The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-10-07
A Man Who Robbed the Mint.

the MINT IS clearly destined 10 go ID
to history as one Of the greatest cur.
iosities of crime. 1t is extraordinary
that the precautions for the preser-
walton of the gold in the Mint should
have been eluded by Cochran and
that be should have escaped detec-
ton for so long, but interesting as is
the history of how he succeeded in
getting out the bars of gold, it may
be passed over at once in view of the
more transcendent interest Of the
psychology Of the case.
The effect of his crime on the mind
of Cochran was most remarkable.
Perhaps something analogous TO it
is rather the rule than the exception
with criminals who are conscious Of
guilt and OF the imminent danger Of
detection. 1t is under this pressure
that the ordinary criminal is forced
to betray himself by Iunning away.
In Cochran's case the pressure must
have been terrific, and his method
Of relieving his mind from the strain
thus caused is what gives his case its
extraordinary interest.
The examination Of his rooms
makes it clear that from the time he
stole the first bar his mind was mas
tered more and more by the single
idea of his guilt and of the necessity
for conceallno it.
To hide the gold; to melt it down
80 as to make it unacceptable; to
spend it, to get rid of it in any way
it was this idea that always re-
Cured and tortured him into the
most curious extravagances. He
filled his house with such secret slid
ing panels as he had read of in the
novels of G. P. r. James and Walter
Scott. He had an iron safe let into
the wall and concealed by a cabinet
made over it, He had crucibles and
an improvised furnace in his cellar,
and he had constructed a secret pas
sage in which it is supposed he in
tended to take refuge if surprised in
his work of melting down the bars.
Ostensibly this was for a cellar drain
and it is surprising that he had not
forced detection long ago by doing
such strange things on such absurd
pretexts. Perhaps the very strange
ness of them made it impossible for
the workmen he employed to sus-
pect him.
His desire to get rid of the gold
showed itself in his purchases. He
had fine razor for each day in the
month; a considerable assortment of
Bibles in fine binding; an extraor-
binary amount of clothing, most of
which he had never worn at all :;
more boots and shoes than he ever
could have worn, and great many
other things the purchase of which
served to show the mental anguish
he was undergoing,
Undoubtedly his mind had long
ago begun to fail under the torture.
The curse of the stolen gold left him
no peace He sought relief by in
vesting the gold as fast as he could
in anything that struck his diseased
fancy. One day he bought diamonds
and rubies. The next day be invest
ed in umbrellas and Bibles.
1t was al. to no purpose. He could
neither hide the gold by building new
secret compartments in his wall or
in his desks, nor get rid of it by
melting it down and spending it.
He had most of it still on hand when
finally detected. And no doubt the
day of his arrest was the most com
Portable day he had passed since he
stole the first bar.
There are many strange things in
nature, but the human mind is the
strangest of them all.-St. Louis Re
Public