The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-04
MINT THIEF CAUGHT.
He Was an Old EmpIoye Of the Gov
ernmcnt.

He Was an Old Employe Of the Gov
ernmcnt.
The United States Treasury Department
has made public the exact facts in relation to
the reported loss Of gold bullion from the
Mint in Philadelphia, as follows
con account OF the demand for coin vault
in which some S16, ,O0O. 900 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 few days ago and tho bullion re-
weighed by Dir. Morgan, and was found to
be thirty bars short, valued ar about Sl34,-
OOO Mr.. Morgan Immediately reported to the
Mint Bureau the results, when he was directed
to return to Philadelphia at once and reweigh
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 employe at the Mint, had sole custody 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 furn-
ished information as to where over S10O, 600
OF i was secreted, which was recovered. and
more will be recovered, as he has expressed
willingness to give it up, but rs to how
much cannot be accurately stated, but
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 ofthe implicated official is Henry
g. Cochran. He has been in the employ OF
the mint over forty years. His salary was
$4,000.
Mr.. Cochran made full confession to
Chief Drummond and Mr.. Preston, who had
come over from Washington. He said that
for the past eight or ten years he has been
abstracting bullion bars from the vault. The
method he employed was substantially this
By means of q crooked wire he pulled the
bullion bars from the top OF pile where
they were placed crosswise like railroad ties.
When they fell on the floor he would, by
means Of this hook, pull the bars to the iron
latticed door. the bottom Of which was a lit
tie loose on one side, tho bolts having
rusted. By pushing the door inward
on this side the bar of gold could
easily be removed His habit was to
do this stealing before the employees Of the
Mint came to their work in the morning. AS
the gold bars only weigh from twelve to
fifteen pounds EACH he could carry them
home secreted in his lunch basket. In this
way he took out OF the vault and carried
away $4,000 Of gold bullion. By means OF
the same hook, and in the same way as here
tofore described, he took out Of the vault
within the past ten days 800, 900 in gold hI!-
lion. Instead Of removing this from the
Mint building, however, he secret Il it the
ventiator loft. where 1t was fcrhd after he
made his confession, he himself showing the
officials its hiding place.
Mr.. Cochran is under $1,000 bond. and
has place OUT side G c;philadelphia said to be
worth $50. .00t;, So nat with the amount OF
money already recorersd-S100,0 900 at the
Mint and S7GJO at his home-it is believed
the Government can make up the difference
between the S1S4, 900 stolen and the $1O7, 900
recovered from his property and his bonds
mel together.