The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-02-26
MUCH Money Kissing.
considerable c. h S..sas From
Chicago &g.btreasary.
CULPRITS Arr. UEANOWN.


to Be Over One hundred and Sew
enty Thousand Dollars but No Detail: |
Have Been Ascer.aincd.
Chicago, Feb. 26.-sOne Of the larg
est thefts from the United States sub
treasury here has been unearthed says
the Tribune. Between $4,000 anc
100000 was stolen some days ago
but has been kept secret until now
They money has disappeared as COM
pletely as If it had vanished from the
face of the earth.
The authorities here and in Wash
ington have been working night and
day ON the robbery since it was dis
covered.
Secretary of the Treasury Shaw was
told of the gigantic theft when in Chi
cago last week and was in conference
with the subtreasurer William Bot
denwecv. and secret service officials,
Allthe money taken was IN large bills,
bills of the denomination of 81 900
$4,000 and $4,000.
Just who discovered the loss the
subtreasury officials will not admit
Neither will they tell from what de.
partment the money was taken, nor
how the loss was discovered.
At first it was believed that there
must be SOME error in the bookkeep.
ing. 1t was thought to be impossible
that such a large sum of money could
haze been distracted in the face OF
all the safeguards thrown around
Uncle Sam's stronghold. The ledger
men involved strenuously denied any
error and an investigation showed
there was no possible clerical mistake
to account for the disappearance OF
the cash.
This brought the inevitable conclu.
sion that ROBBERY was the only expla.
nation. Just as certain was the deduc-
ton that the thieves were employees
of the subtreasury and were at that
moment pursuing their daily tasks.
Every man who could have had any.
thing to do with the case was called
into Treasurer Boldenweck's Office and
put through an exhaustive examina.
ton and a still more rigid cross-exam.
1nation. Captain Porter of the secret
service assisted in the inquisition All
stood the ordeal. All denied any
knowledge OF the theft and protested
their innocence with unanimity and
righteousness. But 1t was perfectly
obvious that someone was lying. The
chances were 1000 to 1 that one or
| more OF the employees actually had
purloined the cash or had connived at
the theft with some tuosider.
Saturday there came a gimmer of
| light. faint clew pointed in the di
! rection of certain clerk, and that
| followed up directed the finger of sus
| plcfon to another employee, a close as>
| sociate of the first man. These men
were summoned into the inquisition
chamber separately and subjected to
grueling examination. The suspicious
circumstances against them were pa.
raded, the certainty of detection and
| punishment was impressed upon them
and they were advised to make clean
/ breast OF whatever part they had
played In the conspiracy
One, thought to be the moving spir
1t; came through the ordeal without
| the turning of a hair. He remained
calm and self-possessed. His sang
| froid smashed the officers. and they
put him down as innocent or a master
/ hand of criminality The other, who
Is younger and much weaker, showed
| signs of breaking down. Just what he
admitted the secret service men re-
fuse to disclose
Every employee of the Office is under
surveillance day and night All have
reported for work daily since the dis
eovery was made. Every man. too, Is
under bond, but not to any amount
near the loot secured.
The huge vault of the subtreasury
Is constructed of many layers of
chilled steel and has number of doors
which must be passed before entrance
is secured to the apartment containing
the money. The theft of money which
had. once got into the vault has been
| regarded as an impossibility Each of
the three doors is governed by time
lock and cannot be opened except dur
ing business hours.
During the day only the outer of the
three doors is kept closed, but even in
business hours the opening of this door
by anyone entering the vault rings an
electric bell, so that should sneak
thief attempt to enter the vault the
whole office force would receive warn
ing.
William Boldenweck was appointed
subtreasurer on June % last He sue
ceeded William p Williams.
Boldenweck says the theft was dis
covered last Wednesday after the
books had been balanced, but will give
no details. The amount missing he
believes to be $4,000