Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-08-08
Robbers Got Heavy Gold Bricks
From Selby Smelter Works
at Vallejo.
UNDERMINED THE VAULT.
Apparently Had Been Working For
Month on the Tunnel-In Their Haste
They Left Two Gold Bricks on the
Bank All Pacific Police Work
ing on the Case.

Vallejo. CAL Aug G-Gold bricks valued
at $4,000 were stolen during the night
from the S,lby Smolter Works The rob-
hers evidently had been working on the
JOB for two or three months. They had
aug tunnel from outside the bousc, be-
ginning with a shaft about three feet
dccp Theme" they worked underneath tho
vault ana striking upwards, bored a hole
IN tho strong room floor. The hole was
shaped like the manhole of boiler.
Through that hole they took the gold
bricks and carried them to a bank near
the mouth of the tunnel east of the works
where they were evidently placed in u
boat In their hurry the robbers left two
OF the bricks on the bank
During the night one of the workmen re-
ported to his fellows that he heard a noise
IN the strong room and declared it was a.
ghost The othes ridiculed him for his
superstition but no investigation was
made to see what caused the noise The
entrance to the tunnel was covered with d
frame over which the employees of the
smelter passed repeatedly every day but
no one seemed to notice anything out Of
the way. Sheriff Ncale, of Contra Costa.
County and Chief of Police Sanford Of
Vallejo, have been notified and are now
at the works
Tho police " San Francisco and All tho
1 bay cities are at work on the case but
So far there is not the slightest clcw to
Cd men and their elaborate plans were
! carried out without a hitch. They cot
all the bullion in the vault leaving behind
unlS the two bricks which were dropped
! on the shore. Only one days accUmula-
ton of refined gold was kept at the works.
Yesterdays ran was unusually heavy and
TN" gold was to haye been shipped back to
san Francisco to-day.
! The tunnel that the robbers excavated
was about three feet in diameter and gave
them plenty of room IN which t. work.
First reports stated that the tunnel was
two or three hundred feet long but ac-
cprding to late advic,s 1t is only about
ten feet in length. Tho shaft was started
close to the wall and was sunk below the
foundation. 1t is thought the men who
committed the robbery took their plumber
in a launch and made off directly Tor San
francisco. There are plenty of places,
however to which they may have gone.
either up the Sacramento river or to the
shore of any of the numerous bays
The following is a list Of tho properly
stolen.
Four fine gold bricks. all numbered and
containing as follows; No. 1886 $50
ounces: No 1877, 1900 ounces; No. los, 1l2}
ounces and a fraction. No. 1893. ll37 oun-
ccs and a fraction. Also 10000 ounces of
gold in various shapes and a little silver.
The gold in the bricks is worth so an
ounce.
The robbers took the unusual precaution
OF strewng their tracks with red pepper.
presumably to prevent bloodhOuuds from
taking up the trail.
President Rolstou says the robbers cam
not dispose of their plumber without hav-
ing it rcmeted ami mixed with other me-
tails. Opinion is that they will bury the
gold or sink it in the bay, watching for a
chance to remove 1t. President RolSton
stated absolutely that there is no clue 10
the identity of the robbers.