The San Francisco call., 1913-09-27

NJ 'AD()O SAYS
COIN WAS
STOLEN
Iron Washers Substituted for
Silver Dollars in Packages;
Trusted EmpIoye Suspected

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27-Robbery
of the United States mint at San
Francisco was admitted by treasury
officials here today How extensive
the robbery may be is not known. So
far the governments losses total 81
This is believed due to the fact that
the count of coin has been stopped
pending instructions from Washing
ton. The 81 were taken from stacked
silver 81 pieces. The loss was discov-
cred by slight variation in weight
OF four stacks. each supposed to con-
tain 1000 silver dollars
Pig iron washers were substituted
Seals on these stacks were unbroken.
This leads directors of the mint to
believe that the theft was perpetated
by sleight of hand artist in the
gang that sacked the coin. Secretary
of the Treasury McAdoo has asked
Assayer Frederick Dewey for detailed
reports on developments Secret
service operatives on the coast have
been detailed to the case. No other
assistance will be asked.
Refusing to affirm or deny the re-
ports that iron washers had been sub
stituted for thousands of dollars
stored in the vaults of the San Fran
cisco mint, superintendent T. W. H.
Shanahan of the local treasury de-
partment, and DIR. Frederick Dewey,
special representative of the treasury
department of Washington, today re-
ferred all inquiries regarding the al
legged deficit, which is estimated at
various sums ranging from $4,000 to
$4,000, to Secretary of the Treasury
McAdoo.
That Superintendent Shanahan made
an official report to Secretary of the
Treasury McAdoo was evidenced by
press dispatches received here today.
Secret service operators are inyesti-
eating the case and a sweeping inyes-
tigation that will cover the operations
of the local mint for the last 10 years
is under way. Inspector Fl. NJ. Mofhtt
is in charge of the investigators.
Mof1itt was called in on the case sew
eral days ago and has gathered evil
dence which leads him to believe that
many OF the sacks OF coin were tam
pered with at different times
COUNT WAS POSTPONED
That the peculations were not dis
covered at the end OF the fiscal year,
July 1, was due to the fact that the
annual count Of moneys in the mint
was postponed pending the installa-
tion of a new superintendent to sue
ceed Frank A. Leach.
When Superintendent Shanahan
took office. on August 1s, the count
was begun. Shanahan stated this
morning that the count was well
under way" and that all of the gold
bars, valued at more than $i02. 000. .000s
had been accounted for. The experts
working under DIR. Dewey are now
engaged in counting $4,000, 900 in gold
coins which have been in the vaults
for several years. The count is being
made by a weighing system.
1t was through q slight variation In
the weight of the different bags of
gold that the theft was discovered
Former Superintendent Leach said
that he had been informed that sew
eral of the sacks containing gold and
silver coins had been tampered with.
'.All of this money was in vault
that was sealed during the incum-
bency Of John Daggett as superin-
tendent." said Leach, and the seals
OF that vault were not broken dur
ing my term of office
1t is believed that the thief was or
is one Of the trusted employees Of the
government who had access to the
vaults.
superintendent Shanahan said
that no changes had been
made in the personnel OF the
mint employees and denied that
Csntinued On Psge = CelumA &