Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1896-03-29
Mrnrr rIn.r con,le,.d.

Henry tlper was trleU
for stealing bullion from the deposit
melting room OF the Carson Mint in
1903. u. s. District Attorney Jones
conducted the prosecution assisted by
a. j. MCGOWAN OF Carson. Elk.
Judge NJ. a. Murphy appeared for the
defendant.
\ jury was obtained without much
trouble. Tho indictment charging
Piper with taking so worth Of bull
lion from the mint on June 9th. 1893
was read and District Attorney Jones
made the opening statement to the
jury.
Following is Il synopsis OF the evi.
dencc OF the principal witnesses for
the prosecutions:
Lawrence Elrod testified that he
was Chief Clerk of the Mint III 1898
II bullion is stolen ont OF the deposit
melting room the Government Is ~.
sponsible for it. Was notified by G.
d. Meder ON June ., 1898 that Piper
was stealing bullion. Istarted down
stairs and when on the trst floor was
informed that Piper had gone i'll the
basement. going 10 the head Of the
stairs / saw him at the bottom and
called tn him to stop; he refused to
do so. | went down to the basement
at the foot Of the elevator shaft where
l found several small pieces Of crude
bullion; l passed Piper, who was COM
ing up, and said well, what have You
been doInS!- He did not reply. l
notified r. Il. Hofcr and Piper was
discharged that afternoon.
c. u. Meder: l was fireman in the
Carson Mint III June. 1873. On June
9th Mr.. Allen and myself went to "a
cupboard where We kept waste etc,
aud found amalgam i'll Il bucket
marked III. p Allen stayed i'll the
room while l went to inform the
chief clerk; when we returned the
bucket vas gone.
Archie Allen: | was engineer i'll
the Carson Mint i'll 1893. | moved II
dinner bucket aside with my foot and
found it exceedingly heavy; upon re-
moving the lid some bullion was dis
covered; G. ID. Meder went to the
Superintendent's office and | remain
ell IN guard and saw Piper Come to
the cupboard and take the bucket
out. l followed him TO the elevator
shaft where he dumped the contents
OF it to the bottom. / stood at his
shoulder and told him to take back
the bucket and save himself.
Dissemination: I'wrote to Pi.
per before he was arrested, telling
him that the officers were on to him
and that il he would give ME $50 ]
would get ont OF the country and not
testify against him. On Market Street
in San Francisco | borrowed S5 from
Piper. l have not paid it back be.
cause | did not know his address.
At the conclusion Of the evidence |
for the prosecution. Judge Murphy
asked the Court to Instruct the jury
to acquit on the grounds that the
stolen bullion had not been proved tn
be the property OF the U. s.; and that
no value had been proved; and that
the otfense, il any had been commit.
ted, was cmbez2lement instead of lar.
ceuy.
The Court permitted the prosecu.
ton To reopen the case and introduce
evidence to fix the value OF the bull
lion. G. ID. Meder was recalled and
fixed the value at 81. The Court
then overruled the motion Of Judge
Murphy and the case was submitted
to the jury without argument. Judge
Hawley read his instructions and the
case was given to the jury at $3.50.
At i:30 the jury returned with n yer.
Ifict Of guilty, recommending Piper
to the mercy Of the Court.
Piper was immediately surrendered
into the custody Of the Marshal and
will be sentenced Saturday morning
at 10 o'clock.