Sonoma’s Lost Gold.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1921, Page 3

Sonoma’s Lost Gold.

POLICE APPARENTLY BAFFLED UTSTHAhIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. 'deceived This Day at 8 a.m.) SAN RANCISCO, Nov. 26 Pinkerton detectives are iluw assisting the police in the investigation regarding the Sonoma go hi rohheiy. Detective Matlieson who Is in charge n the men on the case now thinks the rohberv was committed shortly before arrival at San Francisco, perhaps by ■pile same gang which has been eonduelig hoot, legging o|HTUtions nil almost twerv trip, (.tuantites of liquor were seized aboard the Sonoma on the last trip. The value of the seizures amounted to n fortune. This time no liquor was found. Pinkerton men believe an iiiternntioal, well organised hand of criminals did the work. Every particle of the ship’s cargo is being examined, as it is removed from the ship. The police and Pinkerton men are continually grilling members of the crew who are not permitted to remain aboard the vessel.

Samuels is positive the specie Could not have been taken off the ship at Sydney.

Captain Trask is equally sure, pointing out the g"hl was brought aboard only twenty-live minutes betore the vessel sailed, hv hank messengers miller a heavy guard, which rcniaine'd until the shop sailed. Trask said since only two stopK were made, one at Pago Pago where solely naval officers disembarked, and Honolulu., where to Illy best belief il was impossible to take off the shipment. leaves only San Francis, o. All. I can say i--. it w as elm el lhe .-lev, rest pieces ef work I ever heard of. The correspondent adds that Milt lieson declared further investigations showed tin- specie tanks were opened with duplicate keys in regard to two lock-, while the third lock was apparently battered off am! a replica .substituted. Pinkerton's and the local police are attempting to locale where the duplicate keys and lock were made.

Another discovery made to-dav was that portion of the Sniioma’s cargo in tile ImM wbieb adjoins the bold containing the specie, has been niov «1 w bib* the Ship was at sea.

KOI,IC E OPINION. NEW YOKE. Nov

In con liect ion with the Sonoma robbery, tilt' San Francisco police state clues they possess connect the robbers with mi'll who on Wednesday robbed r.ciohion, purser of the .Mamma, of a thousand sterling. The belie!’ is that they mistook Leighton for Albert (‘onquest, of the Sonoma, who was in the hank at the same i inn* as ('oiiqimst, and was carrying a pay toll of i’oiir thousand sterling. If the theory is correet.

that gang came to San Francisco aboard the Sonoma. The police admit the chances are that the robbery occurred just before tin* ship reached Honolulu, where the specie wav probably lauded. THE MISSINC COLD, (deceived This Day at 12.20 p.m.) NEW YORK, Now 27. Flattery, the port surveyor of San Francisco, with a group ot customs ollieials familiar with the Sonoma, ns a result of many inspections in past whips. made a minute search of tlm vessel, in the hope of locating the stolen gold. They found several compartments of the life boats bad I icon tampered with. Investigation disclosed • lot) bottles of liquor valued at several

thousand dollars. This was confiscated. Detectives now suggest the gold was possibly dropped in San Francisco Day, when the Sonoma was quarantined, the boxes being buoyed and subsequently lifted. Tlie autlioi itii's are convinced that none of tlie ship’s officers are involved, but several members of the creware unquestionably implicated. Samuels, Manager ol the Oceanic

Company, summing up the situation said, “Wo know positively that the gold was stolen after the liner departed from 1 lonolulu.We know it is not in tlie vessel now. \\(’ nr.' convinced it i' hidden somewhere in Son Frnnoisoo nl present.”