Still No Sign Of Tilden Wreath Stolen In Spring
by Doug La Rocque
It was in April of this year, it was discovered that the bronze wreath that once sat on the tomb of Samuel Tilden. Tilden, the 25th Governor of New York State and who came within a whisker of becoming the 19th President of the United States, was missing from the vault at the Cemetery of the Evergreens in New Lebanon.
Since the wreath weighed about 400 pounds, removing it was no easy task, and certainly required the efforts of more than one person. According to Ed Godfroy, who handles the affairs for the cemetery, he found the door had been pushed in, but was still secured by a chain.
This left only a small opening for the thieves to remove the wreath.
New York State Police have been investigating the theft, but so far, to no avail. They are now asking for the public’s help and request anyone with any information about the theft or the location of the wreath, please call them at 845-677-7300 and refer to case number 9536323.
Samuel Tilden died in 1886, and the tomb was constructed a few years later, complete with the wreath, According to Mr. Godfroy, the wreath was stolen in 1967, but later recovered with significant damage. It has been kept in the vault since that time, while attempts to raise enough money to repair it have been ongoing.