The Washington herald., 1909-06-20

discovered the loss. assuming great ex-
element. as wen as disgust I sent for
I William J. Burns. the famous govern
ment detective. The chief clerk was ar
rested. convicted. and sent TO the peni-
tertiary for five years. He Is In prison
now Burns had 10 go 20 oregon on a
hunt for land and timber thieves. and so
we never learned what became OF the
gold
Replaced Gold with Sand.
7 was also interested in a case OF
theft at Seattle All gold dust contains
impurities, which disappear in the process
Of melting The loss OF weight ranges
between 1 and 8 per cent Persons taking
sold TO the assay ONCE al Seattle com
planned that their losses in weight were
altogether abnormal Leslie " shaw.
then Secretary Of the Treasury. ordered
me 20 undertake an Investigation soon
concluded that the stealing was being
done In the melting room. Burns sent
me TWO excellent detectives They
watched the melters. almost following
them into their homes. but reported that
they were family men and seemed 10 be
entirely outside Of all reasonable suspi-
cion- I had been weighing in and weigh
ing out nearly al Of the deposits OF dust.
most or which came 70 US from Alaska
in small Gags made OF buckskin.
The cashier. I Suddenly remembered.
usually weighed the deposits received
late in the afternoon. Taking his reports
to my room az the hotel where I was
stopping. / saw at a glance that his melt
ing losses were very much larger than
MY own. I had found the thief. His
scheme Of robbery was simple and unique.
He would put down the weight OF each
deposit as It came in and carry the fig
W. es with him when he went home at
night. checking against every deposit any
loss his cupidity deemed was reasonably
safe For instance. a miner with 800
ounces OF dust might safely be robbed Of
five ounces, or 1 per cent. The cashier
had obtained a supply Of veterinary cap
sUles. in which medicine is given to COWS
and horses. and had filed them with
sand. Some Of the capsules weighed ar
ounce and some weighed less.
Caught with DecOy Deposit.
Invariably the cashier reached the
assay office in the morning ahead OF
every one else With balances which he
had hidden in the vault he would weigh
out the quantity OF gold he meant to steal
from each deposit. and for the loss OF
weight would substitute sand poured from,
the capsules which he carried in his
pocket caught him with a decoy de-
2osit which had been run through a
sieve. When he sent il to the melting
room next day II contained three ounces
OF sand After he was arrested we found
that he had stolen Sl5O.Oo0 in dust We
seized his property, paid his victims $50 600
or the proceeds, and sent him TO the peni-
tentiary for long term OF years
What countries produce the Isrvas,
quantities OF gOld?'' I asked.
Africa Is first and the United States Is
next The African production last vesr
reached the enormous value Of S165 O00 00O
In twenty-one years that country. which /
has the richest mines in the history Of tbs
human race. has given the world 81 O0o
100000 in gold. Put another way more /
easily to comprehend. Africa since Iss7
has produced 1000 tons OF gold, which 4
would load three railway trains, giving !
each train thirty-three cars OF twenty /
tons apiece.
since 1892 the mines Of the r-nitad 1
States have yielded 5000. COO 600 IN gold 4
The product last year amounted to ss7.- /
10000. which was not only a substantial 4
Increase over 1907. but broke all previous 4
records. When Mr.. Bryan made his first 1
for President IN 1896 the product I
If the year was valued at S5s,00o00O. The /
'ield OF gold throughout the world in 1sos 4
seems 70 have been Si27. 200 900"
Nevada Promises Much.
do you look for large discoveries or
yold in the future?''
1T is not safe to indulge in prophecy"