Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-09-18
The Theft in the Mint.

public the exact facts in relation to the
loss of gold bullion from the mint as
follows: son account of the demand
for coin, vault in which some S16,0G0,.
600 was stored, in 1887, by Mr.. Preston
during the term of Mr.. Fox as superin.
tendent. and which was receipted for
| by Mr.. O. c. Bosbyshell, without weigh
ing, was opened on the Sth inst, and
the bullion reweighed by Mr.. Morgan,
and was found to be 80 bags short, val
ued at about S134000. Mr.. Morgan
Immediately reported to the mint bu-
reau the results. Since this bullion was
stored in the vault the weigh clerk, an
old employe 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 embezzlement, and he finally admit
| ted it, He furnished information as to
where over 100000 of it was secreted,
which was recovered, and more will be
recovered, as he has expressed will
lingness, to give it up, but rs to how
much cannot be accurately stated, but
probably between $4,000 AID $1,000
1t is believed at the Treasury Depart
lnent that the government will lose
nothing This statement is made il or
der to allay all sensational news.
The name of the implicated official is
Henry S. Cochran. He has been in the
employ of the mint over 40 years. His
salary was $4,000
Secretary Carlisle had hardly issued
his order directing that the bullion in
the several mints of the country be
coined, than Mr. Henry S. Cochran, in
charge of the reserve vault in the Phila-
ielphia mint, became uneasy. So much
SO, in fact, that be mentioned the mat
ter 20 several Of the employees of the
Philadelphia mint, intimating that the
gold would not be found intact when
the mint vault should be opened, and
the gold weighed He did not, how
ever. coniine himself to mere protesta-
tions to the employees Of the Philadel-
phia mint, but on September 7th, came
to Washington and visited Acting Di-
rector OF the Mint Preston, at his resi-
!ence. He endeavored to persuade
Mr.. Preston to have the secretary coun-
termand the order for coming the bull
lion at the Philadelphia mint, and ship
the coin from theNew York sub-treasury
Tor that purpose. Mr.. Preston in
rmed him that the order could not be
revoked
The story of how the shortage W; S
discovered is still fresh. Suspicion, of
course, pointed, for obvious reasons, t.
Weigh Clerk Cochran, who for o num-
Der OF years past has been in tho imme-
date charge of the vault in question.
Chief Diummond, of the Secret Service:
was at once communicated with, and
on Thursday left for Philadelphia, at
ter conference with Acting Director
Preston, and Immediately began workon
the case. The result was that on Friday
evening Mr.. Cochran made q full con-
fession to Chief Drummond and Mr..
Preston, who had gone over from
Washington on the afternoon train.
He stated that for the past eight or ten
years he had been abstracting bullion
bars from the vault. During that time
he had taken about $4,000 worth.
Within the last ten days he had taken
800 900 worth.
The method he employed was sub,
stantially this: By means of a crooked
wire he pulled the bullion bars from
the top of pile where they were
placed cross-wise like railroad ties.
When they fell upon the floor he would
by means of this hook pull the bars to
the iron latticed door, the bottom OF
which was a little loose on one side, the
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 he took out of the vault
within the past ten days 100000 in
gold bullion. Instead of removing this
from the mint building, however, he
secreted it in the ventilating loft, where
it was found after he made his confes-
sion, he himself showing the officials
its hiding place.
MrCochl en- is VI der $40, coo bond land
has place outside of Philadelphia said
to be worth $4,000; so that with the
am punt already recovered-SlOO,0oO al
the mint and 81 900 at his home-it i:
e ieved the government can make W
the difference between the S134 900 ano
III, sl07, 900 by recovering from hi:
property and his bondsmen together.
Cochran is now in the custody of two
secret service detectives, but is not IN
carcerated. As soon as he makes gooc
the balance it is believed he will be lib
Grated Bobyshell thinks there is bu
little probability of Cochran being pros
ecuted. "He will end his days in al
!. asylum,n the superintendent said Sat
urday, "for 1 think, and chief Drum
mond concurs with me, that his mind il
unbalanced"
Chief Drummond described the man
ner in which he secured confession
from Cochran. 81 told him wanted
him to help me catch the thief" tht
secret service chief said, "and he sai'
he would do it. He was very nervous