The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-01

the separating tanks by means OF spoon
The bullion was placed in such tanks and
treated with acid and water to remove the
silver. BY the action OF the acid the gold
fell to the bottom in the shape OF me
black precipitate, and the silver solution
was washed away. The tanks were COW
cred and locked at night, but there was
hole in the bottom of them in which hose
was inserted for the washing of the precip-
itate. The Waterman unscrewed the hose
and then. by means Of a spoon, ladled out
few spoonfuls day and took them home
Each spoonful was worth about $50, and he
laid the precipitate aside Until he could
buy furnace and crucibles. With these
he turned the black powder into yellow
gold by melting it. and he sold the product
to the bullion dealers of San Francisco"
HOW THEY ESCAPE PUNISHMENT.
What was done with this MANI i asked.
"He was arrested, tried and sent to pris-
on replied Mr.. Preston, but his fate was
rather an exception to that of the mint rob-
bers of the past. Many of them have es-
capped punishn mt. / do not believe in this
at all. think they should be prosecuted
and punished TO the full extent Of the law.
and / think the sentence of Cochran was
just Take the case of Negus. He con-
leSStu 10 the Stealing Ol elV,OcV anu was al
lowed TO go free. Macy. the cashier of
whom / spoke as stealing $4,000, was not
prosecuted. The melter and refner who
was S15OOG0 short was not convicted. and
there have been several other cases of like
nature. In 1865 there was a change in the
mint at San Francisco. The coiner and
meter and refiner delivered all the bullion
to the superintendent. and the wastage was
declared. 1t was a month, however. before
"a new melter and refiner was appointed. In
the meantime there was no work done and
when the new coiner came to be appointed
the bullion was found to be $4,000 short.
No suit was ever brought for this crime,
and Uncle Sam lost the money.
Another steal at San Francisco, the per-
petrators of which escaped punishment,
CURED in the sixties. The assay clerk had
a confederate outside, and he raised the
mint figures on all the bullion brought by
this confederate for sale. If the gold was
put at 9.95 fine he would raise ii to 1856
or 9.97. 1t would then go to the melter and
refiner, and under ordinary circumstances
it would have passed all right and the diff
ference would have been credited to waste.
THE melter and refiner in this case, how
ever, was an old assayer, and he saw
that he was losing gold. The result was
that he reassayed some OF the gold and
discovered the fraud. 1t was then found
that the assay clerk had changed the re-
ports OF the assayer enough to have made
$4,000 by doing so. This mans name was
James III. ellis. He was tried, but the jury
disagreed and Uncle Sam never got penny
back.
1t was the same in the burning of the
mint at New Orleans few years ago. A
hre broke out in the cashiers vault be-
tween Saturday night and Monday morn
Ing, and when it was discovered $4,000
worth of Uncle Sans currency was not
TO be found. The cashier was the only
man who had the keys of the vault. He
shut 1t UP Saturday night and he opened
IL Monday uorning The vaulr was lighted
by electricity. and there was no possible
honest way of the fire being kinded James
NJ. Bowling. the cashier. was arrested on
the suspicion Of robbery and OF having
embezzled the fund and then kindled the
fire to cover his crime. He was smart
enough to employ d nephew of the judge
who tried the case to defend him, and he
was acquitted"
FRANK G. CARPENTER.