Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-09-08
ROBBED A SPECIE TANK.
A NIMBLE-FINGERE CHINA
MANS UNIQUE CRIME.
Story Exploded That No one Ever
Robbed specie Tank on an Ocean
Vessel.

The ocean steamship lines are carrying
millions OF gold backward and forward these
days. The handling OF this gold Is at
tended with some risk. for 1t must be re-
handled several times between its starting
point and Its destination, and Its enormous
value makes II a constant temptation to
the dishonest Public attention has been
turned in the direction OF these specie ship
nents and there has been much interest
in the form Of shipment Recently Il par
agraph went the round Of the newspapers
saying that no specie funk on an ocean
vessel had ever been robbed. Mr.. p, n.
Platt, who is In charge of the government
work OF the United States Express company
at Washington says, that this statement
was not true. Mr.. Platt Is a syn OF ex-
Senator 7. c.. Platt Of New York. He
has been purser on the Pacific mail steam
ships, running between san Francisco and
China aud from New York to Asplnwall.
~ was on the Great Republic" he said,
Sat the time that the specie tank Of the
Alaska was robbed. ] made the next trip
GU the Alaska. so | know the details OF the
Of silver Is shipped from san francisco 10
China every year and the Pacific Mall
handling It, or course the company takes
the risk OF loss In transit. This Insurance
Is considered In making tile rate Of trans.
pOrtution, There Is not much danger OF
seriups loss 10y robbery on account OF the
weight Of the coin. Gold weighs nearly
two tons to the million, and silver, of
course, sixteen times as much. The specie
tank IN which the silver is carried is made
Of ste,l. ON the Alaska the tank WAS
about live feet by seven and ten or twelve
feet deep. You know, the deck. Of YES
ming from one side Of the slhp 20 the other.
The tank was brought up level with the
bottom OF The, Orders and covered win a
steel top. held IN place by Two jan locks
Of finely tempered steel Above this cover
aud flush with the deck was another cover
OF steel also held in place by jail locks
had to open the deck cover and then the
tank cover 10 get at the silver. The purser
on the Alaska ga not make careful eN-
animation Of the tank from day to day
and he did not discover until the voyage
was about over that some one had sawed
one OF the locks aud worked Ills way info
the tank. 1t must have been one of the
Cinnamon IN the crow. He Ind worked his
way along between the deck Orders TO
finely tempered saw, he had sawed through
one Of the locks, He did not have 10 saw
the other because with one end unfastenei
he could work his way into the tank He
That Is the only instance where / know
any on, robbed tank by breaking Into II.
There have been instances OF robbery by
pnrsers. one man named Robinson walked |
on ship at Panama with $1,000 and
never heard OF again. | knew Robinson.
Then there was a man named Sepley | !
believe, who walled OF with some gold. |
But the robbery Of the tank on the Alaska
u the only instance know where spe.
Gle t1uk has been broken olru. The fact |
that the tank had been robbed Just before |
took charge OF Il made me dunbly eau.
Alaska. / made visit 10 the tank every |
day and examined 1t carefully to see TINT |
nothing had been removed No. I ala nnt
big shipment Of gold on one OF my trims, |
Win two loaded rcvolyers close al hand |
kept the gold In my cabin and | ala not
gel much rest ultil We reached port"