The morning times., 1897-02-28
THEY FAILED TO SEIZE
$4,000,000 In GOLD

From the San Francisco Argonaut.)
Al the opening of Congress in 1863 there
appearedin in Washington young and beau
liful woman. The letters of introduction
h!cH she brought TO the leatiing ueopIe
opened to her the doors of the highest cir
cies. Her beauty and charming manners
soon made her one of the leaders of WASH
ington society. One of the men who were
attracted to her, and who was seen at
every gathering at which Miss Elliot (ror
thus she was named) made her appear
ance, was young EngliShman, who had
been drawn TO Washin gton by our civil war
lie had the entree of the best clubs and re-
port SAID that he was the second son of
Lord Neville, in the peerage of England.
He profeSsed TO be friend of the Northern
cause, and in favor OF the national govern
menI
At this time the credit of the government
was being sustained by gold shipped from
san Francisco. The dates of the sailing
Of the ships which should convey this money
was known only to the Secretary of the
Treasury. The line of Pacific Mail steam
ships at that time running between San
Francisco, Panama and New York were
the old-Style Side-paddles. These ships
iad been fitted up to carry the gold for
the United States government by putting
on the port side of the ship, on the guard
after the wheel, steel safe with the lot
tom set on center pivot. The entire safe
was CaSed IN woodwork, like the ther parts
Of the steamer, SO that II did not differ in
appearance from the rest of the wood
fmShings.
Wncn the government contemplated a
shipment of gold the sub-treasurer at
San Francisco was written to and the
steamer in which IL was to be shipped was
named The gold was prepared for ship
meni at the United States branch mint at
San Francisco by packing sums of $50 900
in separate boxes, screwing on the head,
and sealing with wax each screw in the
box, which was then stamped with a gov
ernment seal. on Sunday before the sail
ing OF the steamer, a picked set of work
| Inen from the mint were selected and the
boxes of gold were loaded on TO dra VS. before
daylight ana driven TO the steamer and
there placed in the safe by the mint work
| men.
This was done so quietly and at such
unusual hours that it was known only to
few men and the Officers OF the mail
steamship company. Whenthe gold was all
stored In the safe the suhtreasurer locked
il. The American consul at Panama upon
the arrival OF the steamer, unlocked the
safe, and the boxes of gold were taken
across the isthmus on the cars by night.
placed on board the steamer at Aspinwall,
and locked in the safe on that ship by
! the consul there. Thus TO one on either
steamer had any means of opening the
safe while the gold was in transit
As l have remarked, the weight of the
safe was hung on center pivots to keep
the bntt0m Of the safe in place; there were
also sie-holts fixed so that they could he
pulled out at any desired time, the method
| of which was known only to the captains
| of the steamers. This arrangement had
been provided i'll case that if any of the
| Confederate cruisers attacked the Pacific
Mail steamers. the Southern Confederacy
1 should not have the benefit of the United
| States gold, for the captain of tile steamer
! had instructions that if attacked he was to
| pull the bolt and let the millions 90 to The
| bottom Of the sea.
| BY reason of the intimate relations which
| Miss Elliott and Neville held with the fam
| lily OF the Secretary of the Treasury, they
| had become cognizant OF these facts. and
/
Francisco in order to make preparation to
capture the next large shipment of govern
Inent gold from the Pacific Mail steamer
which should be designated by the Secre-
| taryo the Treasury to carryit. Miss Elliott
remained in Washington in order to get
and send to Neville the date OF the ship
| ment, which she in her artfully artless man
ncr intended to learn from the Secretary OF
| fascinated by her beauty and childlike.
winning ways.
As soon as Neville had perfected his
| plans for seizing the steamer, schooner
was purchased in Callao, and arms and
! guns sufficient for two vessels, which had
! been shipped from England, were taken on
| board. TIE schooner then sailed for the
Santa Cruz islands, off Santa Barbara, and