The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-19
THE ROBBERY OF THE MINT.
VeigheT Cochran Tells How He Got
the Bars Of Gold.

Secures CONCESSION - the Thlef
Lived in a Mansion.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Yesterday the mystery of the disap-
pearance from the vaults of the Philadel-
phia mint of 5000 ounces of gold bullion
was cleared up fully, and the government
officials breathed freely after few days
of terrible suspense. The thief was
Henry S, Cochran, for forty three years
a trusted employee of the government, and
custodian of the vault that was depleted
of its precious contents. The story of the
old mans downfall was told last night
with graphic force by Chief Drummond,
of the secret service, and superintendent
Bosbyshell, in the latter's little Office in
the whiteAbuilding at Juniper and Chest
nut streets. 1t was a story of Gaspard
with mania for the rich yellow metal.
or the $134, 093. 40 worth of bullion taken,
all but S26, 900 worth has been recovered,
and the thief has promised to restore
that
Cochran made a complete Cornerstone
and said that he alone had taken the
missing gold. In charge of two secret
service detectives, the old man, who had
been the guardian of millions of dollars
during his long years of service, was TAX
en- last night, almost broken-hearted, to
the beautiful home in which he lived
alone, in picturesque point, near Darby
creek. Chief Drummond says that, ow-
ing to Cochran's age and his long service,
he will recommend that he be not pros
ecuted. 'But if he fails to pay back the
last half-dOlar / shall send him to the
penitentiary for the rest of his life" said
the chief.
WHERE THE GOLD WAS KEPT.
As the story of the old vault keeper
was told in Col. Bosbyshell's Office last
night, tray of luscious pears from Coch-
rams orchard rested on table in the cen
ter of the group. The vault over which
the old man had been guardian is on the
left of the passageway leading from the
rotunda entrance to the mint. Around
the sides are shelves divided into COM
partments and protected by heavy iron
screens. A high barred door is in front
of each compartment. In the largest
compartment in the northeast corner was
stored SIC, 000,0 600 worth of gold bullion,
and in an adjoining compartment We're
gold bars worth s., 000,0 600. The other
compartments were packed with silver
All this had to pass through the hands of
Cochran, the weigh clerk, before it was
taken out to be coined.
Recently the demand for gold increased
and on orders to proceed with coinage as
rapidly as possible, Superintendent Bos-
byshell decided to use the gold in the
sealed compartment Mr.. Preston hap
pened to be in the city at the time and he
found the seals all right. Col BOsby-
shell, however, wanted a treasury official
from WASHINGTON present when the seals
were broken, and Mr.. Preston said he
would send one. The question of opening
the vault had been discussed for several
days, when the old weigh clerk walked
into the superintendent's office
THE WEIGH CLERKS sOLICITUDE.
'What's the use of opening that vault?"
said Cochran. ''It'S all nicely sealed IN
and l wouldn't disturb it. Get the direc-
tor to send to New York for what gold
you need"
Last Tuesday a week ago Chief Clerk
Cobb, who has spent a lifetime in the
mint with his old friend Cochran. was
told to send to Washington for the man
TO open the scaled compartment, and
Supt BOsbysheu went out of town. On
Wednesday afternoon Cochran went TO
Chief Clerk Cobb and urged him to have
the gold brought from New York. On
Thursday the weigher again went to
Cobbs Office. He made another urgent
plea not to disturb the sealed compart-
that he had already summoned the man
from Washington Cochran seemed
stunned. He left the room without a
word That night Acting Director Pres
ton came across the weigh clerk in Wash
ingtOn.
Hello Harry, what are you doing
here}" asked Mr.. Preston
Il only ran down to see a few friends"
Cochran replied. Then in hesitating
he us1r
open that vault?"
Yes, said Mr.. Preston.
Don't do it," urged theold man. "Just
send over to New York for what gold
may be needed"
But Mr. Morgan has already gone to
Philadelphia to open the vault" was Mr..
PrestOn's reply.
We'll, he won't find all the gold there"
remarked Cochran, but when asked for
an explanation he stammered and turned
away.
THE SHORTAGE DISCOVERED.
On Friday morning a week ago Cochran
hurried into the mint; Morgan was
already there. The cage filed with the
bullion was open when Cochran arrived.
The keys had been left in Washington
and Supt. BOsbyshell ordered the steel
bars to be broken With the help of AS /
slstant Weighing Clerk Jones, who was
associated with Mr.. Morgan, the haspS
We're filed and the screen torn off. The
count began at IL O'Clock. An invoice
was found to show what bullion had been
placed there when the compartment had
Oeen sealed. The gold is put up in melts,
which are divided into bars, weighing
IRON fourteen to seventeen pounds each
While the weighing was going on Coch-
ran was in and out. Shortly after
O'Clock in the afternoon, he swung back
me door of Col. Bosbyshells Office in his
gGt!a-fashioned, hearty, brusque manner
blg beads of perspiration were on his face
, as ne said: "Major, l want to see you
What's the matter, Henry" asked the
superintendent.
Some of the bars are missing he
Whispered.
on; guess not, Henry Don't get
'atIed, y said the superintendent, kindly. |
l., But some are missing, l say" grasp |
Ihe colonel's arm. They'll never !
=; ;,iiu G,hem. Why major they never went
a. ~. most Of the men who put the gold in |
IIiun know. They were put in in a
Aigggledy -piggledy way"
r7E IN Monday the count was finished. |
nHiIIY bars, valued at S134, 003. 40, were
Kissing. Just 4,065 bars were there. Mr. |
tt oYg \, at once went to Washington. He
T ~ Slr Preston of the missing bars. On
,rLLe:sluay he came back to make a recount
~ tiOH Was finished ON Wednesday after
Inc thirty bars were still missing
CHIEF DRuMMoND ON THE TRIAL.
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