SONOMA GOLD ROBBERY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1921, Page 8

SONOMA GOLD ROBBERY.

SEARCHING THE SEA BED. A DIFFICULT PROCESS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. San Francisco. Nov. 29. The San Francisco Chronicle interviewed Chief-Detective Mathewson, who said: “I have given the detectives under me a list of the passengers on the Sonoma and the crew with certain notations opposite certain names. These will be kept secret until they have been all checked carefully and it is determined what significance, if any, can be attached to the various persons. Thus far nothing has developed*' which warrants me making the nature of the notations public- We know’ at least now that the theft was attempted at this port and we .:ave material upon which to work.” The correspondent adds: “Air. Mathewson refuses to deny or affirm reports that the three members of the crew missing are implicated. One of them is a petty officer. The Chronicle states that Mr. Samuels, chairman of the Oceanic Company, announced that the report that only 13,000 dollars were missing was incorrect. The sum# is approximately 20,000 dollars. The search has continued, but has been unsuccessful. Detectives are working on the theory that the remainder will be found at the bottom of the Bay. A deep-sea diver investigated the waters. The ventilating system was thoroughly investigated. Detectives believe that the thieves planned to secrete all the gold in hose, but that they were unable to accomplish this, and threw the remainder overboard, with the intention of returning later. The diver reported that there was extremely soft silt at the bottom of the bay. /This made the search difficult. There was a report that Knudson had dreamed the gold was secreted in the ventilator. The engineer said this was a joke. He said he had been studying the general lay-out. of the ship, with the possibility of determining hiding places. The stuffed ventilator made him suspicious.