The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-06
STOLE $4,000.
Quarter of a Million in Gold
Bullion Disappears.
Thieves TunneIed Under Build
ing Where 1t Was Kept.
NEAR SAN FRANCISCO.
Tunnel Started at Waters Edge
on the Bay.
PIunder Was Taken Away in a
Boat.
LEFT A BAR ON BEACH.
Scattered Red Pepper Along
Their Pathway.
LEFT A BAR ON BEACH.


just reached here from Selby's smelt-
ing works at Vallejo that s34O 600 in
gold bullion had been stolen during the
night. The thieves had tunnelled un-
der the works and gained access to the
strong room where bullion was stored
The works are located close to San
Francisco bay, and the tunnel extended
from the waters edge under the build
ing. 1t is Supposed that the thieves
took their plunder away by boat
The Selby smelter is the biggest on
the Pacific coast, and ores are sent
there from all parts of the western
country to be reduced. The works are
located on the bay shore about 80 miles
from San Francisco.
Few particulars of the robbery have
been received in this city. A. j. RAJ
ston, president of the company stated
to the Associated Press that the
thieves had excavated the tunnel
between three and four hundred feet
long from a point near the railroad
tunnel and under the strong room con
nected with the works, and had secured
bars of bullion aggregating in value
$340, 600, and had transported the gold
to a boat in waiting near the COM
pany's wharf In their hurry to get
away one bar Of bullion had been left
on the beach. The robbers took the
unusual precaution of strewing their
tracks with red pepper. presumably to
throw blOodhOunds off the track.
Each bar of bullion was numbered,
and a. description of the various bars
is now in the hands of the detectives.
President RalstOn stated that the rob
bers could not dispose of the bullion
without having it remelted and mixed
with other metals. He is of the opinion
that they Will bury the gold or sink it
in the bay awaiting a convenient time
for its removal There are but few
smelters on this coast where the gold
can be renelted.
President Ralston stated that he had
absolutely no clue as to the identity
of the robbers.
At the Selby works the gold is kept in
a steel lined strong room. The robbers
tunnelled until they got directly under
the room and then cut through the
floor. The tunnel was skiIlfully con-
structed, and It might have taken many
days to construct One in the strong
room the thieves had only to help
themselves to what was in sight It
was not until after o'clock this morn
ing that the robbery was discovered
Bullion is sent each day from Selby's
San Francisco Office to the smelter by
a special boat. The boat arrived at the
works as usual this morning with the
consignment of bullion, and the strong
room was opened so that it could be
stored. Then it was that the smelter
officials discovered that a big robbery
had been committed.
FURTHER PARTICULARS
Vallejo, Cal, Aug 6.-The Selby
smelling works was robbed last night
of $780, 900 in gold bricks. The robbers
had evidently been working on the case
for two or three months. They had dug
a tunnel from outside the house, dig
ging a tunnel shaft first about three
feet deep. Then they tunnelled in un-
der the vault and striking upwards
bored a hole in the strong room floor.
The hole was in the shape of a man
hole of a boiler. Part of the holes had
been bored two months ago, it IS
thought, and the last one was bored
last night Through that hole they
took the gold bricks and carried them
to bank near the tunnel east of the
works, where they We're evidently
placed in a boat In their hurry they
left two of the bricks on the bank
During the night one of the workmen
reported to his fellows that he heard
a. noise in the strong room, and he
thought it must be a ghost The others
ridiculed him for his superstition but
no investigation was made to see what
caused the noise The entrance to the
tunnel was covered with a frame over
which the en- ployes of the smelter
passed repeatedly every de- but no
one seemed to notice anything cut of
the way.
Sheriff veale, of Contra Costa coun-
ty, and his deputies and Chief of Po-
lice Sanford, of Vallejo, have been no
titled and are now at the works The
police of San Francisco and all the bay
cities are at work on the case, but so
far there is not the slightest clue to the
robbers. The work was that of skilled
men, and evidently elaborate plans had
been carried out without a hitch The
thieves got all the bullion in the vault,
leaving behind only two bricks, %Nhic h
they dropped on the shore in their
haste Only one days accumulation of
refined gold was kept at the works.
Yesterdays run was unusually heavy
and the gold was to have been shipped
back to San Francisco today. The tun-
mel that the robbers excavated was
about three feet in diameter and gave
them plenty Of room in which to work.
It is supposed that the dirt from the
tunnel was taken out at night and
dropped in the bay The first report
stated that the tunnel was two or three
hundred feet long, but according to
late adVices it is only about ten feet
in length The shaft was started close
foundation. From there it was only a
short distance under the floor of the
vault It is thought that the men who
committed the robbery took their plum
der away in a launch and made direct
for San Francisco There are plenty of
places. however, where they could have
pone-either up the Sacramento river or
the shore of any Of the numerous bays.
Following is the list of the property
stolen:
-Four fine gold bricks. all numbered
and containing as follows.