Evening star., 1896-10-31

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 fine
black precipitate, and the silver solution
was washed away. The tanks were COW
cred and locked at night, but there was a
hole in the bottom of them in which hose
was inserted for the washing Of the precip-
ltate. the watchman unScrewed the hose
and then, by means of 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 Mint Robbers Escape Punish-
mcnt.
What was done with this MANI" 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 punishment. l do not believe in this
at all. I think they should be prosecuted
and punished to the full extent of the law,
ard think the sentence of Cochran was
just. Take the case of NeguS. He con-
fessed to the stealing of SO, 800 and was al
owed to go free. Macy, the cashier Of
whom L spoke stealing $4,000, was not
prosecuted. The melter and reffner who was
SloO,Oo0 short was not convicted, and there
have been several other cases of like ma
ttIe. LII lSOo tueTe was cndnSe In the
mint at San Francisco. The coiner and
melter and refiner delivered all the bullion
to the superintendent, and the wastage was
declared 1t was 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 ap-
pointed the bullion was found to be $4,000
snort. 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 oc-
Cured in the sixties. The assay clerk had
confederate outside, and he raised the
mint hgures on all the bullion brought by
this confederate for sale If the gold was
put at $50 fine he would raise it to 9.96
or 9.9I. 1t would then go to the meter and
refiner, and under ordinary circumstances
1t 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 vas 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 H. ellis. He was tried, but the Jury
disagreed and Uncle Sam rever got a penny
back.
1T was the same in the burning of the
mint at New Orleans few years ago. A
fire broke out in the cashiers vault be-
tween Saturday night ard 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
1t Monday morning. The vault was lighted
by electricity, and there was no possible
hcrest way of the fire being kindled. Jas
NJ. Bowling. the cashier was arrested on
the suspicion - robbery and of having
embezzled the fund and then kindled the
fire to cover his crime. He was smart
enough to employ nephew of the judge
ba
was acquitted"
FRANK G. CARPENTER.