The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-26
RARE COIN STOLEN
UNISED STATES DOLLAR OF 1904 OF
GREAT VALUE, n COURT.
There were Only Twelve Minted and for
Long Time Eleven have Been Accounted
for, While this One was LOst-it hao
Eeen a Family Keepsake, Rendered
Douoly Valuable by a Story Surrounding
1T, and Tramp Made Away WIN liz ana
Sold IT for Ninety DoIiars-Owner Now
Seeks to Recover it by Law.

New York. July ga suit IS now pen
ding in the Fourth district court over
the possession of one silver collar,
which, however, is worth a hlgn price,
being Of the coinage of 1904
The plaintiff in the suit IS Pheix
Schultz and the defendant is the Scott
stamp and coin company, when
Schultz, says bought the coin from
man who had stolen il from him. The
coin came to the Schultz family over
forty years ago.
On the night of May q young Schultz
was met by a man who asked him for
aid He gave the usual hard luck Sto-
nv, and Schultz, whose sympathy had
been aroused by it, and was still more
stirred when he found the stranger
name was Schultz, took him home Tor
the night.
When Schultz got up the next morning
his namesake had fed, taking with
him A pair OF trousers, watch ana
chain, and some old coins that were IN
the trousers. The police We're put on
track Of the man and he was soon cap
tured
On June q the man was brought up
for trial before Judge Fitzgerald IN
general sessions. When his case was
called Felix Schultz told the judge that
he did not want 10 press the charge
against his ungrateful namesake II the
namesaIe would only return one OF the
coins he had taken, a silver dollar,
which had no value to any one else
but himself, as ii was mutIiated, nav
ing a monogram on one side
Felix said that it was pocket piece
and on account Of associations was
dear TO him. Judge Fitzgerald asked
him what the associations were.
Felix said that over forty years ago
a young German in distress came to
his grandmother's house and asked for
aid He was III, and she took him IN
and cared for him until his death.
After that she wrote 10 his friends in
Germany and asked what she should do
with mis- money. They told her to send
whatever German money he had back
to them and TO keep the American
money. This she die, and among the
coins she kept was this mutilated dol
lar.
She kept it as keepsake. Her chill
dren used it to cut their teeth on, and
after them her grandchildren used it.
and K had never left the family until
Charles Schultz, the stranger, stole ii.
The prisoner said that when he look
ed al the coin he thought that it might
he of some value, and he sold ii to the
Scott stamp and coin company for $50
The man was sentenced to Sing Sing
for two and a quarter years, where he
now is.
Felix Cchultz Immediately made a de
mand on the Scott stamp and coin com
pany for the coin. They, on their part
denied all knowledge of it, saying they
had never paid any one $50 for it.
Then Schultz brought suit against
them for it, more than ever anxious to
get it when he found out how much it
was worth.
So far as is known. there are but 12
dollars Of the mintage of 1904 in exist
ence. Eleven are accounted for. and
this is the 18th. One is in the Berlin
museum, another in the British museum
and the rest are in the hands Of private
collectors.
At the sale Of the Even collection in
Boston recently, one OF these coins
brought $4,000, and at about the same
time one was sold in Europe for 5000.