Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-04-08

brought TO the lead
S'N 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 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, and
renort 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 well as
Miss Elliot, was quite intimate with the
family of the secretary of the treasury
and with the chiefs of the other depart
ments. 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 old7style
side-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 1t
did not differ in appearance from the
rest of the wood finishings.
When the government contemplated q
shipment of gold, the subtreasurer at
San Francisco was written to and the
steamer in which it was to be shipped
vas named. The gold was prepared for
shipment at the United States braRch
mint at San Francisco by packing sums
Of $4,000 in separate boxes, screwing
.4rv h0ud, sud scaling WIFI WAX esIc1I
screw in the box, which was then
stamped with a 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 We're 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 a few men and the Off
GERS of the mail steamship company.
When the gold was all stored in the
safe, the spbtreasurer 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
To 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
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 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 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 |
on beard. 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 |
cstersibly fitted cut for 4 coastfnr vov- |
age, and she took on board men enough |
to man the two vessels. Both sclpooncrs
were to fly the confederate flag un-
der letters of marqpe, The scho9neE
from Callao was named the Vesta, and
was fitted up with 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.
ligence, Miss Elliot left Washington and
sailed on the mail steamer from New
York. and arrived in San Francisco in
due course. Here they awaited the sail
ing of the vessel which had been desig-
mated to carry shipment of gold to the
government. Upon this ship, the John
L. Stephens, Miss Elliot, Neville and
eight of their eopfederates took pas
sage,
Thus far there had been no hitch I'M
Neville's plans. Now trouble COM
menced. The schooner Chapman had
been for two weeks ready for her coast
ing voyage, and, as she did not go to
sea, the United States officers became
suspicious of her and placed watch,
where they could observe everything
occurring on board. They also searched
the vessel, but found everything cor