Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-27
SMALL SUM0N[Y
M|SS|NGFROM MINT
Admission That Silver Coins
Have Been Abstracted From
Vaults in Frisco.
DIRECTOR ORDERS COUNT
TO LEARN EXTENT OF LOSS
Stealing Done From Specie Stored in
Experimentation May
Require Months.

Every single one OF the more than 61,-
600, 900 silver dollars stored in the vaults
of the mint at San Francisco will have
to be counted. individually, in the effort
to learn II seven iron men," or more or
less than that number Of silver dollars.
have been wrongfully abstracted from the
sacks of coins. Treasury officials today
confirmed the report that the govern
ments mint in the coast metropolis had
been robbed. but declared that the
amount missing is very small. Ins;gnifi-
cant as 1t is. however, every sack of coin
in the mint will have to be opened and its
contents counted before the Treasury Of
f1cials will be satisfied
Only 81 has been found to be missing
up to this time. but the circumstances
indicate that the sum will be increased
George E. Roberts, director of the MINT
today said undoubtedly that there had
been scheme of petty pilfering." but
ne was confident no great amount had
been stolen. The stealing, he added, was
from the great stack of silver dollars
stored in bags containing 81, 900 each. In
a few of these bags it was found that
one or two dollars had been taken and
iron washers substituted. The small
amounts stolen from each bag led Mr..
Roberts to believe that the thefts had
not been extensive
Verifying the Accounts.
The count of coin at San Francisco,
now in progress. was undertaken in ac-
cordance with custom to verify the ac-
counts upon the assumption OF the super
intendency of the mint by T. w. H. Shan
ahan, recently appointed to succeed FRANK
Leach. Usually a few bags of silver are
counted and weighed, and the remainder
weighed against them. Undoubtedly the
thief expected the iron washers to ball
ance the weight
Mr.. Roberts thinks the money prob
ably was stolen some years ago, when
the silver was placed in sacks There
has been no coinage Of silver since
1904, and. it is believed the thefts oc-
Cured before then. The count has been
in progress month and 1t will take
several weeks and probably months
more to count the entire s61.754.000.
Every Piece to Be Handled.
1t may be necessary for all the coin
in the San Francisco mint to be count
ed. dollar for dollar and penny for
penny. In addition to SCI. $4,000 in sill
yer dollars. the governments funds
there include $11O.42s 600 in gold,
s106. 500 in halves. $164. 900 in quarters,
$3.50 in dimes. $4,000 in nickels and
$11. 500 in pennies
The final decision on the question of
counting will rest with the new super
intendent OF the mint, who today was
instructed by Director Roberts to make
the count as sweeping as necessary
It Is probable that the United States
secret service will Investigate.
Statement by Former Superintendent
SAN FRANCISCO. September 81
The silver dollars stolen from the San
Francisco mint were contained in sacks
that had been lying in vault which
had been sealed since 1897 according
to the information Of Frank Leach. for
sixteen years superintendent until
succeeded recently by Mr.. Shanahan.
"The seals Of that vault were not
broken during my incumbency. Conse-
ouently the robbery did not occur while
I was in charge" said Mr.. Leach. 1t
was announced August 80 that the count
of 100000, 900 in gold had been completed.
and that the count Of $61 1885, 900 in silver
had been begun. Supt. Shanahan scoffed
at a rumor that a bag containing $4,000
in gold had been found to contain iron
washers.
The report is erroneous on the face
of it." he said. "for the reason that none
Of the bags contain more than 5000 In
gold or S., 600 in silver"