SONOMA’S GOLD

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 54, 26 November 1921, Page 7

SONOMA’S GOLD

EXTRAORDINARY PRECAUTIONS TAKEN STATEMENT BY THE CAPTAIN ’ ■ SEA PIRATES SUSPECTED By Telegraph—Pre«« Association—Copyright (Rev. November 25, 7.5 p.m.) A-San Francisco, November 24. Investigators, Tinder Chief Detective ' Matheson", bf the San" Francisco police, ’ are unable, to make any advance in determining the persons who stole the 125,000 dollars' of gold coin from the Sonoma’s ’currency tanka."" ' The ’ money, which had been loaded in Sydney, was not . there when the steamer docked. Detective .Matheson-advanced the theory • ■ that the- robbery : was an "inside job" done before the Sonoma left Sydney.— . Aus.-N.Z." Cable. Assn." " " ' . : ~ : ; (Rec;<.November:2s, 10.20 p.m.) 1 New York," "November 25. •- The New’ York-’ “Times" San- Fran* ' ■'edrreßp’ondent /states that the in- ; veetigation ’ showed that the supposed •'■ burglar-proof locks on the specie tanks - ■ had been ■ filed " off, and five etrong‘"boxes containing ths bullion removed, • 7 after which'’ locks, the exact duplicates of ■"those removed, were snapped on the tanks. This precaution On the part of ’■ the robbers'covered up the robbery until- the Sonoma" arrived,"since'.each day " the ship’s officers made’ an inspection. ’ *" "of the ' vaults and ’the keys for the orig"inal lobkk'fitted the substitutes exactly when the vaults ’Were opened < -in San Francisco. ■ The gold was consigned from ‘ Australian : brinks to the" International " Banking, Corpbi'ation. ' According to’Mr. Frederick S'affiuels," the manager ’ of the' ’ Oceanic Steamship Company, three ot the shill's company "had keys—the captain, ' the"• first ■ officer, ’ and the purser. " These were 'carefully questioned, but threw no light on the situation. Captain 'Thwk/commander of the Sonoma, eaid: ’*lt -is-’difficult to believe •’ -tH'at ’ members of my" own era* would ■■ consent to loot’ their- vessel. ' The evidence thus far gathered proves" ’ to” my ’ mind : that- the- • " " job involves a considerable number of men, as it would be a difficult ’ task for •ten." a small number of men to have sniiiggletl so weighty a treasure away in " the short’time, fo Bay'npthihg of carry- ■ ing it ashore. The’ job was evidently horamitted on tho'high seas, after we left Hawaii." There ;is Mery, indication .that it was'planned' by persons very familiar with.the ship', who knew."before we reached' Sydney that we„ Wore to take a large shipment of specie,on board. It has. been my daily custom . to, inspect the.,'condition of the specie tanks. I invariably examined, the. locks, and ascertained that .everything was sefe.” i. .Captain, Trask continued:; On this trip, as an added precaution, I changed . . >ny lock at..’Sydney. .. The other two locks, which the other, officers held keys, had been. in. use for. some time.” ,Thb IcoiTespondfnt Adds, that: the , ■ Sonoma is hieing-closely j watched to preevent. the possibility of the gold being - .removed;-if it -.38 still on board. Further search ot the vessel: will be made. ■ ■y- In connection-with:; the robbery sea looters-. are;euspectbd;. .a They wei'e responsible for similar affairs a year ago. Ten ■ f thousand dollars were taken from the s' China mail liner-Nile, from San Franeiscp for- Hong> Kong, and the .robbery. wm. never traced". U : " ’ Shortly before a" "band of sea pirates’ " were working art acetylene torch, and secured a large sum from the strong boxes of the P. and 0. liner Almeda. Fifteen years ago they also robbed a ’ box of gold, by substitution of a similar box loaded with stones. . 1 The. Sonoma stopped - at Pagopago and . Honolulu,, en route/from Sydney, and arrived with mors'than a . hundred pas-eengers.—Aus..-N.Z. Cable Assn.