St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-04-17

sN19 tion which she
sNsArM brought to the lead
'f ing people opened
to her the doors Of
the highest circles. Her beauty and
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 ut 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 cntree of the best clubs, and
report said that he was the second son
of Lord Neville, in the peerage OF Eng
land. He professed to be a friend OF
the northern cause and in favor OF the
national government He. as well as
Miss Elliot, was quite intimate with the
family of the secretary of the treasury
and with the chiefs of the other depart
nents. 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, a 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
Sam 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
of $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, a 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
k1own only to a 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,
Placed 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 pivots
t. 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 il at
tackled he was to pull the bolt and let
the millions 60 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 artfully art
less manner intended to learn from the
secretary of the treasury, who had be-
come completely fascinated by her
beauty and childlike winning ways. AS
soon as Neville had perfected his plans
for seixing 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. The schooner then sailed for
the Santa Cruz islands, OF Santa Bar
bara, and there waited for another
schooner, the Chapman, which had been
purchased at San Francisco. She was
tttensibiy fitted out for coasting voy-
iEe, and she took on board men enough
tczlep the two vessels. Both schooners
- tQ,Hy The confederate flag un-
der letters Of marque. The schooner
1anao was named the Vesta, and
gk&f 1t9rd up with . pivot gun. and
made formidable privateersman.
had worked out his plans %
y0cls{{nlly that he wrote to Miss Elliot
1T he could Be ready for action with
Ia to weeks after her arrival In Sam
Franeisco Upon receipt of this intel
Heene, llias Elliot left Washinetpa ard
seSl1s - the mail steamer fon New
Xoe - I esxiye3 1s- - - - -
! 81 slIss