The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-02-28
GIGANTIC ROBBERY
Vaults of the Subtreasury at
Chicago Looted.
SUM OF 100000 GONE
Clerks Are Suspected and Kept I'm
der Surveillance - Money Stolen
Was All in Big Bills Off
cials in Quandary.

A large theft from the United
States treasury has been uneaTthed
ir Chicago. Somewhere between $l75,-
600 and s2OC,0C0 was stolen from the
local subtreasury last week. The
money has disappeared as completely
as if it had vanished from the face
Of the earth. The authorities in Chi
cago and in Washington have been
working night and day on the rob-
berry since it was discovered.
Chief Wilk:e of the United States
secret service left Washington Mon
day to take personal charge OF the
investigator.
Secretary Shaw of the treasury de-
pastment was told Of the gigantic
theft when in Chicago last week, and
was in conference with Subtreasurer
William Boldenweck and secret serE-
ice officials
Ali the money taken was in large
bills-bills OF the denomination OF ST.
0po, $4,000 and $4,000
Every man who could have had
anything to do with the case was cali
eo into Treasurer Boldenweck's Office
and put through an exhaustive exam
nation, and a still more rigid cross
examination. Captain Porter OF the
secret service, assisted in the inqui-
sition.
They stood the ordeal, every one
of them. They denied all knowledge
OF the theft. and protested their inno-
cence. But it was perfectly obvious
that some one was lying. The chanc-
es were LOCO to / that one 'or more
OF the employees actually had pur-
Joined the cash or had connived at
the. theft by some outsiders.
81 Day by day since then the sweating
7 has been kept up, Mr. Boldenweck,
Captain Porter and his assistants
have worked from daylight till dark,
i and from night until morning. All
{ of Sunday the investigation proceeded
in Mr.. Boldenweck's private Office.
Saturday there came a gljmmer OF
light. A feint clew pointed in the
direction of a certain clerk and that
followed up, directed the finger OF sus-
picien to another employee, a close
associate of the first man
Every employee OF the Office is ill.,
Ger surveillance day and night. and
should one or more of them prove
to be the thief or thieves, escape will
be impossible. All have reported for
work daily since the discovery was
made. Every man, too, is under bond,
but not any amount near the loot
secured.
The huge vault of the subtreasury
n is constructed OF many layers OF chilli
Cd steel, and has a number OF layers
which must be passed before en-
trance is secured to the apartment
containing the money. The theft CT
money which had once got into the
vault has beer regarded as an i1npos'
sibility.
When interviewed Monday in re-
gard to the robbery, Subtreasurer Boil
, denweck admitted that a theft or
! s173,00u had been perpetrated, but
refused to go into details.
1T is true that what l and other
government officials believe to be a
gigantic steal has been perpetrated
in the subtreasury,'' he said. The
amount l believe, will be Sl7o,oOo.
AT present, 1 cannot go into details
as to what work we have done in
the case or what methods OF pro-
3 cedule Chief Wilkie, Captain Porter
and the men will pursue. We ,discoV
cred the shortage last Wednesday
when the books of the subtreasury
were balanced for the Gay. There IS
possibility that the shortage is due
to an error OF a bookkeeper, but 1
am inclined to believe that a robbery
has been committed"