The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-04-13
BARS OF GOLD STOLEN.
Mysterious Robbery on Board
Steamer Kaiser Wilhelm der
Crosse During Trip.
TAKEN FROM cAsk IN SPECIE ROOM.
Reward offered Tor Restitution of
the Gold OF the Discovery of the
Thieves-The Gold Was Shipped
n from New York by National City
Bank.

the Gold OF the Discovery of the
Thieves-The Gold Was Shipped
i BANK. " ~ - ''' '''
Bremerhaven, April lit is Off
.eially announced that two bars of
gold were stolen during the voyage of
the North German Lloyd steamer
Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse, which left
New York, April Q, and arrived at
Cherbourg April 9. The company has
, offered a reward of 10000 marks for
their restitution or for the discovery
Of the thieves.
VI A Mysterious Crime.
New York, April 1.-THE robbery
at sea of the specie room of the
North German Lloyd liner Kaiser Will
helm der Crosse seems mysterious
crime. Apparently there has been
complete failure to locate either the
missing gold bullion or the men who
took it, although the search of pas
sengers and ship at Bremen again
may furnish material for the inves-
LEGATIONS.
Three bars of gold aggregating in
t.ssalue $22,75O shipped by the National
City bank of New York, were stolen
from cask No. 4 of the specie room
somewhere between this port and
Cherbourg. The advices to Oelrichs
& Co., agents for the company, came
in German, and on the point as to
whether the specie room was broken
open or entered by beating the lock
admits of translation either way.
Strong Specie Room.
The specie room of the Kaiser Will
helm der Crosse is ironbound and al
most as strong as a vault. Its door
was secured by patent lock for
which there were but two keys. One
of the keys was kept by the chief Of
ficer, the other by the 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.
Statement by steamer Agents.
At the office of the North German
Lloyd agents the following statement
was given the press:
"Three bars of gold valued at $22,750
were taken from the specie room of the
Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse somewhere
between here and Cherbourg. The bars
were taken from cask 4. but we have no
+ idea as to how the robbery was accom-
plished. 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 responsibility
= will be passed upon later. The ship is due
at Bremen to-day and we may hear fur
Their from there We have not recovered
the gold and this Office has no knowledge
of the thieves. The specie room is a
strong safe one secured by patent lock, to
which there were but two keys The chief
y officer kept one key. the purser the other.
We will make every possible effort to re-
cover the money and catch the thieves"
Robbery Occurs During Trip.
London, April 1.-THE offer of a
reward for the return of the gold
stolen from the Kaiser Wilhelm der
Crosse or for the discovery of the
thieves appears to effectually dispose
of the theory first advanced that the
bars were stolen previous to having
been put on board the steamer. No
clews, however, seem to be forthcom-
ing regarding the perpetrator of the
robbery. Passengers of the Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse, who landed at
Southampton, told a representative of
the press that they knew nothing of
the matter until they read it in the
newspapers.
Delay In Landing PassenEers.
It was observed that there were no
special precautions or searchings
when the passengers disembarked,
though there was some comment
\, caused by the delay of seven hours in
landing the passengers at Cherbourg,
where the steamer arrived at II o'clock
Monday night. But, contrary to GUS
tom, the passengers were kept on
board until eight o'clock in the morn
ing. The officers of the steamer ex-
planned that the tender would not
come out. But this failed TO satisfy
the impatient passengers who, how
ever, were quite ignorant until they
landed that their detention was due to
the initial investigations consequent
upon the theft and the precautions
exercised at Cherbourg. But the fact
that these precautions were not OBJ
served subsequently at Southampton
was taken to indicate that the officials
/. believe the conspiracy has its chief
end on the continent. The passengers
are inclined to believe that the rob-
berry must have been accomplished by
an individual exceptionally conversant
with the arrangements of the steam
ship company, for not one of the cabin
passengers. apparently, knew there
was specie on board, much less where
1t was kept.
Suspicious Incident.
Paris, April 11.-Neither the Cher
bourg nor the Paris police have found
any trace of the missing gold bars or
xof the thieves. They are confident
that the bars were not landed in
France and think they are still aboard
the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse and
will be found concealed in the hold
I on her arrival at Bremen.
The only suspicious incident on
board the steamer was fight be-
tween two members of the crew on
the eve of her arrival at Cherbourg.
during which both men were stabbed
with knives. A little later the rob-
berry was discovered. These particu-
lars have been telegraphed to Bremen.