The daily sentinel., 1901-08-08
COLD BRICKS STOLEN.
Thieves Gain Entrance Into the Seby Smelling Compans Safes
Where the Yellow Metal Stored and Steal Bullion Valued
at $3.50, ,OOO-..Most Successful and Remarkable
Ever PerpetratedWhole Affair
Ski|luIy Planned.

! San Francisco, Aug. The. Selby
Smelling and Lead Refining company
has been robbed OF S2sO.OO0 worth Of
gold bullion. The theft occurred some
time last night and was not discovered
until morning. The thieves tunnelsd
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 l2OO pounds of fine
gold worth $40 an ounce without leaving
trace OF their identity behind.
The robbery 10 the most successful
and remarkable over accomplished on
thu Pacific coast and was evidently the
work of skilled mechanics. The whole
affair was most skillfully planned and as
skillfully executed. 1t is supposed that
whom the robbers secured their loot
they loaded it into boat that was wait
ing and disappeared 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
ana the waters eo8e.
Tho 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 Load COM
pany is the largest concern of its kind on
the Pacific coast Ores are sent fron.
all over the western country to be smelt-
ed and refined and the gold is then turn
ed over TO the mint. A steamer makes
special trips between San Francisco and
the works.. carrying the ores one way
aud bringing back the refined gold.
This morning when tho workmen en-
tered 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 80 that it would
be difficult to open from the outside in
case they were interrupted in their
work.
| Probably preparatory engineering e1-
tending over several weeks was done
before tho robbery could be accomplish
ed. Close up to the wall Of the building
in which the vault is located shaft was
sunk below the foundation. Then =
tunnel was run TO the vault and holes
wore bored In the iron floor until hole
suMcisntly large to admit man was
made. 1t was then easy work to pass
down the treasure into the tunnel and
load it into . boat.
Tho robbers evidently took the pre-
caution to sprinkle red pepper In the
tunnel in oroer to make things a. un-
comfortable a. possible for any one who
might attempt to pursue them.
There were four fine gold bricks IN the
vault which the robbers looted. Each
was ten inches long, five inches wide and
four inches in height. They wore all
stamped with number weight and fine
ness and aggregated 4,51l. 81 ounces.
All were 99S fne and worth 500. 60 per
ounce. In addition to this there WAS
stolen from the bullion vault crude gold
in all shapes and sizes and some Of it
In bars OF different lens tbs.
ut is the boldest robbery in the his
tory of the state" said Chief Of Detec-
tivss Seymour this afternoon. 'and from
all the information that can be obtained
At this time there is absolutely no clue
to the robbers. In fact We do not know
whether tho crime was committed by
one man or five. The probabilities arc.
however. that more than one man was
concerned in it."
I'VE have taken all precautions to
capture tho robbers. kilograms have
been sent to every sheriff in the csnntrsl
part Of the state ordering him to search