The morning call., 1894-08-01
STOLE THE GOLD.
French Police Greatly
Puzzled.
RATHER CLEVER ROBBERY.
Treasure in Transit From
America to Paris.
ONE CASK LOST BY THE WAY.
The Thieves Were Modest and
Far Too Willy to Take the
Whole Lot.
ONE CASK LOST BY THE WAY

PARIS, July 31.-The police of France
are investigating what is probably one of
the most remarka BILE rObberies on record,
and 1t is believed that the police of the
United States will be asked. if they have
not already been so requested. TO take a
hand In the investigation.
In some unacc0untable manner cask Of
gold from New Y York, valued at $50, 900. has
been stolen while in transit from Havre to
Paris. The French line steamer La Tour
alne, Captain Santelli, left New York on
July q for Havre with forty casks of
American gold on board valued at So, ,O00,-
600 and consigned TO various concerns.
She arrived here July 90. The forty casks
OF gold are believed to have been safely
landed at Havre. but they are also
SAID to have been placed, CON-
plete, on board the train running
between Havre and this city. But when
the precious casks were counted upon ar
rival here there were only thiTty-nine of
them. One cask. containing S50,000 in
American gold, had by some means disap-
peared. The disappearance of the cask of
gold has given rise to a number of police
theories, the strongest being that the gold
thieves. who patiently awaited their
chance to abstract one of the casks. The
police. pending the termination of their
investigation, will not give any particu-
lars concerning the robbery, but it is be-
lleVed that several persons were concerned
in the theft for the cask of gold would
have weighed nearly 200 pounds, and even
very strong man could not have carried
such load alone for any great distance.
Among the theories being investigated
is one which may turn out to be correct
1t is that the thieves hid them selves in the
car in which the gold was subsequently,
placed, and while on their way to Paris
one cask of gold was thrown out of the
train and the robbers jumped after it.
The fact that only one cask of gold was
stolen would seem to indicate, according
to another theory, that only one person
was concerned in the abstraction of the
cask. The theories are many, but the
theories made public are very few.
Although it is positively asserted that
the cask of precious metal was stolen
while on It's way to this city yesterday.
there are people who ask il mistake may
not have been made in the counting Of
the casks at Havre, and whether the gold
was not absracted Oh board the steamer
To this the steamship company officers
reply that it is impossible for thieves to
get at the gold on board ships, SO closely
is it guarded, in addition to the fact that
the small hold in which it is sealed up is
situated in the most secure part of the
vessel.
In any case. most rem arkable robbery
has been committed. and the police of
France are busily engaged in an attempt
to solve the mystery Of the disappearance
of the $4,000 cask of gold.
An Associated Press reporter who in
quired into the facts connected with the
missing treasure learned that the casks
were transferred from the steamer La
Touraine at Havre to the railway for ship
ment TO Paris. The officers OF the railway
company gave the steamship company a
receipt for the gold and placed 1t in locked
and sealed van in charge of special
clerk. On the arrival of the train a Paris
the wagon containing the gold was taken
to the goods department of the railroad
and the consignees were advised of its
whereabouts.
M. Lazard said: "When our clerks ap-
pIle0 LOT Tue UellVeIy VI WIG iOTIy casks |
to US there was no sign that the |
van or seal had been tampered with, but |
only thirty-nine casks were found We |
to Havre and received replies |
that every thing had been properly verified |
and receipts given"
The station-master at Gare-street station |
was asked to give the railway company's |
views. He said that as soon as the dis
coveTy was made that the consignment
was not complete two officials of the COM
pany and two detectives were sent to
Havre to make inquiries. 1t was impos
sble, he asserted. that the cask could have
been stolen during its transit from Hayre
to Paris. He said he doubted if there had
been robbery, and he would not be sur
prised II the missing gold had been left on
board the steamer
NEW YORK, July 31.-Late this after.
noon Lazard Freres received cablegram
from Lazard Freres & Gle. Paris. confirm.
ing the exclusive report of the Associated
Press, announcing cask containing 500
BOO In gold Was missing from the consigp-
ment OF forty casks shipped on the French
line steamer La Touraine.