Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-05-04
Secret Service Agents Un-
earth Gang Engaged in
Looting Rich Mines Of Grip
Pile Greek District,
ANNUAL LOOT PLACED
AT MORE THAN $500, 900
Large Number of Others Said
to Be Implicated Are to Be
Taken Into Custody Soon
by Federal Officers,


Denver May Slight men have
been arrested in Denver Cripple
Creek, Colo, Cheyenne. Wyo., and
San Francisco, and more arrests are
expected within the next few days In
what secret service officials say is a
gigantic plot to defraud the United
States government out of hundreds of
thousands of dollars through the sale
to the mints at Philadelphia, Denver
and San Francisco of high grade gold
ore said to have been stolen at various
assay offices, including one at Cripple
Creek.
Many More Implicated.
Between thirty-five and forty more
arrests are to be made within two
weeks in the alleged interstate stolen
gold conspiracy uncovered last night,
according to secret service officer.
This officer, who has been at the
center of the work of running down
the conspiracy since it was undertake
en- by the government last December,
said it originally had been planned to
make no arrests until the matter had
been submitted to the grand jury soon
to meet at Cheyenne. He said, how
ever, that Tuesday, Tony Cuaz, ar
rested yesterday in san Francisco
took steps which interfered seriously
with this plan.
Cuaz offered $4,000 in bullion at
the mint Tuesday, the secret service
man said, saying, I'm Joe Mex, a
mining man from Nevada I've got
$4,000 worth of gold want to sell"
to which the mint officials said, "Ali
right: come back tomorrow"
Trapped by Officers.
Cuaz agreed to this, the secret serv-
ice man said, and the mint officials
telegraphed him of the incident
While reluctant to change plans so
far advanced, the officer said 1t
seemed to bad to let Tony get away
with $4,000 in Cripple Creek gold"
Plans were changed hastily and yester-
days arrests followed. Some OF the
persons connected with the affair
have not been under close surveil-
lance recently, the officer said, but
general surveillance over oil Its ranii-
fications has been in effect for some
time
The officer first declined to say
whether the arrests to be made includ
cd any prominent people, but later
qualified this by saying none were
in Denver as yet.
The conspirators, he said have been
getting away with upward OF $780,
300 yearly in gold ore, mainly from
mines in the Cripple Creek district
md thefts have been going on for over
.wo years.
How Suspid on Was Aroused.
The governments attention first
vas attracted to the case by the mum"
Der and size of express shipments OF
gold made from Cheyenne. tho officer
laid, who pointed out that shipments
we're being made to distant points
when the gold could have been sold to
he Denver mint as readily II condi-
ions were normal.
As told by the officer, the affair
eemed to have centered in Cripple
'reek, where an assayer Is said to
lave received the high grade gold ore
rom miners, melted II down and for
varded the result, which ran from
$50 to 1000 fine, to agents elsewhere.
probably in Cheyenne, which appears
o have been distributing point for
t, someone in Cheyenne apparently
ending 1t on to agents in PHILADELPHIA,
IAN Francisco or New York. who sold
to the mints or assay offices.
The interest of the government IN
ne case IL explained as due to the
pct that sales of stolen metal to the
overnment departments put it in the |
ositlon or receiving stolen goods.