The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-16
GOLD GONE
or $4,000 OF BUL-
INV yRoM PHILADELPHId's MINT

me-. Not Appear to Have Boen broken
s,,,r,ntendent Bosbyshon Gave n
u,..,,t for It In 1850 without Having
r, co,pted-s conferences on the Mystory.
puu.pr1rIuA. Sept 15.-The announce
n,,h,t more than 5000 ounces Of gold bull
H. yaIued at Sl34.O0o. had mysteriously
s,..rnsared from sealed vault In the United
900 Mint in this city. where 1t had been
$3.50 sinco 1887, has caused much excite
.bore Tho reticence of tho Government
.rs,jo,a and the apparent absurdty that such
sn amount OF bullion could be missing from
Tno,o SANS treasure house made many doubt
the truth OF the story.
pr. ali douhts have been dissipated by q de-
.,.tnh from Washington. saying that Acting
Mint Director Preston confirmed the statement
.hout the shortage 1t amounts to more than
1000 ounces in bullion. and the actual value
"a s134, 900, instead OF S105.OoO as reported.
A. various times during this afternoon
sunerintendent Bosbyshell OF tho Mint.
wn,Iom +. Morgan OF the Mint Bureau at
Washington and A. L. Drummond OF the United
st,tes Secret Service were in close consulta-
A. and late this afternoon Acting Direc-
.or ~ the Mint Preston arrived from Wash
ington.
Tho presence OF Chief Drummond gave rise
.otbe rcport that at least one OF the officials OF
ths Mint was under surveillance. Shortly before
4 o,olock Superintendent BosDyshell thor
ouobly worn out by the exciting events OF the
day wont to his homo in West Philadelphia
The Washington officials made their head
,narters Mt the Hotel Lafayette. whore they
r.ot IN conference in room 1872 on the first
,lsenine floor. Much secrecy waslobserved by
tb.m, and Proprietor Maltby and q corps Of
smnloyees were on hand to see that they were
not disturbed.
Beyond tho fact that the gold Is missing.
vary little light has been thrown upon the
situation. There is q bare possibility that q
clerical error may be responsible for the short
age but even the Government officials regard
this As forlorn hope. The presence OF Chief
prummond indicates that suspicious Of theft
are entertained.
The shortage was first discovered by Mr..
Morgan OF the Mint Bureau on Tuesday. and
he Immediately returned to Washington and
reported the matter to Acting Director Pres
ton. Mr.. Preston sent him back to Philadel-
mia TO reweigh tho contents OF the vault in
which the gold was supposed to be stored. and
came to this city himself on Thursday. when
he had long conference with Superintendent
Bosbyshell. returning to Washington on the
midnight train.
In 1887, during tho superintendency Of the
late Daniel N. Fox. SIS. 900. 900 In gold bullion
was transferred from New York to this city
and stored In one OF the reserve vaults in the
Mint. Tho vault was sealed. and was not
opened until several days ago. whom the
bullion was counted and found to be 5000
ounces short
Upon taking charge Of the Mint Col. Bosby-
shell gave receipt for its entire contents.
thus rendering himself responsible for its
MI Tha ult Al nj ho al hyll1f mn
was not opened. Col Bosbyshsll accepting the
stored in the, vault in 1887 the bullion ".
weighed , BY Mr. P.sstoP whS was then Chief
Superintendent Fox gave O receipt for the
bullion. and the vault was scaled by Messrs.
orders Of the Secretary rye OF the Treasury to coin
gold. It became necessary to open the reserve
vault to get the bull
sealed tho vault in 1887. and requested him to
S Se present when the vault was opened Mr..
The mystery ~ as to the way the shortage oc.
Cured remained unsolved to-day. A careful
examination Of the seals failed to show that
with them. The keys OF the vault were sup
posed to DO In Washington. but they evidently
GOV sSSaid not be found and 1t was necessary when
to break the lock
The bullion in the vault, which was counted
inside the vault. The vault is Just to the left
% 81 the entrance to the mint on the first floor
ed bri shd e0f Td
arShed brick and concrete overhead.
,. The walls are made OF brick and are four
with the bricks. and Q plating OF steel 10 on the
outside. There is a fve-foot aisle on the south
sac 81 the vault. a stairway on the west with
aise on the north side
,h This gives an open space on three sides On
ms has partitions Of glass on the side toward
ne s1i vault SO that 1t may be seen clearly from
81 eSH as fs ns the 6dsyms the Vault hit
4 4 least syery fifteen minutes. A'i The
pressing an electric button. which connects
t YIN the watchman's clock in the supern.
sealed by the Treasury agents Who ran red
tape about the knob to the sides OF the door
ana through the steel stats. The compart..
ioTr ieet square inside.
!, The seal WAS so affixed ms to make tamper-
ing with the lock impossible without detection.
mere could he no felonious entry. and they
Say that there Isn't even any evidence that the
A. No signs Of breaking in could DO detected by
them: The vault has been in charge Of Henry
mint Tor thirty-four re ears - Mr. Cochran was
S Wiz bc2PhsEicuSus today by The pe1Ststence
ns Ss 20 oee ABOUT ococf
sI na appeared to be extremely nervous.
Vuehtlo IONS as to the missing bullion or the
methods by which 1t could be taken from the
ViYlt. the, superintendent wouldtnot answer
ne was besieged by reporters. but to sill in
YIiries he ropIied II have nothing to say.
iknow positively nothing about it,"
m. hGi Clerk Cobb, who has been employed In
s sns Amt for twenty;two years, and who has
SMIS Geen absent; was more communicative
~. Cobb was inclined TO the belief that.
eespIte the apparent confirmation of the
reported discrepancy. the whole matter would
au!nst itself. Bullion" explained Mr. COBB.
oS cones In what are known as melts. Various
qualities Of gold are melted separately. and
'asm lot Is known as n melt
When tho melt Is moulded into bars. each
"a nhat stamped on the end with tho number OF
Of of n tHa' 0p thS top Is stamped the number
s @St ~, ~ each bar is STAMPED on the
consecutive numbers for as many bars as
, ,,Se, 9ie IN the melt, Now when bullion is
stotci the bars from one molt occasionally get
occurred.
h. In rewoIghing forty tons Of bullion 1t would
nSSe 70 he bundled six times; or "A total hand.
many many daI-, and don't see how In such short
establi-hcd."