Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-02-26


sst thefts from the United States sub
treasury here has been unearthed. says
the Tribune. Between s175.000 and
100000 was stolen some days ago.
but has been kept secret until now.
They money has disappeared as com.
pletely as II II 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 II 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 suhtrcasurer. William Boil
denwecy. and secret service officials.
All the money taken was In large bills.
bills OF the denomination of $1,000.
5000 and $4,000.
Just who discovered the loss the
snbtreasury officials will not admit.
Neither will they tell from what de-
partment the money was taken. nor
how the loss was discovered.
AT first II was believed that there
must be some error In the bookkeep-
Ing. II was thought 10 be impossible
that such large sum OF money could
have been abstracted In the face OF
all the safeguards thrown around
Uncle Sans strong-box. The ledger
men involved strenuously denied any
error and an Investigation showed
there was no possible clerical mistake
70 account for the disappearance OF
the cash.
This brougks the inevitable conclu.
sion that robbery was the only expla-
nation. Just a. certain was the deduc.
ton that the thieves were employees
Of the subtreasury and were af that
moment pursuing their daily tasks.
Every maa who could have had any.
thing 70 do with the case was called
into Treasurer Boldenweck's once and
put through an exhaustive examina-
ti0u and . still more .rigid crooooxam.
ination. Captain Porter q the secret
service assisted In the inquiolt1un. All
ofood the ordeal. All aenAo1 any
knowledge Of the theft and protested
tbeir Innocence with unaaimity ana
1ocifcn0usness. But Il vas perfectly
obvious that someone was lying. The
chances were LOCO 10 I that one or
more Of the employees actually had
purloined the cash or had coanived at
the theft with some tunslfes.
Saturday there came . simmer Of
light. A faint Chew pointed in the di.
rection Of q certain clerk. and that
followed up directed the finger OF sus-
plcion TO another empIoye. . close as-
sociate Of the nrst man. These men
were summoned into the inquisition
chamber separately and subjected 10 a
grucling examination. The suspicious
circumstances against them were Pc
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 10 be the moving spir
II. 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 master
hand OF criminallty. The other. who
is younger and much weaker. showed
signs OF breaking down. Just what he
admitted the secret service men re
fuse 10 disclose.
Every employe OF the ONCE Is under
surveillance day and night. All have
reported for work daily since the dis
covery was made. Every man. too, is
under bond. but not 10 any amount
near the loot secured.
The huge vault Of the subtreasury
IL constructed Of many layers OF
chilled steel and has number Of doors
which must be passed before entrance
Il secured 10 the apartment containing
the money. The theft OF money which
had once got into the vault has been
regarded as IN impossibility. Each Of
the shrce doora n governed by q time
lock and cannot be opened except dur
ing business hours.
During the day ca - ca,er OF the
three doors Is kept el1, d. but even In
business hours the opening Of this door
by anyone entering the vault rings an
electric bell. so. that should a sneak
thief attempt TO enter the vault the
whole ONCE force would receive warn
ing.
william Boldenweck was appointed
suhtreasurer on June 2s last He sue
ceeded William p. Williams.
Boldenweck says the theft was dis
covered last Wednesday after the
books had been balanced. but viii give
no details. The amount missing he
believes TO be si7s.ooo.