San Andreas independent., 1857-09-19
The Mint Robberies.


thieves, who stand in high positions, and whose
blasting presence has proven such curse to
every portion of California. 1t is we'll known
fact that for the last three or four years. the
people of California have been constantly losing
confidence in each other; and particularly is
are deposited or handled large amounts ofpublic
money. For long time {" tarred fingers" have
been looked upon, watched and cared for, as
one of I" the peculiar institutions" of this coun-
try but it remained for the U. S. Branch Mint
| to bring forward the greatest discovery of the
day, and add to "science" by teaching the
slippery trick of q acariny the heel" Not long
ago the wonderful fact was supposed to be dis
covered, that large quantities of gold had been
escaping by any one-through
the conducting fues and chimney attached to
the Mint; but later developments have pretty
being very heavy substance, that it did not
rise but rather sunk, and was conducted into
some lower obscurity.
When Banks bursted up, and Expresses went
| uoHL, anu great poTtiOu Vi Tic community
were covered with the scattered and falling
fragments, or engulphed in the gaping assures,
the public were credulous enough to believe
that there yet remained one place of safety;
one little nook, secure from foul hands and dirty
fingers; one "sqfe," concerning which there
could be no doubt-about which no word of
suspicion could ever be raised-the strong
box of Uncle Sam, placed in the San Francisco
Branch Mint, as a monument of perpetual safe
ty for all deposits. But, again has the too con-
fding public been deceived again have they
been taught another important lesson in the
oft established fact, that thieves acU steal wher-
ever the opportunity is favorable.
When the Strengthening up of affairs at the
Mint took place, and it discovered that
Uncle Sam's strong box was not place Of per-
feet safety it was endeavored to be proved
upon scientific principles, that it entirely
possible for the gold to have escaped through
the chimney But the public not being suffi-
ciently versed in science to understand the
nsodus operandi of such reasoning, were inclined
to doubt, and on closer investigation, it was
y,
Meter and Refner, had, by superior knowl-
edge of ''science," MANAGE elect the
evaporated orc as it pas: lgh the .Rues,
and appropriate it to his o@n use, proving de-
faulter to the lively tune of 1852, 900. Scarce
| ly is the public mind satisfied as to what be-
came of the epaporated gold, when it is again
surprised with the announcement that Billy
Bien, an employee in the Coiner's Department,
has, by waxing his heel picked up and carried
off clippings to the amount of IS 1888 and
because he failed to steal more, but little SYM
pathy is shown him. He is thrown into prison,
in a suffering condition; and, he charges,
robbed by mis- lawyers, who have obtained all
his means, and now neglect his case, pay no
regard to his wants, and do not even furnish
him with those comforts which are NECESSARY
to make a prison life endurable All these
statements are denied by the attorneys in the
case-one ofwhom alleges that Bien has proper
ty and securities to the amount of twenty-five
or thirty thousand dollars.
Next comes more important parsonage than
Bien-no less one than J. H. Szabo, Assistant
Assayer-who has managed to " amalgdmate"
suficiency of " chips to amount to the pretty
little of $ll 900. He has been in the
habit ofdepositing this amalgam with his friends,
; the Blums, who acted as agents in having it
coined; but the gold being of superior !" fine
ness" to any heretofore discovered in the gold
mines of California, the Blums, supposing the
Assistant Assayer was doing very good busi-
ness, resorted to the financial trick of 9 black
mailing" to which Szabo objected; and after
signing paper to pay his friends, the Blums,
the sum of $4,000, brought suit against them
on the ground of extortion. 1t was necessary
Szabo should appear in Court to give testimo-
ny; and he being particularly tender-footed
when questioned upon certain matters, lest he
should criminate Count Uznay and himself
added another link to the grand puzzle, and
served to further perplex those who have been
endeavoring to unravel the " Mint mystery"
AS the matter now stands, Haraszthy has
evaporated Sl52 900; Bien waxed So, ,333, and
Szabo amalgamated Sll ,oOo-making in all,
Sl66, ,OO0 There are ninety-one officers and
employees in the Mint. Supposing each one
has had time and opportunity to steal his full
proportion, multiply the above sum by the
.fues, divide by the chimney, then, if well ~a1ed
and properly amalgamated, it will produce the
sum total of what has been abStracted from
Uncle Sans strong box in the Branch Mint
All eyes are now turned to the Grand Jury,
in San Francisco, and it is expected that more
Developments will shortly be made, as cloud
of suspicion hangs over the Mint and every per-
son employed in and about it. 1t is earnestly
to be hoped that Courts and Juries will do their
whole duty, and give the establishment thor
ough cleaning out, and let it no longer stand as
den for thieves. Let it be well and complete