Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-16
STOLEN FROM THE MINT.
An Eighty-five Pound Brick of Silver
and its HistOrY.

An Eighty-five Pound Brick of Silver
and its History.
The Sub-Treasury yesterday, says the
New York Herald of Feb. 13, came into
possession Of bar of silver which has a
remarkable history. 1t weighs 1,02s.
ounces, or about eighty-fve pounds troy,
is 999 fine, or absolutely pure, and is
worth over $1,100. The noteworthy fact
about this silver bar is that it was stolen
from the Philadelphia Mint, an institu-
ton which is so conducted that it had al
ways been believed an impossibility to
steal anything from it.
About Jan. 20 last Clark, Dodge s. Co.,
brokers, received consignment of silver
bullion from the Omaha and Grant Refin-
ing and Smelling Company, of Omaha,
whose Eastern agents the firm is. Some of
the bars were sold to j. & W. Seligman,
the bankers, among others one numbered
1929. They in turn sold this bar to the
government at the Philadelphia Mint,
where ii was delivered on Jan. "a. The
Treasury buys silver for the mints once
week.
BACK IN NEW YORK.
On Wednesday last two men called at
the office of Charles 5. Platt, a refiner and
assayer at No. 4 Liberty street, with a
bar of silver for sale. The principal Of
the two gave his name as r. +. Calm, a
jeweler of No. Maiden lane. Mr.. PIatt
saw the stamp of the Omaha and Grant
Company on the bar and the number
1929, and thought it strange that Clark,
Dodge & Co. should have allowed it to be
offered for sale in this way, knowing that
the firm in question handled all the silver
of the company.
Mr.. Calm left the silver bar with Mr..
Platt. The latter hastily sent for Clark
Dodge 81 Co., and an examination of the
record soon elected the fact that bar No.
1929 had been sold TO the Seligmans, and
by them to the Philadelphia Mint. The
Sub-Treasury officials were commune
Gated with. They telegraphed to Phila-
delphia, and there it was learned that the
bar had been stolen from the Philadelphia
Mint. The silver was taken to the Sub
Treasury vaults yesterday, where word
was received that Mr.. b. Boyd, of the
Mint, would come to New York to inves-
tigate the matter.
A MIR. Calm was found by a reporter at
the jewelry manufacturers, at No. 6
Maiden lane. When the visitor asked
what he had to say in regard to the silver
bar which he wanted to sell, MIR. Calm
smiled pleasantly and said ooh, / guess
you want to see the other Mr.. Calm. He
isn.t In and WON'T be back to-day"
Mr.. Platt received the impression that
Mr.. Calm had come into possession of the
silver bar as an innocent buyer or agent,
IN the ordinary way of business.
AT the sub-treasury the officials were
reticent about the case. A government
officer in another brancb Of "a service
said:
MYSTERY.
''This case is a remarkable one fol .he
reason that thefts from the Philadelphia
mint are almost Unprecedented. They
have such perfect system of checks that
do not see how it is possible to steal a
penny's worth of the precious metals.
How big brick of silver weighing eigh-
ty-five pounds could have been carried off
cannot understand. Several employees
OF the mint must have acted in cOllusion
to make the thing at all possible. 1t is a
mystery"
Secret Service Officer Drummond was
yesterday engaged on the case. Mr.. Calm
was instructed, it is said, to give no infor-
nation to the press, for fear of defeating
the ends of justice in the discovery of the
thieves