New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-03
ROBBERY A MYSTERY
Secretary Sha5O Still Hopes Chicago
Thieves VII Be Caught.
[From The TrIbune Bureau.l


Washington March 2-Treasury officials as
much in the dark to-day they were week ago
over the S172C0O stolen from the Sub-Treasury at
Chicago, of the man men who got away
with the money. Another Secret Service detective
requested by Chief Wilkie, who is in charge Of the
Investigation in Chicago, was sent from Washing
ton to-day. and will join the large force working
on the perplexing case. Secretary Shaw is being
kept informed right up to the minute by Chief
Wi,kie and Sub-Treasurer Bantz, of Washington
who was sent to take charge of the Office pending
the investigation but thus far he has not received
any news that leads him to believe the mystery is
even in fair way Of solution.
"A is being done that be DONE said the
Secretary to-day -'and we are. of course hopeful
that the money will be found and the guilty
unprecedented Even should the guilty person or
persons succeed in getting away there is one COM
forting thought presented: It will take the holder
Of these notes long time, perhaps lifetime. Of
constant worry and work to dispose OF them. The
fact that Tire stolen notes are of large denomina-
tons will make pretty hard for the thief to get
rid of them at ell no ordinary dealer will change
a $500 s10}o bill. much less 5000 note and
unless he happens to be q man we'll known to the
tolers of the banks or trust companies it is not
probable that he will succeed in disposirg of many
through these channels Instead of having A fort
tho thief is therefore pretty likely to find that
lie has only large bunch OF trouble on his hands
The constant faar of being caught will keep him
from sleeping. and unless he is man of remark
his actions hetray him and the government comes
into its ovn.
SIT would be the same way If the stolen money
was all in small coi!Is-say large dol
lars. Did you ever stop to think what a job a
would have on his hands he to try to dispose
OF half million silver dollars? At first blush il
would seem easy enough to get rid of any quantity
OF dollar coins. But if you tried It, you would find
yourself mighty tired before many days were gone.
You'd visit the banks in the first place possibly,
and each would have no trouble whatever in get
ting rid of twenty thirty and receiving paper
money I'm exchange Within two or three days
however you would have made the rounds of all
the banks and trust companies in your town and
would have made good many trips TO aud from
your room or home to load up If you made the
second visit TO the banks You would be under sus-
piclon ct once. Probably you'd he too shTewd to
mako a second visit if the of the loss of all
those silver dollars had been printed in the papers
Then you would Try TO dispose of them i'm the
stores. and would go around and buy up whole
lot of little trinkets that you didn't need in order
TO establish yourself In the good graces Of the pro-
prie-ors that they would take a little of the
hardware of your hands. Before you had got
nd u 500 YOU would he just about leg weary ana
ready to throw all the silver into the gutter.
" men you fellow up a line Of thought like that,
nelling under tho Treasury building and getting
oricnat6r gcneraiIy has The funnel dug from the
blocks of ground 10 the vaults. Suppose that were
done and The Treasury lost few thousands of
dollars worth OF metal. How would the thief get
1t isn't from private robbers that the govern
mont should dread raid II is from foreign at
tack. Suppose we were 10 got into war with Ger
many, and, after losing New York. the enemy's
army should take Washington and loot the Treas
ury? There Is pretty nearly ;1No COCO, worth OF
metal that trey could get II they came after Il
with suiHcient force. and II they got it, what on
earth would become Of our financial system? What
would become Of our millions Of dollars worth Of
paper money outstanding? DO you think that II
W tod the enemy that the silver and gold in tho
Treasury was there to secure circulation t,e,-
would give II back Great CUsari Just think how |
nucn war and how long a foreign power !
could wage with al our gold and silver to pay the