The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-24
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
Only Those Engaged in the
Case Are Allowed to Be
Present.
HOW THE GOLD WAS STOLEN.
Inspector Mason Describes the
Methods of Those Who Looted
the Mint.

CARSON, New, April %. - Commits
sioner Edwards this morning began the
preliminary examination of John T. Jones,
charged with a shortage of $4,000 in the
meter and refner's department OF the
Carson mint.
The accused entered the courtroom with
a smile on his face and took a seat with his
attorneys. General Clark was added to
record to assist the United States District
Attorney in the prosecution.
The proceedings were held behind closed
doors, in accordance with the request of
the defense. There were present Superin-
tendent Adams, Meter and Refiner Har
ris, Warren Noteware and Detective Grant.
Lawrence Elrod had been called as a wit
ness for the defense. Harris, of the mint,
had been called on as a witness for both
sides. Detective Harris of the secret ser
vice was not present. He had been ex-
pected in the morning with Piper, who
had been arrested for stealing bullion. A
large crowd was at the depot in the morn
ing to see him arrive with his prisoner,
but he did not put in an appearance.
William WOODBURY., who had consulta-
tlOl Will OOlnIl III 1CuO n lev ago.
was placed on record as an attorney for
Jones, the accused. He had been retained
some days ago by Heney, one of the ac-
cused.
United States Marshal Humphrey, De-
tectiye Grant and Bailiff Stems occupied
the United States Marshal's rooms adjcin-
ing the courtroom. The doors were locked
and the bailiff was instructed to allow no
one in except those engaged in the case.
Inspector Mason, the first witness for the
Government, took the stand and stated
that he had been connected with the mint
service over forty years, and had been
sent to Carson by the Government to in
vestigate the shortage. He gave detailed
description of the methods in vogue in the
Government minis in refining and treating
precious metals, the system of check in the
mint and the inner workings of the coin
ing branch of the service. The description
of the workings of the metals occupied the
entire forenoon.
The examination was resumed at
o'clock. The witness gave a detailed ae-
count of how he had investigated the short
age by assaying every bar of bullion in the
mint, several hundred in all. He found
several bars which did not hold up to their
recorded value, and also counterfeit melt
The bars were brought over from the mint
by the sergeant in an express wagon and
placed in evidence as exhibit A.
The testimony of Mr.. Mason was supple
mented by innumerable figures, assays and
files of the mint records, all of which were
dry testimony, but necessary to lay the
foundation of the Governments case.
General Clark, who conducted the exami-
nation, went into the details very exhaust
lively. The witness had everything at his
fingers ends, and was well fortified with
figures and documents.
An especially interesting statement
brought out was the history of deposit II.
1t came into the mint as gold deposit
and was entered in the gold book as gold
deposit II, but when assayed was 483%
fine. This being below the 500 limit of
fneness, the gold number, N, was crossed
with chisel, and it was transferred on the
books as silver deposit, No. 1874. This
was one of the bars that was tempered
with in the melter and refiner's room and
melted over, but the parties who did it
forgot to restamp it like the original
When the bar appeared in its new form it
was numbereu 134 like the original, but
the n crossed with chisel did not appear
on the new bar, they having overlooked
the fact that it had been changed from one
class of bullion to another by reason of it
having fallen below the standard of fine
ness. The bar had been remelted, part of
the gold extracted and silver used to make
up the actual weight.
The bar came from the Standard mine at
Bodie and was $4,000 short. This enabled
Mason to definitely state that the tam
pering with that bar could only have been
done with the knowledge of the melter
and refiner or his assistants. The witness
also swore that the stealing took place
after the June cleanup of 1891 and before
the June cleanup of 1894.
On cross-examination the witness said
that it was possible for the bar to have
been tempered with outside the melting
room, but not probable.
Court adjourned at 4:30, and the exami-
nation of the witness will be resumed to-
morrow morning.
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