Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1893-09-20
BIG SHORTAGE
I'm the Philadelphia Mint-Five thousand
Ounces of Gold Bullion iUnsccountabIy

I'm the Philadelphia Mint-Five Thousand
Ounces of Gold Bullion iUDsccountably
Missing.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept 16.--Mystery is
added TO the mystery in the discovery
of a big shortage in the vast treasury
Of gold bullion in the vaults of the L. S.
mint IN this city. The amount missing
is 5000 ounces. valued at $l34, 600. Act
ing Director of tho Mint Preston con.
frmed the report Friday in a dispatch
sent out from Washington, and shortly
afterward took a train for this city for
the purpose of aiding the Investigation
begun nearly week ago, when the
shortage was 6rst 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 ret:cent,
but stated positively Friday night that
no arrest had been made. Superin-
tendent Bosbysheu and other officers
of the mint declare that their mouths
are sealed concerning any information
they may possess in reference 70 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 DIR.
futile, the melter and refner of the
mint; Chief Drummond and Agent I'm
derwood. of the treasury department.
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
were awaited with interest by a num-
Der 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, 600, 900 in gold bullion.
b. Nj. Fox was superintendent of the
mint at that time, and o. C. Bosbv-
shell succeeded him in November.
1889, receipting for the gold in the
sealed vault without weighing il. 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 it 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 IL feet by about Is in floor
dimensions, and about IL feet high.
Bullion is stored in 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 at
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.