The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-07
About Twelve Hundred Pounds of the
Precious Metal Carried Through
the Narrow Tunnel.
TWO BRICKS LEFT ON SHORE
WHEN THE ROBBERS FLED IN A
BOAT WITH THEIR BOOTY.
WeIi-Laid Plan That Possibly Re-
Out-No CIew to the Burglars.

Smelling and Lead Company has been
robbed of $2S0,000 worth of gold bullion.
The theft occurred some time last night
and was not discovered until this morning.
The thieves tunneled from outside the
building under the vault at the Selby
works, which are located on the bay shore.
about thirty miles from San Francisco.
They got away with nearly twelve hundred
pounds of fine gold worth 800 an ounce.
without leaving trace Of their identity.
The robbery Is the most successful and
remarkable ever accomplished on the coast.
and was evidently the work of skilled
mechanics. 1t is supposed that when the
robbers secured their loot they loaded it
into boat that was waiting and dis
appeared in the fog that had come over
San Francisco bay. In their haste to get
away they left two gold bars. worth nearly
$4,000, lying on the bank at the waters
edge. The police at all the bay cities were
Immediately notified of the crime. but all
they could discover was a few of the tools
that The robbers had used
The Selby Smelling and Lead Company
is the largest concern of its kind on the
Pacific coast Ores are sent from all over
the Western country to be smelted and
refined. and the gold is then turned over
TO the mint a steamer makes special trips
between the smelter and San Francisco,
carrying ores and bringing back refined
gold. This morning, when the workers
entered the vault to prepare the gold for
loading on the steamer. the robbery was
discovered. The thieves had taken the
precaution of fastening the door of the
vault from the inside that it would be
difficult to open from the outside in case
they were interrupted in their work.
Probably preparatory engineering extend
ing over several weeks was done before the
robbery could be accomplished. Close to the
wall of the building in which the vault is
located a shaft sunk below the foun-
dation. Then a tunnel was run to the vault
and holes were bored in the iron floor until
aperture sufficiently large to admit a
man was made. 1t was then easy work to
pass down the treasure into the tunnel and
load it into boat. The robbers even took
the precaution to sprinkle red pepper in
the tunnel in order to make things as un-
comfortable as possible for any one who
might attempt to pursue them
There were four fine gold bricks i'm the
vault which the robbers looted. Each was
ten inches long, five inches wide and four
inches in height. They were all stamped
run thus: mo. 1896, containing 1.19O.3
ounces; No. 1897. containing 1.127 4s ounces;
No. 1928, containing 1,l29.22 ounces. and No.
1239 containing 1.O73.79 ounces" All the
bricks were 99s fine and worth s2O.eO per
ounce. In addition to this there were stolen
from the bullion vault crude gold in all
shapes and sizes and some of ii i'm bars of
different lengths.
1T is the boldest robbery in the history
of the State" said Chief of Detectives
Seymour this afternoon, land from ali the
information that we can obtain at this time
there Is absolutely no clew to the robbers.
In fact, we do not know whether the crime
committed by one man or five The
probabilities are, however, that more than
one man was concerned in it. We have
bers. kilograms have been sent to every
sheriff in the central part of the State, or
dering him TO search Tor the missing gold.
to overhaul every boat and steamer within
his jurisdiction, to search every railroad
train and stage coach passing through his
county and to examine every one taking
passage at the different railroad stations
throughout the State. We can do no more
than this, and L think with the preca utions
State unsuSpected. Surely, If any attempt
is made TO ship the bullion by any of the
cover it, On the whole, l believe the chances
are good for capturing the robbers"
The tunnel the robbers eNcavated was
about three feet in diameter and gave
them plenty OF room in which to work 1T is
supposed that the dirt from the tunnel was
taken out at night and dropped in the
bay The first report stated that the tun-
mel was two or three hundred feet long, but
according to late adviceS II is not over ten
feet in length. The shaft was started close
10 the wall. and was sunk below the foun-
dation. From there il only a short dis
tance under the floor of the vault Ii is
thought the men who committed the rob-
berry took their plunder away in a launch
and made direct for San Francisco There
are plenty OF places. however, where theV
river or TO the shore of any of the numer-
Gus bays