 In the year 1890 , Edwin B. Young , a descendant of United Empire Royalists and a colonel in the King 's Royal , was made superintendent of the grounds . A particular wealthy family , the Gardners , had large granite vaults built very visibly to pedestrians along then <unk> Road . It was reported by the New York Sun that grave robbers had broken into various vaults at Grove Church . The Gardner vault had been found opened , which required the vandal to smash locks as well as break the iron railing , which was believed to be achieved by the use of hammers and chisels stolen from on adjoined marble yard . Robert Gardner 's metallic coffin was found opened , removed from the shelf upon which it sat . The investigation , led by Superintendent Young , left those involved unsure of why the perpetrators would have broken in , and with no apparent objective or reason , they concluded that it may have been done simply to desecrate the resting place of the dead . Young held that position of superintendent until 1899 , for the pursuit of real estate . 
