The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-09-12
HEAVY SHIPMENT OF BULLION
FROM ALASKA is STOLEN
BY UNKNOWN RoBBER.
PIG LEAD IS SUBSTITUTED
Crime Must Have Been Committed on
1oat--Gold Was Intact at Both
United States and CANADIAN Customs
Housea--Detcct'vcs Can Find No
c'cw Az To indcntiiy Of Men.

Seattle. Sept. ll.-Guld bullion val.
hcd ~ soi.afD part nf shipment ol
SII0.O00 from thu Washingtpn- Alaska
b'nk of FHirbniits. Alaska ~ tile Dcx
trr-llortDn National bank or seattle. o,
the steamship Humboldt, WAS stolen In
transit and lead substituted Ia til,
strong box that had contained Il.
When 1t left Fairbanks on a yukon,
river steamer for Dawson ana White
Horse. the gold was rontnincd III three
wooden boxes and was in the care of
The Alaska Pacific Express company
When the bOxes were opened by the
canadian customs officers at Dawson
Tho gold bars were found to be ny
stated In the express coinpany's pa
pcrs. The boxes were opened again
at the United States assay office In
seattle Friday noon and the theft dis
covered. One contained pigs of lead.
instead of gold. The seals of the box
were intact when II reached the as
say office. and 1t WAS evident that
ihc robbery had been committed on
board ship. The gold was insured
against loss by the express company.
The boxes were received at the as
say office Thursday morning and re-
manned until the agents of the con-
signce arrived next day to check up
the ingots. II is supposed that the
gold WAS stolen on the Yukon steamer
between Dawson and white Horse or
on the steamer Humboldt between
Skagway and Seattle. There would
have been small opportunity for rob
berry in the assay office or In the short
railroad run from White Horse to
Skagway. The gold weighed 80
pounds and the disposal Of such heavy
plunder must have required time and
preparation. The gold Mas In the pur-
scr's cabin and II is not customary on
the gold shipments to take elaborate
precautions against robbery.
Detectives working on the ease have
made no arrests and say they have no
clews on which to work. The rob-
berry was very much like one four
years ago. In this case $4,000 con-
signed To Seattle by the Washington
Alaska bank Of Fairbanks over the
yukon river -SkagWay route was stolen
from u wooden strongboX and lead
substituted. The THEFT was committed
by Bobby Miller. night watchman on
II Tacoma river steamer. which WAS
carrying the gold from Fairbanks To
The Yukon steamer that was to convey
1T to White Horse. Miller concealed
The gold IN his statrroOm. got II back
to Fairbanks and secrctcd II so we'll
that after his arrest on suspicion the
owners of the bullion We're glad 10
make terms with him. He was prom
ised short prison sentence II he re-
turned the gold and he produced
5000, alleging that the other sl9,OOO
had been stolen from him.
United States Assaycr Calvin u.
Villas said tonight that the federal
authorities We're abs0lted from all re-
spOnsibiiity by the vault being opened
and locked by telephone company elec-
trlcally The box arrived at the post
office with the seals intact. The
United states has no concern I'm the
matter and will make no effort to cap
turc the robbers.
The Humboldt sailed from Skagway
before the robbery vas discovered and
is now at sea.