Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-04-16
BIG SUBTREASURY
THEFT IS CLEARED
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF
$4,000 AT CHICAGO LAID TO
coLoRED scRURWoMAN.
HER HOME SEARCHED
TO RECOVER MONEY
Suspect Arrested and Placed In
sweatbox-cIew Obtained Through
Effort of Negro to Pass $1,000 Bill
Chief Wilkie Without News.

Chicago, April 10.-Mystery sur
rounding the theft of $4,000 from
the United States subtreasury was
cleared Tuesday.
The thief is declared to be none of
the treasury employees who have been
under surveillance, but negro scrub
woman who took advantage of their
negligence and purloined the fortune
under their very eyes while engaged
in her work.
Mrs. Willene ]. Hudson, 254 Ogden
avenue, a negress employed about the
big federal building, was taken in
hand by government secret service
men Tuesday and subjected to a
sweating" process.
Woman's Home Searched.
After submitting the woman to a
searching inquiry the government
secret service agents removed her
to her home and searched the fiat
from end to end. Capt. porter, Sc
cret Service Operator Richie, and
Arthur Boale, secretary to Cashier
Russell of Subtreasurer Boldenweck's
staff, conducted the search.
The search was made legally pos
sible through issuance of search
warrant, which emanated from United
States Commissioner Mark A. Foote.
The technical charge was advanced
that the government secret service op-
eratives were in quest of counterfeit
money, and believed it might be con-
/ cealed there
The Hudson home is a neat, WELL
kept fiat on the second floor at 254
Ogden avenue, above a small store.
Every trunk in the place was dragged
forth and its contents removed. With
the aid of electric flashlights every
crack and corner was given an over
hauling.
Capt. Porter declined to say wheth.
er the money sought had been found.
How clew Was Obtained.
Mrs. Hudson has been employed in
the federal building since March 6,
1906. Discovery of the enormous
theft was made on February 20 of
the current year. The stolen package
is supposed to have consisted of a
number of bills of large denomination,
such as are not often encountered in
the course of small business. In con-
sequence, sharp watch was main
tanned for persons attempting to dis
pose of such bills.
Two clews of that character came
to light in the Twenty-second street
red light district, the first involving a
visiting government employee who dis
played a $1,000 bill while on a wine
drinking bout, and the second an I'M
identified negro who exhibited sim
liar bills in that locality and later
offered a $1,000 bill in payment for
secondhand furniture he attempted
to buy in the neighborhood of the
home of George w. Fitzgerald, the
teller whose cage was robbed.
Watch Humber Employees.
Appearance of the negro with such
lavish display of money was respon.
sible for directing the attention of in
vestigating detectives to the negro EN-.
ployes in minor positions.
While Fitzgerald and another sub.
treasury employee named Miller were
suspended and suspicion was thought
to be centered on important employees
intrusted with handling the money, the
inquiry was quietly directed exclusive.
ly toward the humble colored janitors
| and cleaners.
Is News to Wilkie.
Mobile, Ala, April 10. = Chief
| Wilkie of the United States secret
service who is here attending the lot.
| terry trials, when shown a dispatch
| about the arrest of the negro scrub
woman in Chicago, said it was news
to him but he hoped to have confirma.
ton of the story Tuesday afternoon
He declined to discuss the arrest at
this time.