The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-20
BAR OF GOLD MISSING
DISAPPEARED FROM AN EXPRESS
TRUCK AT DETROIT STATION.
Three other InEOts Untouched-Miss-
ing Bullion Weighs Eighty Pounds
and IL Worth $23,OOO.

DETROIT, Mich, March 19.-Gold. In the
shape of an eighty-pound brick and valued
at $23500, in transit from some one in Salt
Lake City to somebody in Buffalo. or Phil
adelphia, or somewhere else, disappeared
last night from the office of the Pacific and
Dominion Express Company. in the Detroit
Union Station, and the police, after an all
day search. have failed to find the gold
brick or to arrest any one. The missing
gold bar had three companions, each of
equal size and value. and these were not
lost. The whereabouts Of the precious in
got is as much of a mystery tonight as IL
was early to-day, when the police began
work on the case. Captain Mcdonnell.
chief of detectives. said tonight that he
had nothing to give out on the matter;
that no one was under arrest, and that un-
less something more definite could be told
the police would not talk about the case.
General Superintendent E. p. Newhall. of
the express company, who came to Detroit
from Toledo at noon, also refused to dis
cuss the disappearance. He refused to
name the consignees or the shippers.
The four bars arrived from the West on
Wabash train at O'Clock last night and
were checked out by the messenger in
charge. They were receipted for by Fore
man Miller of the local depot office. All
express matter for the East is held in the
depot for an east-bound Wabash train
which leaves at 1850 o'clock The four In
gots were taken into the depot office and
placed In the safe. Shortly before the east
bound train was due to leave they were re-
moved from the strong box to truck to be
wheeled out to the express car. The train
was an hour and half late, however, and
II Is understood by the police that the gold
was not put into the safe again pending
the time for the train to leave, but lay on
fha OH IN hQ which a level
with the street.
Captain Mcdonnell says that he has
found at least nine persons who were In
the office at different times while the gold
Law on the truck exposed to view and that
several of them handled II and commented
on its value. Two men who were in the
office were taken into custody early to-day
but proved to the satisfaction of the OFF,
GERS that they had nothing to do with the
disappearance of the gold When the tram
was finally ready Ii was found that there
were only three ingots on the truck. A
frantic search of the office was made, but
no trace of the fourth bar was found. The
train was held for a time. but finally the
three fngots were dispatched on their way
and Foreman Miller advised the police OF
the disappearance. 1t was at first thought
that the bar might have been left by mis-
take in the express car of the train which
brought il to Detroit and the car was
searched at Buffalo, but there was no gold
bar found.
Captain Mcdonnell is Of opinion that the
bar was stolen from the company's office
by some one who had followed IL a long
distance looking for this opportunity.
There was plenty of opportunity for any
one to have made off with the BAR, said
the captain tonight. THE office is right
on the street and the gold lay in plain sight
on the truck. II seems to me that Ii was
carelessly guarded"