The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-03-17

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charming manners soon MADE her one
of the leaders of Washington society.
One of the men who were attracted to
her. and who was seen at every gather
ing at which Miss Elliot (for thus was
she named) made her appearance, was
a young Englishman who had been
drawn to Washington by our civil war.
He had the entree of the best clubs, ami
report said that he was the second son
of Lord Neville, in the peerage OF Eng
land. He professed to be friend OF
the northern cause and in favor of the
national government. He, as we'll as
Miss Elliot, was quite intimate with the
family of the secretary of the treasury
and with the chiefs of the other depart
lnents. 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 steamships at that time
running between San Francisco. Pan
ANA and New York were the old-style
s.de-paddles. These ships had 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 bottom
set on a center pivot. The entire safe
was cased with woodwork, like the
other parts of the steamer, so that it
did not differ in appearance from the
rest of the wood finishings.
When the government contemplated a
shipment of gold, the subtreasurer at
San Francisco was written to and the
steamer in which it was to be shipped
was named. The gold was prepared for
Shipment at the United States branch
mint at San Francisco by packing sums
Cf $4,000 in separate boxes, screwing
on the head, and sealing with wax each
screw in the box, which was then
stamped with government seal. On
Sunday before the sailing of the steam
er, picked set of workmen from the
mint were selected and the boxes of
gold were loaded on to drays before
daylight and driven to the steamer, and
there placed in the safe by the mint
workmen. This was done so quietly
and at such unusual hours that it was
Known only to few men and the Off
GERS of the mail steamship company.
When the gold was all stored in the
safe, the subtreasurer locked it. 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
paced on board the steamer at Aspin-
wall, and locked in the safe on that ship
by the consul there; thus no one on
either steamer had any means of open
ing the safe while the gold was in
transit. AS have remarked, the weight
of the safe was hung on center pvots
IL keep the bottom of the safe in place;
there were also side bolts fixed so that
they could be pulled out at any desired
time, the method of which was known
only to the captains of the steamers
This arrangement had been provided
in case that if any of the confederate
cruisers attacked the Pacific Mail
steamers, the southern confederacy
should not have the benefit of the
United States gold, for the captain of
the steamer had instructions that if at
tackled he was to pull the bolt and let
the millions go to the bottom of the
sea.
By reason of the intimate relations
which Miss Elliot and Neville held with
the family of the secretary of the treas
ury, they had become cognizant of these
facts; and Neville soon after left Wash
ington for San Francisco in order to
make preparation to capture the next
large shipment of government gold
from the Pacific mail steamer which
should be designated by the secretary
of the treasury to carry it. Miss Elliot
remained in Washington in order to get
and send to Neville the date of the
shipment, which she in her artfulIy art
less manner intended to learn from The
secretary of the treasury, who had be-
come completely fascinated by her
beauty and childlile winning ways. AS
soon as Neville had perfected his plans
for seiZing the steamer, a schooner was
purchased in Callao, and arms and guns
sufficient for two vessels, which had
been shipped from England, were taken
OH board. The schooner then sailed for
the Santa Cruz islands, off Santa Bar
bara, and there waited for another
schooner, the Chapman, which had been
purchased at San Francisco. She was
ostensibly fitted out for coasting voy-
age, and she took on board men enough
10 man the two vessels. Both schooners
were to fly the confederate flag un-
der letters of marque. The schooner
from Callao was named the Vesta, and
was fitted up with a pivot gun, and
made a formidable privateersman.
Neville had worked out his plans so
successfully that he wrote to Miss Elliot
that he could be ready for action with
in two weeks after her arrival in San
francisco. Upon receipt of this intel
lirence, Miss Elliot left Washington and