Chicago, IL  - Nearly a decade after his death, a group of counterfeiters tried to steal the body of one of America's greatest presidents - Abraham Lincoln. The story which had the potential to stir the nation did nothing for 1876's politically charged America. Now an author has tried to revive the long forgotten story of attempted burglary in his book "Stealing Lincoln's Body."

In the book, Thomas J. Cruaghwell has not only given a full account of the plot to steal Lincoln's corpse, but he also provides an insight into other aspects such as counterfeiting, details of mummification and the inception of the Secret Service in the U.S.

The book describes how a gang of counterfeiters planned to hijack Lincoln's body fron his Springfield, Illinois tomb and sell it for few thousands of dollars. However, the plot was foiled after the gang members involved a former crook, who turned out to be an informant for the newly established Secret Service.

According to the Associated Press, the topic has been previously covered twice, first in 1890 by the custodian of the tomb and then in 1990 by Bonnie Stahlman Speer, in his book, "The Great Abraham Lincoln Hijack."

An outspoken opponent of the expansion of slavery and a revered politician, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. He was the sixteenth president of the United States.

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