| Show I 1 1 III I f I I to I I I I 0 I Robbing the L Mints I t 11 Ill fU i frt 1 How Hnciilc Tltlovci Iligavo Htolou Undo Sam f-rt t JJullloii h I = = I I I I I It I I A Tilt WiM He Dirtclor of lh Mt lie Gal KaUtitn al MlltJtlfliii oil I I i Jlae 7 A < y Hire Dlam dllM > J i > N A Iru SkIf a Iud N Gold r I nail end 1oolltl CtAr lilt Mil RoblIrr slid Hit Cuthul Itays t I i 11 Cirr Sti natilt OliHtiSltline Gold ArtAt foe > illtir < i Mini I F I t I i ii I KMm iMttt n MainiH a > flat t amid III Vow sttaint I i 1ttlIl is Hit fluty OJJitt I It I I j I I I ei fl I i tcopfmsltadlnobrngbkocrptbttf1 I 1pnoiltorrosevitaltictooflnelkastra 1 0 11 I i U AtlllltUTON Oct Jilt 1 169 1 f I I 1 I I J VISITED Ihe mint it 1hlia I I 1 delphla last neck It now I itll i i ji I jjjf contains more than Solocaw I i 1 IllrJao and It I his 50000 > I I I I tMfttlandard t I silver dollars In i ftf vault The San rran I ifftUiKIngle ran 0 f 4 I hI Cisco mint has I am told t 1 more than SOUMOOO north I I I I I I of precious metal 1 stow I I way and In the vaults off h < it i ifii Ihe mint at New Orleant r t 1M there now lomcthlng like 11 4tji I I 11 A 0 0000 wotth I of cold and i f If 11 illver Durlnj my Stay I In J ou1rr i 0 our Philadelphia Ircaiure house 1 was I 1 a I I shown the different method ly which 4 i so Uncle San guards bit hoard Every I I atom ol cold and silver It I wttheJ and I I i I j although the mint list handled more I I I I I 4 thin a billion and a half dollars worth 1 ol bullion since it was founded only a v 1 lyk 1 small part hit been bit Still the lerm > 1 J I i I gotten to theft li treat and every now i 1 J I dt 1 jij j and then the treasury department finds I I s f a shortage In tome ol the mints or In I s W the government assay offices In different I i I ti i parts of the welt The true details of rI e4 such thefts seldom gel Into the nIt s I I I 4 i It I papers Tray are Tiled I a ay In the to fJ J I cords ol 1 the treasury tljparirnnt I and In t I j I I I the minds of the detective and officials I who have aided In eiposln Ihe crimes I I During the past week I have heard the I I stories ol a number of such lobberlti I I i I I I and In my study ollhm1 1 have had I i access lo Ibo records of the treasury In I a 1 connection lth lion I It I Irenon the I II 1 director of Ibo mint Mr Pieston It I as I j 4 I charge ol all the mints In the United 1 I I 1l I States I I Jlell the chief watch dog ot Uncle I I I I I 5 ins treasures ol told and silver and II I 11 1 j ho know mole about the mint perhaps I titan any other man connected va lilt the I I I i a government lie I has I keen In the era 1 poy ol the United Mites treasury JOT I I I t 1 the past forty years and he it today one o A fit l lu most efficient officers You rOo 1 member how about two yean ago I Ii I 1 I Henry S Cochran the weigh clerk at i I I4 Ibo Ihlladelphla mint Hole ban lo tile rr j I I I I value ol njouo glum the gold I vault I 1i i i I Healing It bar by bar from a stack of I I f I I ilneen million uollaii worth ot gold I I I I I bullion which stti there stored may Mr Iron come one ol the officials hot I 11 I ho-t I rh the putting away of that fi di bullion 1 and he was acting director ol Ibo mini at Ihe time that Cocurana I I I I i was discovered The lint great Heal In the Philadelphia mint occurred folly 4 three yean ago just before Mr Preston I I entered the government service I and 0 curiously enough this theft wn de i I lected by Locbitn who was in under clerk of the robber and who by eipot I Ing his superior ol the place of Heigh I clerk which he he jot fur folly years and 1 f bk lcl of fratir rn h In which he was at the lime htiotin I I robbery occurred Uuilig the In Vasil I j gallon at InlladelphU the thlelCochian I told Mr listener ineitorvind Mr 1ref ton repealed II to me today i I ITOLU A lOltJUNK 1 IN COLD OUT It slas away back In i8u said the I director ol the mint owners a vast I I I amount of told was coming In Iron I California that the fun big robbery I I occurred the culprit was James li 11 I Neo and ho un the weigh clerk ol I t I the mint There was at this lime no I I I I aiiay Others it New York and all of tin I told dun nuggets votes lent by the btnkt ol the dinerenl cities lo hlla I 1 delphla to be reduced to bullion Negu 1 I I hid the handling of this I treasures and 11 he lot A long lime carried a systematic I Healing from the dlllerenl depotiii ten I I In II woo his business lake chargb I il I 1 I of them weigh them and put them Into I 1 I the vault unlll they could be null t o I ed lly taking a nugget or a pinch or I I I I dust I from each deposit he uai able 10 I I Heal thousands ol dollars and he pro I I 1 d bably tarried on hit Heilngi during tire J whole of the four yean mat I he was In I 11 I it I the employ of the mint Cochran was gle Ihli time a boy working In the mint I lie I acted tlcgutauliunt flowage I i led lo I suspect that Iu I ejui was taking out P guld dust ml fibtl tiling black nnd a I for III in tome of lie deposits 110 I took i I Occasion lo remelzh leveiat deposili N r IJ I 1 I Ii when Negu va notpicicnt I and found r V that they were from live to ten ounces 11 1 short He went 10 the lupenntendcnt I I j of the mint and charged Ntgui ulth the I J3 i Ihell regui was called up He con A I fened and Hated that he hail Helen 1 fioCuioilliol gold dust Aiiounuy i I I ace aromatic letters here In the records ol 11 the department II the treasury ofliclali I 1 believed hli confession but t they did not I think he should be arrested is he had I I I made restitution He socar allowed I KU flee Wllhin a few Hctkl he tailed i for tuop arid that vai the last that I i Hat ever heaid ol him There was no cable has those dii and I I the probability Is I that I he carried a I foodly amount of gold aay with him I i I I Inc I rubbery wai not Irom Hie treasury but front I thebankmhoitntin the gold h I I I and there wn nu way ol tellingjuit i 1 I I how much he Hole 0 eOCliuN Till MINT accesses I I 11 was in this way that HenryS I 1 1 Cothran became Uh clerk of tin 1 1 mlnV director Preston went on 110 I I I 1 I look the Place ol a thief and there li no 11 telling how IOQII he became a thief him I l sell 110 I told me that ho did not steal I anything from the nllli t until after the I jA deposit i of that ltilioau Ili void bars I j i but kill connection r wltluuo I oln mint dl ljrsat j I cal mote than forty arid blic 0 1 r fears pool j lion I the t I A 11 Dania us that of Negras I During hit 11010 term 01 employment 1 I I 1110 have had the 1 COLfil fence of every Circe 1 t A letter later sictied by Ianll 1 I surgeon So was tMA11111tef of tit United btst I Iltil lie 1 was Appointedo I It is be who l advises the I 1314 he dvictruits I li I I trily S opitniatment Cochran as 11Ill 11 11 e LiaJJJJJJJfi I 41111111111 = = = = = honest able and courteous Cochran teemed tu ho I alley for gold lie I fell In love with the precious metals and a hen we found Hut he hid robbed Ihe mint ol it 130oor fie I hated lo I jivo 1 up tilt Heal Ini I and be fvmr1te I vi Nattily when the money found In hit houin Wait taken away U hen 1eviall appointed weigh I clerk helical about twenty firee can old When his robbery via discovered I he was tlily three lie sent then a deacon In the Ireibylerlan Church and n vrcnlnl it campaign for lieS lie-S Army In the neighborhood which he lived He had been OIlrrloI and divorced He had a grown up daughter He appeared lo eminently eminent-ly icirectableln a try way and Hill he had been Heitint lor > eui TrttXtVm C TON Or OLD Oil low did von come to suspect him of the robbery asked I hl lit vies through hit l own actions replied re-plied the director ol the mint He I 1 Oed C you know the charge of the variant which contained the gold bullion Much ol this bullion had been untouched fur yeArs In Ilie vaults front which Ihe robbery was made there Were 16000 > cut worth of gold bal l This vault hid not been opened for ill 1 cars The Sold hid been brought Horn the assay om rt In New York in iSSi and Sac ad AWAY In ISS 7 I Ideal In putting It I In The gold bait were piled up crosswise like railroad ties and They were ar ranted as usual in a tenet of nth When we put the gold In the vault we ml inch melt I by Itself Uch I gold C I kel tin In number and It li marked ai lo the melt ta which II belongt to we can tell lUll exactly how many plecei ff gold there are In a vaut lint where eacn piece u and lull whit It wekhi T Circe C III III l 1 run bullion was utlfhed I tvalm l before It run put In There were about twenty Iie loin of It I superintended the lghmg I helped tu teal the doors of Ito vault when we were through and tiw that everything was iccured From Ime lo time the vault WAS Inspected jul the aealt 1 were Intact and no one ud any Idea but thai the guM wai all here About two > cars ago Secretary Carllile gave pattern thai the bullion be coined The suit wai opened and moro than 400 pound ol gold were missing We had little tioube In de sitting the thief Cochran hid been much excited when I IoU him ol the Intention In-tention to coin the bullion llooblected I and said the gold sees to nicely piled up and some inch a beau skills iljhl to how the visitors that Ibo government had better bring tome of I me bullion Irom New York and coin It 1 laughed al this and Cochran then In tlnuaicd that the gold might not 1 all beat funlI fu i there When fie Island lliai we really I Intended to coin Ilia gold 1 he came over lo athlngton lo tee me I thinking there might II be lose chance I lo lblnkIDFr He J clc1 c called at my house here at n oclock one night and Hiked If II wai really true that Hit government seas going lo II adotoveIm 1 Ioftolnfr take Ihe gold out ol that vault ire piled Yei He I laid Well you wont hnd all Ihe gold there Some of It I It I mining It was never rightly elghed vi llll lf and II li not there I U was al his time I that 1 began to auipect him and I aid to Myself ltU I r any ol that gold li lost Ilbnk I IOU know who till A day or to alter this Weakened the vaults final we found the gold was Just fllj I tauOtallull bull the seats 1 were intact I Teatri walls of the vault were un broken ami there wai no alp I ti to where the gold had gone Cochran Accused very nervous and upon finding that he wai inspected he congealed that he WAS the final He allowed how he had regard the gold out with 4 crooked wlie He hid pulled It down from the pile and drag It to Ihe door of t lit vault ami then by tllghtly puihlng the door at the bottom he wai able lu eel II through the crack between the dnor and the lloor He hid caned U ell bar by bar In his lunch Wastes or In 1 his irouttri I pocket I and hid taken u 1 to hit home In the suburbs Ihila dclphli I I III HOLD Tllll COLD TO tile MINT What did he du with the gold I ked lkeJHe He told It right back to the mint Iron which he had stolen it applied Ur Preilon lie did nol dare to to thilwitilmit lellithinc 1IIn1 no the tuld MASS fine lint It woiil 11 fit Hire in cieate t tuspiclon He I had Al hit home cincible and he remelle I the gold mU InJ II with Silver and lead Ibis last prostates he tent la ut through theei pr ttt company and yet able it 101 < > to without npltlon We found one bar 01 the gold In Coclirnnt hoe the dy ho i contested and ne Alto found skow III cold eaglet It WAS at cur loin homes It I at honeycombed v illt secret cloicu anti It was In these that the money was found Cochran I kept up hit I Mealing lo IhclaL TIe diy Ihe vclchluir wni completed Lochrjn comes Ijvrn early Ito was there before any ol Ilia other mplotes ol the Mint We hid welshed 1 lines of Ihe gold 1 he vault was open and there t n I R truck In ft goaded with ban 01 bllton 1 Lothian fifiJln no jne about picked Of > twenty ol I these W t jar and oae nt a time threw them I Into tile vnlllolor things ot the vault so that they tell In I belen ilia root of the I vaull t and the nlOr above When lie Coll I sensed he told where tills gold via and 1 we got It back The reminder was par I lally covered by thai which we found I at the IIOIIIF and we received tome nine from Cochran properly and hit l01dnr Undo Snl to I beiiiiever Hllfuoooor Jljcuo short from that roibtrv andthe tuperlnicn ol the mint Colonel I Iloilythcll may have lu lavinli I as What did they 10 > with Crochran asked I 110WAil tried and lent to the Pont enlbry for a term of six years and seven months He It I now in prison 110 Ighed Jjo pounds hen lit was Arrested He I does not WCIAII 150 11113W md hn Ion no younds since his t ht 1 vaser ihicovcict1 II j IOU think hi sea InnI That li I a question a plld Iho dilclor or the mint Jlo Seemed 10 In a mono manic en Ihe subject of god 110 claimed that he had saved the United States million ul dallan by guarding treiiureiand he was In hgnanl when the gold wait taken from g him Since that I lime we have nut kept 1 told bullion In vaults ot thin nature and here probably never be a robbery ol hat kind estate A Loss or f 150003 llu Uncle Sim ever lost al much as this In the pan There 1 was little lost In Cochran case0 replied Director Version The money wai nearly all recovered There have however been big losses In the past In tSJj just about the lime ten I I tere1 the treasury department Uncle I Sam lot f ISO does at the San Francisco mini V lien one ol the tetllementi was nadrltwat lound thlt Ibis much wat short Tlie mother and refiner claim that this was wane that It had been toil In retiring or had escaped up the filters h It a question In mine mind whether lie did not tell the truth At any rite heat he-at but not convicted Shortly Short-ly alter hit 1 trial he left Ihe United Sttta and went lo bouh America lie I was drowned there Another curious cue In connection will the San ranclicu mlnglt Mr piece jnwent on occurred just about the cx > se ol the war or about iS6j The cashier ol the mint whose name was llllamMaccy wit the brother Illlaw nf the treasurer ol the United States During one operation the coiner of the mint claimed lo have dellteicd Sam noo In gold double eaglet to the cashier the ctthler credited hit booktwlih Jrooono an1 swore that this was at he coiner had given him The remit was lint there wn 10000 missing About this lame lime it wu dlicotertil mat Muey Ibo cashier hid embeiileU I to outs of the mini funds aside forK for-K acknowledged iheiteiling ot ibis but not the other He happened happen-ed lo hate many Influential trlends and In totnj way or other he escaped prosecution ron war r mP aecuilon Hewn I ducharicdIromIHe i mini and came east On his way Ihiougli Omaha he deposited fliooln one bank there lie put It In under an assumed name and was given a cttlfi cale of deposit He lost nit certificate and the lank refused tu return Ihe money lie I never got It TOcoo IN irooxn There was a queer robbery San ranciicoln stiffs by which a colored night watchman Hole fiooou In gold llwai known that gold was in someway some-way ur other being taken out ot the mini hut It could not be traced The ilcttctU01 finally discovered thai Henry bmtth 1 life negro night watchman hid been tcllinc bullion I They Seattle him and II charged him with t r taking Ill i from the mint He I denied the crime They men went lo hit house and i thoroughly Investigated It hylook 1 up the Iliors and broke the Inrnlllllt but could find nothing They next attacked the yard they dug the toll over with spades and lound n little lurnaceln which gold hid evidential tome time been melted Tills was show n lo the watchman but he salil he knew nothing about It They their went back and dug up a How er bed which they had not touched on account ol its beauty It wit filled with panslei and the ground about It wai covered with rosebuihci and r rnoT hid 1 dui about two feet down Into this bed 1 when Ihey sound a big earthen pot nablo 11 fa nJ which Ass covered nt the top with melted wax llrrtklng this they tits covered a tuucer beneath It and under tills them were seven conei of yellow I gold worth all told about 6ooo They took hih IOIO banish and ho I at once conletsed He had stolen about f jo ooo In bee than three learn He i taken III the gold Irons the separating I tanks bv OnI ol t tpi 01 The bullion I bul-lion wai placed In such tankt and hrlc j Heated t wild acid and water to remote the titter Uy Ibo action ol Ihe acid the geld tell la the bottom In II e shape of a file 1 ttick precipitate and the ilUeriolullon wit wanted away The tanks were ci v red and locked at night but there i4 hole In the bottom ol them In which n hose was Inserted loc the washing tl Ilia precipitate Ihe tcbmn unscrewed the huge and then I by meant ol I a options ladled out a fewI ipcnnfult I a day and took them homr lich spoonful was worth about f la and be laid the precipitate nilde until fie could buy a furnace and crucibles Villa flacon he turned Ihe hUck ponder Into yellow gold by melting melt-ing U and he told Ihe product to the bullion dealers ol ban ranckco > IIOW MINT KOIinCRt tSCAfS UNISM MENT Vital was den ttitli tills man I ailed ailedHe uai arrested tiled and lent to rilsou replied Mr Pearson but his r4te late wai rather an exception to that cl I II e mint robbers the past Many o 1 nnl I Oris r nnrJ them lute escaped punishment do not bel I ova In Hill at 111 think they ihould bo rrosecutedand punlhedtj II o lull client ul the law anti 11 I think I llta sentence of Cochran wat Joel Take I the case Netu lie cnnlcucdto the Henlnj ol lo Coo and wai allowed togo to-go Ire MAccy the cmlilr ol whom I I poke ai Healing f 10000 was not pro tecuted 1 the matter and refiner who I was fijOiQoa short Was notcomlctcd And these hove bistst iettsd estate ralc or be easiest In iM their sea a glAnge in this nlllI as 41itristiciv 1 The olner anti meltrnaiid iifinrrde livered all the bastion its l tire nuperlnten agent anti the welfare was declAred It was month however htloie anew metrr still refiner at appointed In 110 meantime three wU no work Qn And I licit tile n ell culnr came 10 ne appointed ilia laidlioWasno 101lnlto 110tOphott Nil rnll vlacae 1r brought kir that ulm anti Main Sin lost Ilia lOony Another Ideal At 1 San Hanclicce the perpetrators 01 which escaped puralsti IIIUlf occurred Inlho sixties Tire assay tierk I mdar confelerand outside 1 rt J mail he raised ilia most figur on all lite bullion brought hy lint onfidt rate fit lale II the gold sea put at 9 03 fine no would raise li tog 96 rat J u would then go to tlit nultir clau r finer and under ordinary circumstances u wojld ordlnlr have passed all fight and the difference would have been Credited lu waste rite niefter and rcflntr In this Case however was an Old tinse nd ho SAW that fie was losing cold to result was 1 on J that he reassarytt none of tire gold and dlscoveld Iho fraud 1twasitherifound that the assay Clark hud cherished the ro porn ui llho aiuter enough t3 hate made iioooo bydolnjto rtli mana name wai arnrt 11 CUlt lie I wai tried but Ihe jury disagreed and Uncle Sam never R I n penny back II wai the time In the burning of the mint at Neo Oilcans a few yetri Sign A fire broke it In the I caihlert vault i between Saturday nghl and Monday morn ng and when u 1 was discovered f UOOO worth of Uncle Samt currency wall not to be found The cashier wat the only man who had Ihe keys ol the fault I lie shift lol II hl IP Saturday night 1 nnd he opened II Monday mornln Tho vac w at lighted by electricity and there was nu posrible honest way ol the lire being kindled amei 114 1 Dowllnf the cllbler was amol1 1 on tile jus of robtatty anti of my r ranked the land and then Ithill Ila 1 rite 10 over lilt crime He most mlll enuugh to empluy a nephew ol the judga who tried Inc cue to defend him and he was acquitted CF ont CAIJIX w = |
