The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-24
THE CARSON MINT
CALLED 4 FENCE. y
THAT Is THE CHARGE MADE BY
THE MINING STOCK ASSO-
CITATION.
THAT SHORTAGE OF 100000
THE ASSOCIATION OFFERS TO AID
THE GOVERNMENT IN ITS
INQUIRY.


city is preparing an important document
for the use of Government officials who are
now trying to find out how a shortage of
sec, 900 has occurred at the United States
mint at Carson, New. This document,
with letters, atfidavits and mass of evil
dence, will be forwarded to the Secretary
OF the Treasury, and the disclosures made
will be extremely sensational.
The association some three years ago
called the attention of the Government to
the affairs of the mint at Carson, and Rep
resentative Geary introduced resolution
in Congress calling for an immediate in
vestigation. The matter was referred to a
committee and has not been heard from
since.
The Mining Stock Association is of opin-
ion that the evidence to be furnished by it
will receive prompt attention now that the
shortage of $50 900 has been discovered
The association believes that the real
shortage, when all the facts are brought to
light, will be largely increased.
The petition to Congress which is being
framed opens with the following state
ment:
States, are refused due and proper justice and
al tention at the hands of those by whom it
should be accorded, ii is their duty and their
right TO appeal to you, as their representatives,
and ask from you the performance of those
acts which will give them the justice which
has been refused them by that department OF
the Government TO which in due course ther
wrongs were submitted.
Mr.. Tingman, secretary of the Mining
Stock Association, yesterday said:
This refers to certain correspondence between
K. U. Collins, member of the association,
and the late Secretary OF the Treasury, William
Window. On May 9, 1890, Mr.. Collins wrote
to Mr.. Window charging that the mint at Car
son was being used repository of bullion
stolen from the mines by the Nevada Mill Com
pany's ring.
Here Mr.. Tingman gave quotation
from letter written by L. U. Collins to
Secretary Window. The original is of
public record in the Treasury Department
at Washington. Mr.. Collins wrote:
Evan Williams State Senator, superinten-
dent of the Nevada Mill Company and part
owner of the Bullion and Exchange Bank at
Carson, takes bullion to the mint at midnight
In order to avoid the searching eyes of
some one of the many unfortunates, stockhold-
ers OF the mines, whose bullion is thus
handled, the guards OF the mint have instruc-
tions to admit Williams any time after dark
The necessity OF cautious inquiry is made ap-
parent from the fact that Senator John p
Jones and others, men of wealth and high posi-
ton, are the owners OF the Nevada Mill Com
pany, and they, including the Superintendent
OF the United States mint at Carson, may or
may not be parties to Evan Williams acts. tx*
Mr.. Tingman added:
There is a mass of correspondence relative to
the subject which the association is now col
lecting with view OF assisting the Government
IN its proposed investigation. 1t desires to pre-
vent repetition of a so-called investigation of
the affairs OF the mint by G. NJ. Gorham in
1891, which resulted in q complete whiteWaSh.
We are prepared TO prove that the United
States mint at Carson City has been made the
common t'fence' or depository of bars of bull
lion stolen from the shareholders OF mines in
the Comstoek lode.
That this bullion was stolen by an infamous
mill ring which controls the politics, and by
that means controls and dictates the Federal
appointments OF the State of Nevada including
the officials of the Carson mint.
That the mint officials so appointed by the
powers included in this mill ring are the will
ing tools of that ring, and prostitute their posi-
tons and the United States mint at Carson to
such base uses as the mill ring demands.
That T. r. Hotter, who was Chief Clerk and
superintendent of the mint is also. the
cashier of the Bullion and Exchange Bank of
Carson City, and that the United States mint
at Carson and the Bullion and Exchange Bank
worked together in harmony TO cover the
thieying of the mill ring.
That the abstracts OF the records of the mint
at Carson which were furnished to the Mining
Stock Association OF san Francisco do not con-
tain true descriptions of the bars of bullion
which were deposited in or purchased by said
mint at certain dates. Said abstracts were GER
titled as correct copies Of the records OF said
Carson mint by I. K. Hofer, acting superinten-
dent. II said certifcation is true then the
records OF said mint are untrue, and if the GER
LITIGATION is not true then said abstracts as fur
nished are untrue. II said abstracts are untrue
then they were falsified with malice afore-
thought for the purpose of misleading the Min
ing Stock Association and delaying them in the
prosecution of their search for the bullion
stolen by the aforementioned mill-ring
thieves.
That the investigation by C. M. Gorhsm was
superficial, inexact and carelessly conducted,
and the relations OF the said Gorham to the
mill-ring thieves were such that he could not
without injury to himself have made any other
report than q non-committal or whiteWash re-
port, as his position in the mint at San Fran
cisco would be jeopardized by other than such
report as he made.
The association is determined to Law all the
facts at its command within the reach of the
Government, in order that the responsibility
for the existing shortage may be definitely
fixed. The association in this connection says,
in its communication: That your honorable
body may better have information as to the
acts OF the employees OF the said mint at Car
ticulars in reference to certain bars of bullion
as shipped by certain shippers to sundry par
ties and having been marked with certain
numbers, which were concealed at the same
mint by the employees thereof and not given on
the abstracts furnished the Mining Stock Asso-
ciation. Furthermore, that the said shipments
brother-in-law of Evan Williams, the reputed
principal owner OF the Bullion and Exchange
Bank, of which T. r. Hofer, then chief clerk
is cas- hier. The said bars were shipped TO T. r.
Hofer and the Bullion and Exchange Bank,
and were deposited in the mint by clerks of the
bank, one Peters and one Brown, and the value
thereof was paid to the said clerks, and the said
Hotter had full knowledge OF the marks and
mum beers on said bars.
1t can be proved that Evan Williams was
frequently admitted into the mint at Carson
after business hours to enable him to deposit
there i'll secrecy bullion from the Comstock
mines, and Thomas Deer, now of Virginia City,
and John Q. A. Moore of Carson City, formerly
watchman at the mint and who had let Will
nams IN at irregular hours, were dismissed for
their 1ndlscretion in mentioning this fact.
The communication calls attention to the
evidence adduced at the hearing of the suit
OF M. w. Fox against the Hale & Norcross
Silver Mining Company in Judge Heb
bard's court, which resulted in decision
IN favor OF the plaintiff for 81 oil 900. The
evidence showed that the mint was grossly
mlsmanaged; that no clear record of the
pulllon belonging to the Government was
Kept and that many of the records had
been falsifed.
Secretary John H. Tingman of the asso-
cation has notified the Government ex-
perts at Carson of the evidence in his
possession and a meeting has been ar
ranged to take place at an early date.
The Carson Mint Bullion Steal.