The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-19

lawful process. The consequence Of this
has been that the authorities have had
the greatest difficulty In securing convic-
lions against the malefactors, who have
dcbased no end of coins on the Pacific
slope.
The process Of robbing a coin Of a part
of its metal Is simple. The gold piece Is
merely Immersed, or suspended, in aqua
regis. a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric
acids, which attacks the metal at once
The manipulation Keeps the piece in his
bottle only a short Time for few minutes
suffice for the mixture to absorb and hold
in solution as much as six to eight shil-
lings worth of the gold from a
twenty dollar piece The coin is then
washed in water and polished with whit
ing. as otherwise its surface would betray
the ordeal through which IL had been pass
ed, showing 'pockmarks' In great variety.
The process is continued With other coins
until the aicd is "sa turated," when IL VIII
absorb no more of the metal The coins are
exchanged for silver or other currency. as
only an expert could detect the small sub
traetlon I'm weight, and the silver is then
re-eXchanged for more gold, upon which
the operator performs his little game In
due course. 1t Is only necessary for the
villain to boil down his acid to complete
evaporation when the residue in the ket-
tie will be found in the shape of gleam-
ing button of pure gold varying In size
according to the amount of acid and the
charge il carries In solution.
In San Francisco the government secret
agents have waged long and bitter war
with sweaters They have captured many,
who were guilty enough In all conscience,
but against whom no conviction could be
obtained for lack of evidence, and they
have placed Others beyond all worldly
temptation for various terms of years. one
of the lone kings of this nefarious bust
ness, who finally was obliged 20 soJourn
for a rest in the penitentiary at San
Quentin, was named Goodrich He was
an exceedingly modest and retiring man.
He occupied an ordinary dwelling and con-
Quoted his operations on the roof After
many long weeks of vigil on the part OF
government detectives he was taken INTO
custody not red handed, but at least
black fingered by the acid Ills appara-
tus was found, most clevery concealed be-
hind movable bricks In the chimney, on
Ton of his house AT the time of his cap
ture a small bottle of greenish fluid was
found. and this, upon being carefully re-
duced to fumes, yielded up button worth
fully two guiueas. A few coins were ais
covered in the mans pockets and also In
his residence. These. 10 all appearances,
were honest coins of the realm. Under
the microscope they were found 20 be
fairly crosshatched with tiny lines, which
had been produced by the process OF pol
ishinR to remove the traces where the aciu
had eaten away the metal
Insidous as this acid thieving may APP
near it might be regarded as crude by
chose who are acquainted with the tricks
than are vain exercised by the heather
Chinese" John Chinaman is numerous
an California. He gets his long hands
ON many a golden disk and with great
reluctance does he ever relinquish his grip.
He has never learned the art OF sweat
ing the coins with acid, but he accom-
plishes his purpose in his characterisucal-
Nv patlent manner He simply places many
coins together in buckskin bag and then
proceeds to shake and toss and otherwise
agitate that receptacle by the hour, or by
the week, until he was worn off by abra-
sion $40 or 500 worth of fine dust Of gold.
The coins wear one another. They pre-
sent the appearance, when at length they
emerge from the sack. of having been reg
ularly abraded by pocket-to-pocket circu-
lation. and therefore TO all intents and
purposes nothing Illegal has been done. As
a matter Of fact no Chinese has ever been
apprehended or put on trial for this work.
II is doubtful Il tho authorities have ever
taken cognizance OF the practice. Only
a few people ever realized what the sly
Celestials were at when witnessing the
hourly agitation of the coins 1t Is, OF
course, unlawful to bore a hole through a
gold coin in America or 90 perform any
other mutilation, but Mr.. Chinaman cam
not be said to mutilate the money he
wears out so artfully, and, therefore, he
pursues his course serene and unmolested.
There have been clever rogues from time
TO time who employ a slender tool with
which TO gut" a coin. Their method II
TO make a. small lncision In the edge OF
a coin an$then patiently dig out the in
side after which they refill the hollow
space with baser metal. High