The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-10
is SHROUDED
IN MYSTERY.
Three Gold Bars Valued at
$4,000 Each
Disappear From the Strong Box
of an Ocean Liner
DURING THE VOYAGE
There We're But Two Keys to
the Treasure Vaults.
Part of a Consignment Of the
National City Bank.

Cherbourg, France, April 1O.-On the
arrival here today of the North German
Lloyd steamer Kaiser Wilhelm der
Crosse, Captain Englehart, from New
York, April @ it was announced that
three gold bars worth $1,000 each had
been stolen during the voyage AL the
baggage landed here was examined with
the utmost care by the customs officers
and detectives, but the gold was not dis
covered One hundred and fifty passen-
gers landed for Paris and several detec-
tives Travelled in the special train with
them
Paris. April 10-On the arrival Of the
steamer Tran from Cherbourg it was
ascertained that the robbery was discov-
cred when the last passengers on board
were about to land Thus far the affair
is shrouded in mystery in spite of the
activity of the detectives in examining
the baggage The search in Paris yield
ed no better results than that at Cher
bourg. The total value of the bars is
now said to be 112,5o0 francs
New York, April 1O-The gold bars
stolen from the North German Lloyd
steamer Kaiser Wilhelm de Crosse, were
doubtless a part of a shipment of $780,
900 in gold made by the National City
bank of this city. The gold was with
drawn from the assay office here and ta-
ken aboard the Kaiser Wilhelm on MOn-
day, April L The liner sailed next day.
At police headquarters no notice had
DGGu received OIL the reported loss last
night. Detectives from police headqua--
ters are detailed to watch out going
steamships. They say that no COM
plant was made in regard to gold when
the Kaiser Wilhelm left the Cunard pier
No 81 North river, which she has used
since her own was burned in Hoboken
last summer. They say also that the
pilot report no loss.
No instance OF the loss of gold in tran
sit between the United States and Eur
hos fr1 -fV, 2
1884, when a keg of American eagles
containing $4,000 was reported as miss
ing after it had been delivered by the
COmpagnfe Generate Trans-Atlantique
Railway company at Havre to be taken
to Paris. This shipment was consigned
to Lazard Freres
Shipments Of gold are always heavily
insured The Lazard consignment was
protected by policies in ten companies.
At the time repr fsentatiyes of the
steamship company said that there was
no record of gold having been lost from
the steamship.
The gold is taken from the assay Of
flee in trucks, usually in sealed kegs.
Representatives of the shipper deliver it
to the second officer or other official Sc
lected by the steamship company who
receipts for 1t, mentioning in his receipr
the number Of kegs said to contain
gold'' delivered to him. If when the kegs
are opened they are found not to con-
tain the amount of gold expected the
carrier is not responsible so long as the
seals have not been broken
All the kegs are locked in the specie
vault on board the ship in the presence
of the representatives of the shipper
When the vessel reaches its destination
the kegs are again checked off, so that
any loss may be Immediately discover
ed.
Enormous sums in gold are shipped
back and forth across the Atlantic when
conditions are favorable to such move
ments. Some vessels have carried as
much as 5000. 900 on a single trip, but IN
recent years, at least, not a dollar has
been lost
New York, April 10.-The robbery at
sea of the specie room of the North Ger
man Lloyd liner Kaiser Wilhelm der
Crosse seems mysterious crime. APP
parentIy there has been complete failure
to locate either the missing gold bullion
or the person who took it
Three bars of gold aggregating in val
ue s22, ,750 shipped by the National City
bank of New York were stolen from
caslx No. 4 of the specie room somewhere
between this port and Cherbourg. The
advices to Oelrich & Co.. agents for the
company came in German and on the
point as to whether the specie room was
broken open, or entered by picking the
lock admits Of translation either way
The specie room of the Kaiser Wilhelm
der Crosse is iron bound and almost as
strong as a vault. It's doors were Sc
cured by a patent lock, for which theTe
were but two keys One of the keys was
kept by the chief officer and the other
by tine purser.
The bars of gold were packed in oak
casks bound with iron hoops Thousands
of dollars in gold were within the reach
of the man who forced his way into the
strong room but only the sum named
was taken At the office Of the Nor h
German Lloyd agents this morning the
following statement was given to the As
ISOLATED Press:
Three bars of gold valued at $2z, 700
were taken from the specie room OF The
Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse somewhere
between here and Cherbourg. The bars
We're taken from cask but we have no
idea as to- how the robbery was acconp-
lished Our advices are but brief and do
not show how the room was entered.
The gold was shipped by the National
City bank of New York We understand
it was insured, but the question of re-
sponsibilify will be passed upon later
office has no knowledge of the thieves.
The specie room is a strong safe one, Sc
cured by patent lock to which there were
but two keys The chief officer kept one
key, the purser the other. We viii make
every possible effort to recover the mon
ey and catch the thieves
PASSENGERS IN IGNORANCE.
London. April 10.-The offer of a re-
ward for the return of the gold stolen
from the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse or
for the discovery OF the thieves, appears
to affectually dispose Of the theory first
advanced that the bars were stolen
previous to having been put on board
the steamer. No clues however seem