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T H E J O U R N A L O F I N D U S T R I A L A N D E.YGILVEERI:‘iG C H E M I S T R Y
sophical Society; Mr. A. D. Little, President of the American Chemical Society; and Mr. J. M. Dodge, Vice-president of the Franklin Institute. A luncheon was given to all present a t the meetings by hlr. Samuel T. Bodine, President of the United Gas Improvement Co. A valuable and interesting loan collection of objects connected with the evolution of the Gas Industry was made by Mr. W. J. Serrill, Acting Secretary of the Techiiical Committee, and Dr. R. B. Owens, Secretary of the Franklin Institute, and placed on exhibition in the corridors of the building. An account of these objects and full reports of the addresses, with illustrations, have been published by the American Gas Institute in a volume entitled “Lectures delivered a t the Centenary Celebration of the First Commercial Gas Company to Sell Gas as a n Illuminant” (N. Y., 8vo., 174 pp., 1912). The ‘addresses have been republished in the Journal of the Franklin Institute, and in the June number of that journal there appears a n article by Mr. Walton Forstall on “The Centenary of the Introduction of Gas as an Illuminant” in which many interesting details regarding the centenary celebration are given, and in which the special propriety of holding the celebration a t the Franklin Institute is set forth. Independent of this celebration several sections of the American Chemical Society regarded the event of sufficient significance to warrant special recognition. The Pittsburgh Section held its meeting on April j t h when addresses were made by Dr. Charles E. Munroe on “The Gas Industry and I t s Centenary,” and by Dr. W. 0. Snelling on “The Production of Liquid Petroleum Gas.” The Syracuse Section held its meeting on March r j t h when it was addressed by Dr. Charles E. Munroe on “The Gas Industry and I t s Centenary.” The Washington Section held its meeting on May 1st when it was addressed by Dr. Charles E. Munroe on “The Gas Centenary, Its Origin and Meaning.” Mr. Walter R. Addicks, Vice-president, Consolidated Gas Co. on “Gas Appliances;” hlr. W. H. Gartley, Engineer of of N. Y., Works, U. G. I. Co., Philadelphia, on “Internal Operations of the Lowe Process;” Mr. E. G. Runyan, Inspector of Gas and Meters, Washington, D. C., on “Inspection of Gas and Meters;” and by Dr. W. 0. Snelling on “Liquefied Natural Gas.” Numerous articles relative to this event have appeared in the scientific and technical press. As showing with what importance this event has been regarded, attention may be called to The Leipziger Illustrirte Zeitung which, on June 2 j t h , published a I 18-page supplement, styled Gas-Jahrhundert-Nummer, which is profusely illustrated and which contains articles relative to gas, gas appliances, coke and related topics from the pens of the principal experts in Germany. The brochure, published in August by the London Company, whose founding was celebrated, entitled The Gas, Light and Coke Company: an account o f the progress of the Company from its incorporation by Royal Charter in the year 1 8 1 2 to the present time, 1812-1912, is a splendid example of typography and bookmaking, in 92 pages with 4 j illustrations. The engineering appendix is of special interest to chemists. I t may be of value to note, from among other statistics most fully given in this book, that the capital of the Company in 1912 was 629,154,146. Gas sold in 1911 was zj,484,98j,ooo cubic feet. Number of workmen employed, 12,637. Miles of main, 2489. Area of district supplied, 125 square miles. I n addition to the gentlemen mentioned above, your Committee, on behalf of the Society, tenders thanks to Mr. E. C. Brown, Editor of the Progressive Age; Hon. Ira C . Copley, hf. C., President of the American Gas Institute; the officers of the Franklin Institute; the officers of the United Gas Improvement Co.; andMr. GeorgeG. Ramsdell, Secretary, AmericanGasInstitute, for their veryefficient aid inthecarryingout of the wishes of this Society. Very respectfully submitkd, CHARLESE. MUNROE, Chairmalt E . G. LOVE E. G. RVNYAN
Jan., 1913
PLATINUM THIEF Fellow Chemists: The Chief Chemists of a large number of laboratories will recall having received about the first of November, 1912, a circular letter from the Secretary of the American Chemical Society, worded as follows : P L A T I S U M THIEF
:
WARNING
Gentlemen: I am sending this letter to all corporate members of the American Chemical Society and to numerous other important firms using platinum in their laboratory work, in the hope that a platinum thief may be apprehended who has already successfully stolen, from nine laboratories, platinum to the value of several thousand dollars. He seems to have entered both college and industrial laboratories with success. His description as obtained from several is as follows: Man, apparently of the Jewish race, about 40 years of age, with German accent. Height, 5 f t . 8 in. IVeight, about 220 Ibs. Peculiarly shaped head, bald. clean-shaven, large short neck, heavy jaws, dark complexion, dark hair and eyebrows. Talks intelligently. Represents himself t o be a book and magazine salesman or in search of employment for himself or friend.
If such an individual is found and suspected, interested parties who can identify him will be immediately informed upon the receipt of a telegram sent to this office. Very truly yours, CHARLES L. PARSONS,Secy. This letter was sent out in response to a request and based upon information furnished by this laboratory. Great labor was entailed in the Secretary’s office in preparing a list of reasonable proportions including the leading platinum users in the country and in issuing the letters. That the work in this office was well done is evidenced by the results. On October I S t , the individual described in the circular letter made two public visits to this laboratory. The next morning a certain amount of platinum was found to have been stolen. Immediate correspondence with one of the leading platinum works elicited the above description, tallying with my own observation of the man, also a list of a number of laboratories in widely distant parts of the country from which it was thought platinum had been stolen by this man during the previous five months. All of this information was transmitted to Dr. Parsons. On Nov. Ioth, a dispatch from the Maryland Steel Company stated that a man answering the description in the circular letter had been arrested and would be held pending our identification. Later during the same day I personally identified the suspect, Leon Cohn, as he signs his name, and on the following day he was brought back into Pennsylvania by an officer, upon a warrant from this Company. Cohn’s conduct a t the plant and in the laboratories of the Maryland Steel Company was of a highly suspicious nature, though here as elsewhere, so far as ascertained, the facts are of a circumstantial nature. I t has been learned that depositions taken a t other laboratories can not be used in the trial of Cohn upon prosecution by this Company. I have received a number of letters giving evidence proving in all moral certainty that the man under arrest is the criminal, who successfully stole platinum from so many laboratories. However, the evidence in no single case so far received is as conclusive as desired. The prisoner a t first made distinct overtures towards confession but has since employed expert legal advice and intends to fight the case. I t is likely to prove a difficult matter for this Company to obtain a conviction on the merits of our case alone. I t is believed that some other laboratory or laboratories will be able to furnish more direct evidence and should the present case fail we trust their companies would be willing to start a new prosecution. This man is too dangerous to release. Obtain one conviction and the others will speedily follow. Under the shadow of certain conviction we feel confident that the crim-
inal will make a complete confession, including the disclosure of the stolen platinum, a part, a t least, of which probably may yet be recovered. I xi11 ask, therefore, that any laboratories (with which we have not corresponded already) which have lost platinum in the last year or so and can give a description or evidence concerning the suspected thief to communicate with me immediately. [A photograph of our prisoner will he sent for proper identification purposes.] Kindly give all important details. By this method of cooperation I trust that we may speedily develop a case resulting in the recovery of the large amount of platinum and in the punishment of the thief. R. J. WYSOR, Chief Chemist P. S. December ~ 3 r d . The above article was intended for JOURNAL, but it was sent publication in the December issue of THIS in too late for that number. Very recently fresh evidence, which will be applicable to our own case, has been secured by this Company, and we are now confident that a conviction wiI1 be obtained. The case comes up for trial in February. However, it will be wise to have the essential evidence in all the cases in our posses
