Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-21
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&1f8&1U Alaska comes the startling discovery that
the shipment of gold which started the
rise In the shares has been stolen somewhere between
Nome and San Francisco. The gold was In the form
Of bars packed In small wooden boxes and valued at
over $4,000 It was shipped from Nome the steam
Star Of the North Aug. a. consigned to the San
Francisco offices of the Bed Rock Mining and Develop
ing company.
Frederick L. Harmon and his brother Augustus
~ Harmon president and vice president respectively.
Of the company. accompanied the shipment from the
date IL taken from the mine TO the time when
the boxes opened in the offices In this city The
last time the gold was seen was at Nome There the
boxes opened. their contents inspected, and the
boxes sealed again The seals not broken until
the boxes opened before the assembled directors
and there they found contain bars Of lead in
stead of the supposed gold.
Apparently there no explanation to the mystery
The seals the boxes intact. and Mr. Harmon
aud his brother that they contained gold at
Nome No suspicion is directed at the two brothers.
but the loss OF the gold has sent the shares
down several points"
This is the story that I. in company the rest
q the reading public coast pored over
night while going to in the Palace hotel
My business, that of unattached detective had
out of the city for month. and here my return
was mystery right at my hand and to best liking.
But of a mystery publicly exploited would be
turned to the police at least to of the
large agencies was little chance that
I would be given opportunity to work the case,
much would like to do
Imagine then surprise when next morning the
beboy brought a card bearing the name Frederick
L. Harmon president Bed Rock Mining and Developing
company"
Show him up, L said instantly.
Mr.. Harmon elderly with gray hair, the
conventional business with much of his usual self
possession and disturbed by catastrophe
that had overtaken his wealth.
Mr. Cleaver?" he said sharply, the
to face. I acknowledged the name IT have
heard of heard of often through associates
l. inc who In the banking business and for whom
have worked They testify to your shrewdness
reliability. well to your ability to fathom mys-
teties which bafie all others Consequently know
you just the I wish You have read the
story o. the gold theft7' course had Then you
know, said he, about all that able to tell you
the theft But give you history OF the gold
and the mine and this help In coming to
conclusions"
We lighted cigars and he continued: My brother
and myself located the Bed Rock mine years ago
the Moose district We were prospectors then
with nothing but two blankets and a good big grub
stake between us and nothing. We had money
backing of kind, but plenty of friends
here in San Francisco
when located the claim upon which the mine
is situated at that II rich in possibi-
tiesi but the possibilities the kind
pan miners with machinery could develop There
plenty OF gold there but II deep rock
and to get out would take much machinery money
We came back to Frisco with samples of dia-
of the claim. Using friendship a lever
formed a stock company here and secured the money
for the mines development. That five
The developments were slower than had expected.
The rock hard TO handle and little gold
tained for a long time The people who had invested
began to clamor for evidence OF the gold had told
them to expect. Envious miners began circulate
stories to the effect that the mine a fake To
offset these stories and their effect brother
Alaska this spring drove machinery and
$4,000 worth of gold in the shape
of bars. like this one"