The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-01
FORTY CASKS OF GOLD
STARTED FROM NEW FORK TO
PARIS AND ONE WAS STOLEN.


noon LaZard Freres received a cable dis
patch from Lazard Freres & Co., Paris. con-
firming the report announcing that a cask
containing $4,000 in gold was missing from
the consignment of forty casks shipped on
the French line steamer La Touraine. The
cablegram said that forty casks were taken
from the steamer at Havre and placed on
the train for Paris. but when the consign-
ment reached Lazard Freres & Co. one
cask was missing. Inquiry was at once in
stituted. but up TO 3 o'clock this afternoon
nothing was known at the New York office
of how the cask was distracted. Lazard
Freres stated that the shipment was fully
insured, and that the loss, therefore, will
fall on the insurance company. This being
the case, no cable advice was received by
Lazard Freres during the morning regard
ing the loss, but, on the strength of the in
formation conveyed TO the New York house
this morning by the press representative.
a cable message was at once sent to Paris
for the facts of the case, although they
were very skeptical about it and were i'm
clined to disbelieve the story.
The report of the robbery Of the cask OF
gold shipped from this city by the French
steamer La Touraine has caused consider
able excitement among gold shippers. There
were three c-onsignments of gold by La
Touraine or her last trip. Two consign-
ments of twenty casks each, the value Of
which was s. 1000, were shipped by Lag
ard Freres. of this city, and consigned to
LaZard Freres, of Paris. One additional
shipment of ten casks was made by Messrs.
Heidelbach, Ickelheimer & Co. to the credit
of Lyonais, and was valued at $4,000.
No theory as to how the robbery was
committed could be advanced by the agents
4f A. x.-- T|h1- =11ofo tA>xv zox L.
invariably placed in the strong room, which
is really an enormous safe. situated on the
main deck amidships, and is considered alb
solutely burglar proof. AS to the theory
that ii may nave been thrown from the
train while en- route from Havre to Paris,
nothing could be said, in the absence OF in
formation from the home office. Neither OF
the shippers has received any news of the
robbery. Lazard Freres thought that If the
stolen cask was one of the forty shipped
by them, they would certainly have re-
ceived word from the c~onsignees, and,
therefore, felt pretty certain that il was
not part of their shipment. They could ex-
press no opinion as to how such a robbery
could nave been committed. 1t was said at
the office of Heidelbach, Ickelheimer & Co,
that in case the cask had been taken from
the steamer, the shippers would look TO
the steamship company for reimbursement,
but if it was taken from the railroad COM
pany, they presumed the latter would be
held responsible.
A Paris dispatch says: The Paris police
are investigating what is probably one OF
the most remarkable robberies on record.
and it is believed that the police authori-
ties of the United States will be asked, II
they have not already been so requested, to
take a hand in the investigation. In some
from New York, valued at 5 .00. has been
stolen while in transit from Havre to Paris.
The French line steamship La Touraine:
for Havre, with forty casks of American
gold on board. valued at 100000. and con-
here July 20. The forty casks of gold are
believed to have been safely landed at
Havre, and they are also said to have been
placed. complete, on board the train run
ming between Havre and this city. But
when the precious casks were counted upon
arrival, there were only thirty-nine OF
them, one cask containing $4,000 in Amer
lean gold had by some means disappeared.
The disappearance of the cask of gold
has given rise TO a number Of police theo-
ries, the strongest being the gold was fol-
lowed from New York by expert thieves.
who patiently awaited their chance TO alb
stract one of the casks. The police, pend
ing the termination of their Investigation.
will not give any particulars concern
ing the robbery, but it is believed that
theft, for the cask of gold must have
weighed nearly two hundred pounds, and
even a very strong man could nor have
carried such a load alone for any great
distance.
Among the theories is one that the thief
or thieves hid himself or themselves in the
90 III NAl1 ka0 49,
placed, and that while on their way to
Paris one cask Of gold was thrown out OF
the train and the robber or robbers jumped
after il. The fac that only one cask OF
gold was stolen would seem TO indicate. ac-
cording to another theory. that only one
person was concerned in the abstraction OF
the cask of gold from the train. but the
theories are many and the facts made pub
lie are very few, not even the name of the
consignees Of the gold being made known
up TO the present.
Although it Is positively asserted that
the cask of precious metal was stolen
while on it's way. to the city yesterday.
there are people who ask II a mistake may
not nave been made in the counting Of the
casks at Havre and whether the gold was
not distracted on board La Touraine. To
this the steamship company's officers reply
that it is impossible for thieves TO get at
the gold on board ship, so closely is IL
guarded, in addition to the fact hat the
small hold in which At is sealed is situated
in the most secure part Of the ship. In any
case a most remarkable robbery has been
committed, and the police of France ara
busily engaged in an attempt 10 solve the
mystery of the disappearance of the $4,000
cask Of gold.
The consignees of the cask of gold stolen
while in transit between Havre and this
city are Lazard Freres & Co., of Paris and
New York.