The San Francisco call., 1908-11-22

were made in the building occupied by the Phila-
delphia mint The changes involved rearrange-
- ment Of the vaults of their contents In the
mint at the between and three hundred
millions OF dollars which in gold bars and
gold coin. Common aborers, under guard moved TINS
great sum from part Of the building to another
few months the completion Of the alterations
I was in Jersey City train for Wash
ington when I heard some shouting at me Look
ing in the when the voice came saw my SON
waving telegram that had been received in the New
York the Uated States secret service a Few
moments after my departure The message was from
Charles IIalin assistant secretary Of the treasury,
and requested that proceed once TO Philadelphia
and R. f. Preston, director Of the mint and O. c.
BosbysheIl, superintendent of the Philadelphia mint
had already bought a ticket 10 Washington, but
the urgency Of the message though a time did
not understand its meaning stop at Phil
adelphia- night when I reached the city and
proceeded to hotel whore, by appointment, the
gentlemen named in the telegram were TO meet me.
Mr. Preston quickly Informed me why had been
summoned. The mint been robbed of $4,000 in
gold The discovery had been made only the day before
Mr.. Bosbysheu had succeeded Colonel Snowden
perntendent and the process Of transferring the
Office money counted Millions upon mil
lions Of gold coin boxes sacks and kegs had been
handled and all had out right to a dollar until
a certain compartment the vault had been reached
This compartment contained S1sOooooo in gold bars
These bars were piled up bricks possibly six feet
high. Each bar weighed pounds, if I remem-
Der correctly and worth approximately s25oo The
compartment enclosed with wire wicker work Of
the kind make cashiers cakes The door was
fastened with q combination sealed with
piece tape. The tape was unbroken, the lock
touched but $4,000 gone
asked AIr. Preston superintendent Bosbyshe II
either had clew to the identity robbers They
had not compartment opened,
far they knew since the put fol-
lowing the completion Of the repairs the mint And
the only solution to the that either of them
could suggest that Of the laborers who
h.A
number of the bars.
inquired who knew the combination of the lock
the told this by men.
Henry Cochrane, chief weighing clerk and
sistant a AIr Robbins. Mr. Cochrane
ployed the mint ~ years a a BEN
evolent looking of 81. Five he
the service OF the government caught the chief
weighing clerk stealing. exposing him pro-
his position. 81 years he has held the
place during which time he ad handled billions Of
dollars. Mr. Robbins, his assistant, regarded as
equally incorruptible
At this time seen neither MT Cochrane nor Mr.
Robbins. Superintendent BosbysheI1 mentioned.
however. Mr.. Cochrane prior to the weighing Of
the bars In the compartment found short
suggested the useessness of the task So Mr..
Bosbyshe who had been assistant superintendent
OF the mint and knew cochrane well:
How about cochrane? Are you sure he knows moth
ing about this robbery
Absolutely" he replied. "T would soon think of
suspecting my father"
gentlemen
at the mint the morning to looted
compartment in the vault, had become
late they
The next morning the mint and I asked
that Mr.. Cochrane be summoned to show me the com
psrtnent The vault itself at that hour not been
unlocked, and Mr. Cochrane. who two
who knew the combination proceeded whirl the
knob that controlled the bolts seconds was
conscious OF the that having difficulty in
unlocking the door. He turned the forward and
backward but the bolts would turn For neetfng
moment caught him looking up from the corner
Of his he bent his trying for per-
haDs i've minutes he gave it up Robbins was
called to open the door, which he did very easily
Once inside the vault Mr. Cochrane explained to me
that since the robbery of compartment the door had
been removed and the place otherwise dIsar-
ranged asked him TO the and put 1t in the
position IN which It belonged. door by the way
like the netting Of the compartment itself dtd not
reach 70 the yelling OF the to the noor At
the bottom there a perhaps three inches
and at the there opening a foot wide
Cochrane placed the IN position-or in what he
said was the correct position The door was bottom
side Up, however. and rested floor instead of
being suspended three inches n the air.