The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-09-23
BIG SHORTAGE
In tho PhiiadelphiA Mint-Five Thousand
Ounces OF Gold Bullion IUnaccountably
nNosalvu

In the PhilRdelphiA Mint-Five Thousand
Ounces OF Gold Bullion oUnaccountably
Missing.
PHnApKLpHrA, Sept 18.--Mystery Is
added to the mystery in the discovery
OF big shortage in the vast treasury
Of gold bullion in the vaults of the u. S.
mint in this city. The amount missing
Is 5000 ounces, valued at st34, 000 Act
ing Director of the Mint Preston con.
firmcd the report Friday in dispatch
sent out from Washington, and shortly
nfterward took a train for this city for
the purpose of aiding the investigation
begun nearly a week ago, when the
shortage was first discovered. What
progress this investigation has made
toward the recovery Of the missing
treasure, or the detection of the means
by which it disappeared, Mr. Preston
will not say
Chief Drummond, of the secret
service bureau, was equally reticent,
but stated positively Friday night. that
no arrest had been made. Superin.
tcndent Bosbyshell and other officers
of the mint declare that their mouths
are sealed concerning any information
they may possess in reference to the
shortage A conference was held in
the Lafayette hotel Friday night to
consider the matter, at which there
were present Acting Director Preston
and his assistant, VIM. T. Morgan;
Superintendent Bosbyshell and DR..
Tuttle, the melter and refner of the
mint; Chief Drummond and Agent I'M
derwood, of the treasury department
A guard was placed over the door Of
the apartment in which the conference
was held, and admission was denied all
| applicants. The meeting lasted an
hour and half, and its developments
We're awaited with interest by a num-
ber of mint employees.
At the close, however, none of those
present would speak upon the subject
of the conference, and quickly dis
persed. The vault in which the gold
is short had, when it was sealed in
1877, about SIG, 100000 in gold bullion.
B. NJ. Fox was superintendent of the
mint at that time, and o. c. Bosby-
| shell succeeded him in November,
1889, receipting for the gold in the
| sealed vault without weighing it. The
shortage was discovered only on Tues
day, when the vault was opened for the
purpose of coming the bullion The
superintendent of the mint is under
bonds of 100000, and some of the
wealthiest men Of the city, including
Geo. w. Childs, are on Il. A thorough
examination is being made to fix the
guilt. Supt. Bosbyshell was almost
inaccessible to visitors Friday, and to
the few who did see him he would say
nothing about the shortage. His sub
ordinates were equally reticent.
The fireproof vault in which the bull
lion has been stored for eight years is
on the main or first floor. The walls
of the vault are fourteen inches thick,
and are composed of steel lattice
work inclosed in brick masonry. The
interior is 10 feet by about 1s in floor
dimensions, and about 10 feet high.
Bullion is stored in a metallic compart-
ment occupying only portion of this
interior. and any suggestion that the
gold could have been distracted after
having once been stored is laughed 1T
by the mint officials. Fifteen watch
men are on duty at night, and every
fifteen minutes one of them touches an
electric registering button on the vault,
thus inSuring constant surveillance.