The San Francisco call., 1896-03-05
Great Difficulty Is Experienced
in Tracing the Records of
the MeltS.
BOGUS BAR SHOWN THE JURY.
Impossible to Make a Spurious BrIck
Without the knowledge OF the
Watchmen.

CARSON, New, March 4.-The case OF
the Government VS.. J. T. Jones, the al
leged bullion thief, was resumed at 10
o'clock this morning, with warren Note
ware on the stand. The examination Of
the books was continued and showed that
1908 ounces OF bullion more than was
charged TO the refinery was returned to the
superintendent in the fiscal year 1898. All
bullion that had been received by the
superintendent was supposed to be gen.
uine.
The figures for the amount of bullion
sent to the refinery were then called for
and for half an hour continuous figures
were read to the jury, which in the end
showed that 1407 standard ounces OF bull
lion, valued at $25, 900, failed to come back
10 the melter and refiner from the re-
inery.
The witness then explained that the
bullion sent to the refinery did not con-
tain the gold that it was purported to con-
tain and it was covered by the spurious
melt. More figures were read from the
records of the bullion sent to the refinery
from December, 1894, to July, 1895; sent to
the refinery, 10, 430 ounces of gold; re-
ceived from the refinery, 1925 ounces; diff
terence, 1906 ounces, or S27, 900, which rep
resents the loss.
Witness said that was accounted for only
by the fact that the bullion did not con-
tain the value that it was purported to con-
tain. In the working of silver there was
shortage from the refinery of 1913 ounces
in the years 1891, 1892 1898 and 1894. Mr..
Jones was acting as assistant meter and
refiner from March 1, 1890, to March, 1895.
The only way that these Deficiencies could
be covered would be to deliver manufac-
tured bogus melts.
The bogus melt was here presented by
the witness and its record given. The bar
was made in the deposit melting-room, as
ii fitted a mold from that room. The bar
and mold were here shown to the jury.
Witness, resuming, said the metal in the
melt as it now stands is not the same as
when deposited in the Mint. 1t was inn
possible for any one outside OF the Mint to
substitute a spurious melt for a genuine
one. The person who substituted it must
have had access to the melter and refiner' S
department.. It could not have been made
without the knowledge of the melter or his
assistant.
Records from the. consolidation book
were then read. Witness was unable to
trace al deposits through this record. No
disposition IN the refinery OF melt II is
in the pages of the consolidation book. In
this book consultations s, 9, 10 and Ii
are missing. 1t was further shown that a
page was taken out. The mutilations OF
this book destroy all chance to trace the
bove-num bered melts. 1t must have been
done to prevent the tracing of the meIts.
Were the bookkeeping in the refinery and
the tags kept it would be possible to trace
all the melts. G. w. Thompson and Frank
Oliver were employed in the melting and
deposit room.
Witness tnen explained how the watch
men of the mint made their rounds of the
building once an hour, showing that il
would be impossible to make a spurious
melt without the knowledge of the watch
men. The time-book was then called for
and the time of arrival and departure of
the employees read to the jury. 1t was shown
that Charles w. Thompson and Frank
Oliver left the Mint at P. NJ, July 20
1898. It was impossible to state what time
Mr.. Jones left the Mint on that day.
The statement records of the month OF
June, 1898, were then read. The record ot
the assayer shows that melt IA was re-
melted. Why this was done it was i'm
possible to say. Charles W. Thompson
was employed as deposit melter in May
1898. Mr.. Harris was foreman of the ingot
melting-room. Frank Oliver was appointed
on June 10, 1893. He had two days ex-
perience in melting, when he remained in
the melting-room until P. NJ Witness
assisted in weighing bullion on September
II, 1894. Mr.. Jones left Saturday, February
9, 1895. Returned on February % or 90
The weighing of the bullion was done
during his absence.
A number OF small gold bars were sent
for to the Mint to be placed in evidence
Gold bar 166 was turned over to the meltel
and refiner, but is not in the Mint and
could not be found in the refner's vault.
Mr.. Jones left for San Fran
cisco on February 9 and the search
for the bar was made on Sunday
February 10. No one could get into the
vault without the key or the combination
A box of gold bars were brought into
court. These bars were to show the SINH
larity between the missing bars and the
bars offered in evidence. A bar as neal
the size of the missing one as could be
found was handed to the jurors. 1t was
found that it could easily be carried in q
coat pocket. a number of bars were then
exhibited, ranging in fineness from 500 tc
$50. The oath of office was the only check
on the honesty OF the melter and refnel
or his assistant, and it would be possible
for the melter and reiner to carry out q
bar or a number of bars OF gold in his
pocket. 1t could only be concealed by
making spurious melts and marking a
higher fineness on them than they really
contained. 1t would be necessary to as
say the bar to detect the fraud.