Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-08-07
$280,0OO MISSING.
Clever Thieves Loot Smelling
Works, at Vallejo, Cal.
Tunnel Under Beach and Can Access
to Bullion Room.
Make Escape by Water, Dropping Two Gold
Bars in Their Haste.

San Francisco, Aug. 6.-The Sebley
and Lead Co. has been robbed of $3.50
oG0 worth of gold bullion, the thief Sc
curing nearly 1900 pounds of fine gold,
worth $50 an ounce.
The robbers evidently had been
working on the job for two or three
months. They had dug tunnel from
outside the house, beginning with d
shaft about three feet deep. Thence
they worked underneath the vault and
striking upwards, bored hole in the
strong room floor.
The hole was shaped like the man
hole Of boiler. Part Of the holes
We're bored two months ago, it is
thought. and the last one was complet-
Cd during the night Through tAat
hole they took the gold bricks and car
ried them to u bank near the mouth Of
the tunnel east Of the works, where
they were evidently placed in = boat
~ their hurry the robbers left two Of
tne bricks on tile bank.
50 far there is not the slightest clue
to the robbers. They got all the bull
lion in the vault. Only one days ac-
cumulltion Of refined gold was kept at
the works. Yesterdays run was un-
usually heavy and the gold was to
| have been shipped back to san Fran
cisco. today. The tunnel WAS about
three feet in diameter and gave tnen
plenty Of room in which TO work.
The police at all the bay cities were
Immediately notified Of the crime, but
All they could discover was few OF
the tools that the robbers had used.
The Selby Smelling and Lead Co Is
the largest concern Of its kind on tfc
Pacific coast. Ores are sent from :lt
over the West country to he smcited
and refined and the gold is then turn
ed over to the mint.
This morning, when the Work1cn en-
tered the vault to prepare the gold lof
| loading on the steamer the robbery was
discovered. The thieves had taken the
precautfon of fastening the door Of the
yaiIIt from the inside 50 that il would
| ba difficult to open from the outside IN
case they We're interrupted.
Preparatory engineering extending
over several weeks probably was done
before the robbery could be accom-
plished. Close to the wall Of the build
| ing in which the vault IS located L
shaft was sunk below the foundation
Then q channel was run to the vault
and holes were bored in the iron foor
until an aperture sufficiently large to
admit man was made. 1t was then
easy work To pass the treasure down
into the tunnel and load into boat.
The robbers even took the precau-
ton to sprinkle red pepper in the tun-
mel in order TO make it uncomfortable
for any who might attempt 10 pursue
them.
There were four fine gold bricks in
the vault which the robbers looted
Each was 10 inches long five inches
wide and four inches in height In ad-
dition to this there We're stolen from
the bullion vault crude gold III all
shapes and sizes.
1T il the boldest robbery in the his
tory of the state" said Chief of De-
tectives Seymour. today, and from all
trc information that can be obtained at
THIS time there is absolutely no clue 70
the robbers. Surely if any attempt is
made to ship the bullion by any Of the
ordinary methods of conveyance. We
will discover il. on the whole | believe
tn chances are good for capturing the
robbers
Each bar OF bullion was numbered
and description is now in the hands
Of the detectives. President Ralston
thinks that the robbers cannot dispose
of the plumber without having it re-
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 chance for its removal. as
there are few smelterS on this coast
where the gold can be resmelted. Pres
ident RaIston stated that he had alb
soiutely no clue to the identity of the
robbers