The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-03
SHR0UDEO IN MYSTERY
Money Stolen From a Steamers
Treasure Room.
A SPECIAL STEEL TANK
With Sealed Lock Was Used as a
Vault-Two Men Have Been Ar
rested-The Whole Vessel
Was Searched.

4 San Francisco, June 2.-There was
great excitement on board the steamer
Alameda upon her arrival from Aus
tralia to-day when it was discovered
that a box containing 5000 sovereigns
was missing. Seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars in gold had been sent
hither from Sydney. The money was
ing $4,000 in British gold. One of these
boxes was distracted from the steam
er's treasure room during the voyage.
The theft. is apparently shrouded in
mystery. To thoroughly understand the
peculiar dizziness of the crime, it is
necessary to explain that large sums OF
money. frequently exceeding a million
in amount come from Australia by
every steamer. These consignments of
gold represent the balance of trade in
favor of the United States. Thus Eng
land owes the United States for grain
and oil and Australia is England's
debtor for all kinds of merchandise. 1t
is more convenient and less expensive
to send money to America from Aus
tralia than from Australia to England
and from London to New York. There
fore, part, at least, of the demands of
the United States upon Great Britain
are paid directly by the colonies of the
latter country.
So common a feature of the cargo of
the Australian steamers are these ship
ments of gold that each vessel belong
ing to the Oceanic Steamship company
has a special steel tank constructed for
the safe carriage of the treasure. On
the Alameda this vault, as it may be
called, is formed of steel plates, each
fve-sixteenths of an inch thick. 1t is
located under the steerage dining room
and the only mode of entering it is
through small trap door, secured with
an iron bar and a Yale lock. The lock
was sealed with the stamp of the steam
ship company after the boxes of SoveT-
eignS had been counted and receipted
for by the purser, and the key of the
lock placed in the safe in the purser's
room. The purser declares that the key
to the lock has never been taken from
the safe from the departure of the
steamer from Sydney until the arrival
here. The seal over the lock was I'M
broken and yet the consignment was
short 5000 sovereigns. No one questions
that 80 boxes were placed in the steel
tank at the beginning of the voyage,
and vet but 30 boxes We're in the tank
when the steamer arrived.
When the loss was reported to the
captain, he took extraordinary pains to
locate the stolen treasure, and discover
the thief. A thorough search was made
of the ship and every passenger as
well as all of the crew, was obliged to
undergo an ordeal of rigid examina-
+tion. None of the officers will discuss
the matter, their mouths having been
peremptorily. sealed, but none will
claim that the missing treasure was
found.
The mysterious character of the theft
the deftness with which it was accom-
plished and the cleverness with which
JnI haS lad nfE iale
and detectives alike. The generally &C
cepted theory is. that a number were
implicated in the theft and that when
the box of soVereigns was secured ii
was opened and the gold divided among
the robbers and concealed until they
could safely remove it for their own
use.
The police have arrested two mer
who came up on the steamer. on suspi-
cion. AS yet, however, no charge has
been placed against them and the au-
thorities for the present refuse to dis.
close their names.
The suspects gave their names az
Willard Greene and John H. Porter
and the former was on the passenger
list as Willard Reed. The official:
scout the idea that Purser Smith is il
any way implicated in the theft. HI
has grown gray in the service of thu
company and he is declared to be alb
solutely above suspicion in the matter
The latest theory of the police is tina
the missing box was never in the stee
tank. The boxes are heavy, eacl
weighing about 80 pounds and as the!
were brought on board they wer
checked by the purser and chief office
and carried to the strong room by tw
porters. 1t is now believed that a gam
of film fam was played at this stag
and the box instead of being placed il
its proper receptacle was opened AM
the money taken on shore before tn
steamer sailed from Sydney, or else di
vided among the confederates who wer
among the passengers. Nothing |
known about Reed or Green, but tn
police believe them to be confidenc
men, connected with the theft in som
way, as yet unexplained.
Is Handsome Gift.