The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-13
OwNERLEss GOLD BARS.
Worth One-Quarter Million Dollars
Ind the Mystery Never CIeareu up.

Washington Star.
1.-The recent theft of $4,000 worth of gold
bars from the mint in San Francisco and
the robbery of over a quarter OF a million
of dollars, also in sold bars, from the Selby
smelling works, near San Francisco, calls
to mind the discovery of a large but IN
known quantity of gold bars in house
which was being demolished IN Oakland,
just across the bay from San Francisco
said a Washington correspondent.
II was engaged in newspaper work on the
coast at the time in Oakland, in fact and L
am conVersant with the particulars from
personal knowledge, though the discovery
at the time excited but little local interest,
and so remarkable was II that IL was DOUBT
ed in some quarters. subsequently, how
ever, the truth was developed. The gold
bars, TO an estimated quantity Of one-quar-
ter million dollars were actually found, but
to whom they had originally belonged, or by
whom they were stolen, is still q mystery.
As il happened about ten years ago l can
not recall the names or the parties with &C
curacy though / once knew them, every ef-
fort, of course, being made at the time TO
keep the find a secret.
"A two-story frame house on Tenth
street, in Oakland, was owned and occupied
by a family the head OF which, at the time
in question, and for a great many years,
over twenty, L think was an emplOye in
the San Francisco mint. l remember the
house we'll. The old man died suddenly,
and the house was at once sold 10y his
heirs. The new owner began tearing it
down, intending replacing it with bust
ness structure. In digging away the lower
walls an Italian labOrer came upon a gold
bar hidden in the foundations. He covered
the bar up with earth and went on digging,
but soon unearthed so many other secreted
bars that his find was discovered by three
other men employed with him Tney at
once entered into a secret compact TO col
lect the bars themselves and inform no one
else, especially the contractor and the own
er, Of the great and unexpected wealth
with which they had so suddenly become
possessed.
The men were all laborers, two being
Italians, think. They We're successful in
getting the gold away from the premises
unObserved by others. The first intimatiOn
that something of an unusual nature had
happened to these four men was that they
quit work for good and made heavy in
vestments in real estate. Their purchases
excited suspicion, as they all had been very
poor men. To cut a long story short, how
ever, it was ascertained that they had, in
fact found the gold, and they were, under
legal advice, converting it into other prop
erty TO prevent the possible owner from
laying claim to his original property.
In this they were all successful. In fact,
luck appeared to be with them. No one
came forward to claim the hidden treasure
for the very good reason, undoubtedly, that
the only other person on the face of The
earth who had known of its whereabouts
was dead. One man bought a ranch in the
central part OF the state FOR 5000. Inc
Italian living in Oakland bought line new
house, furnished it luXuriOusly, paying
81 600 for piano, and bought his wife an
unlimited quantity Of diamond jewelry.
The old adage, however, that stolen
gold brings to its pOssessOr bad luck in the
end proved true. In less than five years
the ranch owner was bankrupt, and the
ranch had reverted to its original owners
on foreclosure. The Italian lost all of his
property and returned to live in the little
cottage in North Oakland he had vacated
for his fine house. The only thing he pre-
served to remind him Of the days of his
fleeting wealth was a Turkish rug worth
about 81 500, which he placed on the floor
of the cottage, and would not sell when all
else had gone.
''The third man dssipated all of his
wealth in fast living and gambling and died
a pauper in a hospital in Seattle. The ca
reer Of the fourth man / cannot recall ac-
curately, but L know that he, too, lost all
way, died a miserable death alone in a
cabin the Sacramento river and was
buried by the town in the potter's field.
The gold, of course, did not rightfully
belong to the man who secreted it in the
walls of the house. 1t was stolen from
some one, and if it had been taken by the
man who had formerly owned the house
his heirs put in claim for it for the rea-
son that they knew ii did not rightfully
belong to him. 1t was considered improb-
creted il, however, as he had lived in the
house for many years had built it HIM
self, if my recollection is correct.
Since he had been for so long an en-
plOyee of the mint the general impression
at the time was that he had stolen the
gold a bar at a time, from the mint vaults
bringing il home when he quit work at
night. While this explanation was the one
generally accepted the singular part of the
mystery is that il 1t were true the govern
ment made no effert to run down the thief
nor was any such large shortage of gold
bars ever discovered and reported at the
San Francisco mint nor has it been reI
ported 10 this day.