The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-17
THE MINT THIEF CAUGHT.
HE WAS AN Old AND TRUSTED EN-.
PLOYEE or THE q OTERNMENE

or Ten years. bat 100000 Worth was
Stole, WIN. the Fast Tea Days-Ths
THIEF Confes-es, and Tells How He
| Ab.tr.eted the Gold Buiiion from the
vauit-A Large Part OF u Recovered.
WASHINGTON. Sept 8.-The Treasury De-
partment hns made public the exact facts in
relation to the reported loss OF gold bullion
from the Mint in Philadelphia. as follows:
ION account OF the demand for coin a vault
in which come S16000.000 was stored In 1887
| by Mr.. Preston during the term OF Mr.. Fox as
| superintendent and which was receipted for by
| Mr.. o. G. Bosbyshell without weighing. was
opened on the 9Th inst. and the bullion re-.
weighed by Mr.. Morgan. and was found to be
! thirty bars short. valued at about S134, 1000.
| Mr.. Morgan imm ediately reported to the Mint
Bureau tho results. when he was directed to
return to Philadelphia at once and reweiRh
| the bullion. On the second Weighing it was
still found to be short. Since this bullion was
| stored in the vault tho weigh clerk. an
| old employee at the Mint. had sole GUS
| tody OF It, and circumstances indicated
| that he knew what had become OF the missing
| bullion. He was charged with its embezzle-
ment and he finally admitted it: he furnished
| Information as to where over Sl000O0 OF It
| was secreted which was recovered yesterday.
| and more will be recovered to. day. AS he has
| expressed a willingness to give 1t up. but as to
| how much cannot be accurately stated. but
probably between $4,000 and $1,000. 1t is be-
lieved at the Treasury Department that the
Government will lose nothing. This state
ment is made in order to allay all sensational
news"
The name OF the i'm picated official is Henry
S. Cochran. He had been In the employ OF the
mint over forty years. His salary was $4,000.
Now that tho Government is practically a.
sured OF recovering more than four ifths OF
the amount OF gold distracted from the vault
in the Philadelphia mint the story OF its dis
appearance and the circumstances leading to
the capture OF the culprit are gradually coming
out. Secretary Carlisle had hardly Issued his
order directing that tho bullion in the several
minis OF tho country be coined than Mr.. Henry
S. Cochran in charge OF tho reserve vault In
the Philadelphia Mint. became uneasy. 80
much 80. in fact that he mentioned tho
matter to several OF tho employees OF the
Philadelphia Mint. intimating that the gold
would not 10 found intact whom the Mint
vault should be opened and the gold re-
weiehed. He did not. however. conGne him:
self to mere protestations to the employees OF
sent !. b. csms to MssIinstSSn ana visited
suade Mr.. Preston to have the Secretary
from the New, York Sub-Treasury for that
oTder could not be renoEed MN '"a' '"e
The unusual zeal displayed by Mr.. Cochran
in tue matter aroused suspicion In MIR. Pres.
preferred from Philadelphia that II int off,
cial should be detailed to be present when the
why such course should b.. pursued when
the whole rested on The spperin,
it is proper to state that no suspicion OF any
kind Is entertained that Superintendent Bos-
byshe had the least idea OF shortage ;n In the
ence Of Treasury official he desired to divide
the % The Mn5 to tss
The story 81 how the shortage was discover;
for obvious reasons to Weigh Clerk Cochran.
Chief Drummond OF the secret service was
a. day ohc let or PhsSsphs a asa On confer
ence with Acting Director Preston. and i'm
mediiately began work F on the ease The
Cochran made q full confe 81 on to Chief Drum
mond and Mr. Preston. who had come over
said that for the past eight or ten years he had
been abstractinR bullion bars from the vault.
The method he employed was substantially
~ means Of crook ed wire he pulled the
@ fs TX IKE 81 ra2osd tes when
thy 5 On he b "er he Toq b. BY
one side. the bolts having rusted. BY pushing
the door inward on thi side the bar OF gold
this stealing. before the employees OF the Mint
SANE can to GsT work In the msGng T. A. the
pounds ' each. he t could carry ' them home
s score in bis lunch basket In this way he
s out Of so nG f suo and By carried
as Heretofore described. lie took out
PoS G he Mnt budns " es se:res$
after he made his confession. he himself show
Ing the officials its hiding PLACE oo 49,,
has place outside Of Philadelphia said to be
worth $4,000 SO that with the amount OF
n and sssssSE a Ss 3
Government can mako up the difference be-
tween the :s134.0oO stolen and the 100000 |
FH1LtnrhPp1A. Sent 1a-The exact amount
Of this sioo. 4$H: 81. was found secreted in the
ventilator loft. and $1,000 more was dscov-
Is vt Ms the Ra IF
service but ds not ,S
,Roshyshel thinks there is but little proba;
bility, Of Cochran being prosecuted. He will |
n5p%mc.d SonouFs with me- that his mind is
Chi Of Drummond to night described the man
in wh'h ne s wnntod sm 5s
me catch the thief" the Secret Service Chief |
said. land he said he would do It,"
80 He was very nervous. butapparently not at |
all frightened hy his unpleasant position. and
| let him take his own time to confess. Finally
he put both his hands down on my knees. and,
with his head bowed. said: 4 stole that gold
myself"
dc91ntiHu9g; Chief Prnmmond said; he
to him for his long services, and low sal;
nry. over and over again he reiterated
the assertion that he made millions OF dol:
lars for the Treasury Department. and
that 1t was due him; he should have some
share Of these imaginary profits. He trem-
hled every time he spoke Of gold; and the very
- lio said he took the first bar because 1t had
fallen DOWN on, the hoor inside the vault.
where he had to pick it up. The TEN ptation
WAS too much for him and he carried it out.
The next day he melted II. sent it to him
self Mt the Mint b, EXPRESS and paid his own
messenger for It in gold coin
" He did not remember iust what year he did
this but he thought 1t was shortly after tho
barred door inside the vault had been sealed
81 Wi N, 70 Ia In No. hy !