a thief during the day, but no one guards the tomb at night, Blanchette said.
A security guard was posted overnight after a 1987 incident in which racist graffiti was spray-painted on the tomb. Five teenagers were arrested. But budget cuts ended that position within a few years of the incident, he said.
The rest of the statue was unharmed. Officials plan to fix the statue, Blanchette said.
These thieves are getting more and more brazen every day. Who the F does this especially to one of the greatest presidents in the history of USA. Sometimes being in this industry and hearing these stories makes me want to vomit.
