The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-08-07
ROBBERS BIG HAUL.
Stole More Than a Quarter Of a Mil
lion Dollars.
NO CLEW TO IDENTITY.
The Booty Consists of Gold Bullion
Weighing 10000 Ounces.
THEY TUNNELED UNDER A VAULT.
A California Smelling Company Is Loser
through the Deed.
S OF. OFFICERS OF NO AVAIL
Evrey Boat on the Coast and Every
Person Boarding a Train to Be
Closely Searched,


San Francisco, August 6.-The selby
Smelling and Lend company has been
robbed Of S2sooO0 worth Of gold bullion,
The theft occurred some time last night
and was not discovered until this morn
ing, The thieves mnnelcd from outside
the building under the vault at the selby
works. which are located on the bay
shore about thirty miles from san Fran.
cisco. They got away with nearly 1000
ounces of gold worth $40 nn ounce. with
out leaving a trace of their Identity.
The robbery is the most successful and
remarkable ever accomplished and was evil
IDENTIFY the work of skilled mechanics 1t
is supposed that when the robbers secured
their loot they loaded It into boat that
was waiting and disappeared in the fog
that came over San Francisco bay. In
their haste 10 Get away they left two gold
bars, worth nearly $4,000, lying on the
bank Mt the waters edge
The police at all bay cities were mme-
diately notified of the crime, but all they
could discover was few of the tools that
the robbers had used.
The selby Smelling and Lead company
is the largest concern Of it's kind on the
Pacific coast. Ores are sent from all over
the Western country to be smelted ana
refined and the gold is then turned over
10 the mint. A steamer makes special trips
between the shelter aud san Francisco,
carrying ores and bringing back refined
gold.
This morning when the workers entered
The vault to prepar, the gold for loading
on steamer to go to San Francisco the
robbery was discovered The thieves had
taken the precaution Of fastening the door
Of the vault from the inside, SO that it
would be difficult to open from the out
eide ia case they were interrupted in their
work.
Probably preparatory engineering extend
ing over several weeks was done before the
robbery could be accomplished. Close TO
the wall OF the building in which the
vault is located a shaft was sunk below
the foundation. Then a tunnel was run
I to the vault and holes were bored In the
floor until an aperture sufficiently large
to admit a man was made. it was thea
I easy work TO pass down the treasure Into
1 the tunue and load into boat.
/ The robbers even took the precaution to
! sprinkle red pepper In the tunnel in order
to make things as uncomfortable as pol-
| sihle Tor any one who might attempt to
pursue them. There were four gold bricks
/ in the vault which the robbers overlooked.
! Each was ten Inches long, i've inches wide
and four inches in height. phey were all
stamped with the weight number and
dneness and run, thus No. 1896, containing
| 119O.a7 ounces; No 1897, containing 1919
ounces; No. 1898, containing 1922
ounces; No. 1888, containing 1o7S7
ounces. All the bricks were 09s nne and
worth S2o.6O per ounce. in addition there
was stolen from the bullion vault crude
gold In all shapes and sizes.
at is the boldest robbery In the history
or the state" said chief OF Detectives Sey-
mour today, and from all the Information
we can obtain there Is absolutely no ciew
to the robbers Telegrams have been sent
10 every sheriff in the central part OF the
state ordering him 10 search for the miss.
ing gold. so overhaul every boat and steam.
or within his jurisdiction, 10 search every
train and stage coach passing through his
county and 20 examine every one taking
passage at the different railway stations
throughout the State. We can do no more
than this, and ! think with the precau
lions we have taken no stranger can leave
the state uninspeeted Surely II any az.
tempt is made to ship the bullion by any
Of the ordinary modes OF conveyance We