Why Grave Robbers Tried to Steal Abraham Lincoln’s Body on Presidents’ Day In 1876, counterfeiters attempted to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body from his Springfield tomb to demand ransom and a prisoner’s release. After the failed plot, Lincoln’s coffin was secretly moved multiple times before being sealed inside a steel-and-concrete vault in 1901. Even in death, Lincoln required protection — proving some figures remain powerful far beyond the grave. Strange Internments. True Tales. weirdburialstori