New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-12
COIN SWEATING.
THE ART OF STEALING GOLD WITH
ACID-HOW THE CHINA
MEN DO IT
MEN DOT


lDh "I its legal weight without in any manner
"'erHs JUS appearance. Mauifesty gold coins
alone would appeal t. tn sweater for silver
N"Nd hardly pay for the trouble In countries
"H'i" paper money is employed sweating has
ldA'h Il" root Also in countries like England
"H''r '.t largest gold coin is sovereign the
lracucr would hardly become epidemic II il
IN I'd" western portion Of America that coin
sweating mas assumed the largest proportions
IN the Eastern States paper currency is uni
Ntrsauy circulated. but west Of the great Docl,,,
Mountains the gold tWcnty-dollar piece the tn
ana the I'VE dollar coin are used almost exclu-
slNely. Ten or fifteen years ago the Government
I"unu il necessary 10 pass measures against
com sweating. but even then the manifest inius-
u'' OF arfrSiinE person for merely passing"
Such a. coln-such person being almost certainly
qul'r innocent appealed to legislators to such
AN extent mat the law was made only 10 affect
me actual manipulation Of the unlawful process
ih' consequence" Of this has been that the au-
tAoniics have had the greatest difficulty i'm SOC
curing convictions against the maIcfactors who
slope
Thr process OF robbing coin Of n part Of is
metal is simple. The gold piece is merely i'm
uersed. or suspended. i'm aqua regis mixture
Of nitric ana hydrochioric acids which attacks
tho metal at once. Tho man.pulator keeps the
piece m his botu" only a short time for a Nv
minutes suffice for tho mixture to absorb ard
mold ln solution as much six to eight shl-
IngS worth az the gold from tW-nty-dolar
piece. The com is then washed in water and
polished with whiting. as otherwise IFS surface
would hctiay the ordeal through which il had
been passed. showing 'pockmarks" IN great va
rifty The process is utiuu.d with other coins
until ihr acid is saturated" when il win alb
sorb no more of the metal The coins are eX-
changed for silver or other currency. As only
expert -ould detect the small subtraction in
weight. and the silver is then re-"X changed fur
more Z ID upon which the operator performs
his little game In due course. II is only neces-
sary tor the villain To- boil down his acid %
. complete evaporation. when the residue in the
kettle will be found in tn" shape Of a cleaning
4 button Of pure gold varying in size according
/ To the amount If acid and the charge it carries
in solution.
In san Francisco the Government secret
agents have waged a 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 la'k
Of evidence. and they hav" placed others be-
yond all worldly temptation for various terms
. Of wears. one OF the lone kings Of this neia-
. rous business who finally was obliged TO 500
. ipurn for a rest in the penitontiary at san
Quentin. was named Goodrich He was an eX-
.cnodiusly modest and retiring man. lie ocru-
pied an ordinary dwelling and conducted ms OPP
crations on the roof. After many long weeks ~
vigil on the part Of Government detectives DE-
was taken into custody. not rcd handed but at
least black fingered by the acid. His apparatus
Was found. most cev'rly concealed behind NOV
F able bricks in the chimney. ON top of his house.
st the time Of his capture a small bottle u
' greeriSh iuid was found. and this. upon being
carefully reduced to fumes. yielded NJ button
worth fully two guincas 4 few coins were dts
covered in the mans pockets ana also IN ms
. est coins Of the realm. Under the microscope
/ they were found t. be fairly crosshatoh-d WIN
tiny lines which had been produced 10y the
process 81 polishing to remove the traces where
the acid had eaten away the metal
Insidious as this acid thieving may appear
might be- regarded as crude by those who are
acquainted with the tricks that arr vain eXrr-
I csrd hv the heather Chine Jonn Chinamah
! is numerous IN California. He gets ms long
/ hands on many golden disk. ami VITA great
4 reluctance does h. eyer rrhnqulsh ms grip. IRE
has never learned the art OF sweating IN" CONS
with acid but he acccmpllshes ms purpose Jul ms
| Enthusiastically patient manner. n sHfN
/ places many coins together IN c-9,Ih p'7
and then proceeds to shake and toss ana o'hv'
! wise aEitate that receptacle by IN" h"ur OF ''
| tho week until h. has worn off by abrasion zen
I or twenty dollars worth OF fine dust Oh E",i
The coins wear one another Ih"N II'9'', ~"
/ aurraranr. when at length they 'Hl'i-, - ""
/ 49,. sack II having been regularly ahraded hy
/ pocket- to-rookrt circulation. ana thtf"i"I' - 'l
| intcnts and purposes nothing uirSal mas p'H
/ done As a matter Of fact. %" chinese mas 'F,
/ been arpr-hended or put on trial Tor inns "IlN
II is doubtful If The authorities have ever IAN III
D c,enizaucr ~ the Practice. OhN l'N P''l
/ ,,.r realized what th. sly Cel-StlalS were ri
/ uh.n witnessing the hourly agitation OF ''
/ Gins II is ~ course. unlawful to bore a hYi'
/ through a gold coin in America 'f 10 i'Ilo,'
any other mutiation. but Ny. 'h'h.,''an '',.'',,
/ ha said a. muti'lte III" money NJ N'lIS "", ~
| ar,fuuy ana therefore he -purSurs his c'uHs@
| serene and uumoi. st"l , .i o..
| Therr have been clever roGu.s from I'M ~
| tim. q. lo rrnulov "a slender tool with Wh''H ',
..,,,,t" a coin Their method IS TO max" sIfI
! incision i'm tho edge Of a coin ana 'h'n Pt.'
l ~ ,, ,-..1. after ,,hicn they refill the hn.-
I IT, erac, with bas-r metal 'hlEh ar 'f.
This has become almost obsolete. i"r lh. a. .n
Lusincss mas frequently proved sat.r anu ma '.
I difficult e performance. Laws y" ,;i.
and d.t.ctiv,s will wax more and NOR I,H'
Shoriu,t tIoir,.s but the makers and admins
traitors IF penal regulations VIII De "o'S,r ~
/ arise early in the morning u" p,'''r' IT," w." >. D.
",, ,t cff.rt Of man To- accumulate his 'pA'
b for nothing.