Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-03-07
MYSTERY IN CHICAGO.
Big sum Disappears from United
States Sub-Treasury.

SUN
Much mystery has surrounded the
disappearance of $4,000 from the gov
eminent subtreasury in Chicago An
error in bookkeeping was at first be
lieved to be responsible for the discrep-
ancy, but an examination of the books
showed the blame was not there. and it
was then given out that a gigantic
theft had been perpetrated. Subtreas-
urer William Boldenweck announced
that beyond all doubt the missing $113,-
GOO was stolen. All the money in Chi
cago subtreasury, amounting to $50
100000, was counted last August in
eight days and was found intact. A
large part of it is kept in safes for use
in emergencies and these safes have not
been opened since the recount.
While Capt. Porter of the secret ser
vice forces in Chicago and private de-
tectives were tightening the tolls
around the thief or thieves John E.
Wilkie, chief of the United States Sc
cret service, hurried to Chicago from
Washington to take personal charge of
government officials that clique of
employees was involved in this second
largest theft in the history of the treas
ury department, and that the money
was stolen in a carefully studied con
spiracy by which the plumber might be
negotiated without detection. The the
DRY that a ring Of thiyes looted the sub
treasury was the only plausible explain
alton which the government officials
could readily find in the battling mys-
terry. 1t was said that Federal en-
ployes i'll other cities, in the subtreas
uries or even in the treasury office in
Washington might be the eonspir-
acy.
While suspicion pointed to some of
the clerks connected with the office, all
protested their innocence and insisted
that the shortage would be discovered
to have been the result Of a mis-ship-
nent of money to one of the western
subtreasuries. 1t was pointed out that
a package of $4,000 bills might have
been sent instead Of package of 500
bills.
The theft bears many of the ear
marks of that which recently took place
in the st. Louis subtreasury. Follow
ing as it does so closely the theft in
St Louis, government officials are great
ly wrought up and unusual efforts to
fix responsibility will be made.
Most of the money in the subtreas-
ury is in paper and banks, in depOsiting
it, sort it by denominations and style
of issue Silver and gold certificates
are kept apart and each package con-
tanning certain style and kind of bill
is marked plainly on the outside. The
count is verified by a teller in the of
fee who handles each and every bill
in the package When the count has
been checked the teller puts bills Of the
same denomination in packages of 100.
In addition to a report on the method
in which the Chicago subtreasury was
being conducted, President Roosevelt
has asked Secretary Shaw to make an
investigation of all the subtreasuries in
the United States and directed that the
systems be improved to prevent future
thefts.
Perpetrators of crimes against Uncle
Sam seldom escape. The government
is vengeful Whether the loot be 81 or
S1.OOO,OOO it is the same. The entire
resources of the department of JUS
tice are brought into play to secure the
arrest. conviction. and punishment Of
those who had the bOldness to trifie
with the powers centered at Washing
ton
But criminals do try to beat the
game. and for a time some have sue
ceeded in eluding the secret-service
men. But sooner or later they fall
Of the big postoffice robberies Chica-
90 has had more than its share. The
largest previous robbery of the gov
eminent was that the Chicago post
office ON the night of Oct. 20, 1897. The
old building on the lake front was the
scene of the operations. Thieves tun-
neled beneath the temporary structure
and looted the vaults. Over $4,000 in
stamps was stolen. Several people were
under suspicion, but no arrests were
warranted. 1t stands out as one of the
few unsolved mysteries of the United
States secret service Other postoffice
robberies are reported almost weekly
but the booty is too small to bring them
into the limelight. These are usually
in remote villages and are generally re-
garded as the work Of yeggmen.