The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-09-12
ROBBERY OF
COL D CHE i
Bullion to the Value of
$57, 500 Taken From
Alaska Steamer

IN Alaska TO trace the $4,000 in gold
ingots stolen in transit on the steam
ship Humboldt from the Washing
ton-Alaska bank OF Fairbanks. Alas
ha, TO the DeNter-HoTton National
bank oil Seattle
The Humboldt is due TO arrive at
SkagWay today The ship makes scy-
eral stops en- route to Seattle. and N,
steamboat officials say that the ro,,-
beTS may have left tho boat at one
of the Intermediate points.
The looted box had not been rough
ly broken open. Apparently the
t hieves had removed one side by tho
use of nail puler
The bank anu express company Cf-
ricials interested express the convlc-
tlon the robbery occurred before the
steamship Humboldt arrived at Seat
tie. The Canadian customs officials
are supposed TO have uDpacked the
entire consignment and examined II
At Dawson. From that point 10 the
assay office here distance OF prob.
ably 400 miles. the boxes passed
without more than casual scrutiny.
From Fairbanks the gold Was ia
en- by steamboat TO Dawson, in the
Yukon territory Canada. During that.
journey it was in the care OF tie
purser, and. according TO custom, was
kept In his room, with no other rrJ-
lection than the lock
AT Dawson the Canadian customs
officials after examining the gold.
repacked it and left it In the caro-
of the purser of one OF the river
boats owned by the NhRe Pass &
Yukon Railway company, which ca
ried it TO WhItehorse. 1t was trans-
terred at that place TO a c1lSed com
partment OF the express car OF the
White Pass &c Yukon railway.
From Whiteborse TO Skagway. a
distance of about ninety miles. the
precious metal was carried practical
~ unguarded. save by one man. When
the train was about twepty-one miles
from Skagway, the United States
customs officers broke the seal of the
compartment to count and test toe
boxes,
Il is understood that in this n.
stance the boxes were not broken
The transfer OF the gold was hastily
made to the steamship at Skagway.
SEATTLE, Wash, Sept 11.-Gold
bullion valued at $57 500. part OF y
lnGton-Alaska bank of Fairbanks,
Alaska, TO the Dexter Horton Nation
al bank Of Seattle. on the steamship
Humboldt was stolen in transit and
lead substituted in the strong box
that had contained It,
Stolen on the Yukon,
When il left Fairbanks on a Yu,
kon river steamer for Dawson and
l,IV h. II
ed in three wooden boxes and were in
the care of the Alaska Express com
pany. When the boxes were opened
by the Canadian customs officers aI
Dawson the gold bars were found
to be as stated in the express cou-
pany'S papers.
The boxes were opened again ne
the United States assay office in Sc
attic Friday noon. and the thcft dis
covered. One contained pigs OF lead
instead of gold The seals of tho
box were intact when II reached thG
assay office and il was evident that
the robbery had becn committed on
against loss by the express COM
pany.
Boxes Received Thursday
The boxes were received at the
assay office on Thursday morning,
'and remnincd there until the agents
of the consgnee arrived next day to
check up the inGotS II Is supposed
that the gold was stolen on the Yu-
kon steamer between Dawson and
White Horse or on the steamer Hum.
boldt between Skagway and Seattle,
There would have been small oppor
tunity for robbery in the assay II
flee or in the short railroad run from
White Horse TO Slagway
The gold weighed 250 pounds, and
the disposal OF such heavy pluuder
must have required time and prepa-
ration. The gold vas in the purscr'1
cabin, and it is not customary on
the gold shipments 10 take clabcrats
precautions against robbery.
Detectives working on tho case
have made no arrests and say thcy
have no clue on which TO work.
A Similar Robbery.
The robbery was very much like
one four years ago. I'm this case
$4,000 consigned to Seattle by the
Washiueton-Alaska bank OF Fairbanks
over the Yukon river Skagway Touts
was stolen from a wooden strong box
and lead substituted by Bobby Miller.
night watchman on n Tacoma riycr
steamer which was carrying the gold
from Fairbanks 10 the Yukon steam
er that was to convey 1t to White
Horse Miller concealed the gold 10
his state room, got II back To Fair
banks and secreted II SO we'll that
after his arrest on suspicion the
owners of the bullion were glad 10
make terms with him. He was prom
ised short prison sentence II lie
returned the gold and he produced
$4,000. alleging that the other Sl9.-
900 had been stolen from him.
SEATTLE, Wash. Sept. 11-Unltod
States AsSayer Calvin F.. Villas said
today that the federal authorities were
absolyed from all responsibility h.
the vault being opened and locked by
the telephone company electrically
The box arrived al the office with
seals unbroken WAS locked up. and
the next day was brought oGt Tita
the seals intact
The United states has no concern
in the matter and viii make no cf-
fort TO capture the robbers
The Humboldt sailed from Sgac-
way before the robbery was discoy-
,,.J g. n,us as