The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-26
B|G SUB-TREASURY THEFT UNEARTHED Nearly S2OO,OOO Disappears as
 if in Mid Air VAULT IS INVULNERABLE E Bills From 5000 to s1o,ooo-Employes Cross-Examined Know Nothing.
 Officials Reticent-Secret
 Service Non-Plussed.
IS INVULNERABLE E

Chicago February 25.-Although score | of detectives are at work on the case
 the theft of sl730OO from the sub-treasury
 in this city last Wednesday seems as far | from d solution as the day the robbery was committed.
 l The general impression prevails that | the thief must have been one of the gov
 ernment employees and several of these
 men are being closely watched but as
 far as known tonight no evidence of a
 tangible nature has been discovered
 against any of them. Among the em-
 ployes under the surveillance of the gov l ernment secret service men is George | Fitzgerald, who was in charge of the tel | ler's cage, from which the money was
 abstraeted, but he disclaims that he has
 any knowledge of how the money dsap-
 peared, and tells straightforward story,
 which he steadfastly adheres to, although
 he has been cross-examined dozen 1 times since he reported the shortage to
 the sub-treasurer on the day it was
 missed
 Fitzgerald tonight said he was of the l opinion that it was some of the employees
 who committed the robbery, and declared l 1t would have been an easy matter for
 any of the twenty-five or thirty employees,
 who, under the present system, have | daily access to his cage, to have made
 away with the money without his Snowl-
 edge.
 Sub-Treasurer Boldenwiclx and Cashhier
 Russell said tonight that they had no | absolute evidence against any one.
 The Tribune today says:
 One of the largest. if not the largest,
 thefts from the treasury has been un- | earthed in Chicago.
 1 Somewhere between $i75,000 and $900000 was stolen from the local sub-lreasury
 last week. The money has disappeared | as completely if 1t had vanished from | the face of the earth.
 The authorities here and in Washing | ton have been working night and day on | the robbery since it was discovered. Chief Willie of the United States secret
 service has been keeping informed by telephone and telegraph of every develop
 ment, and, according to telegraphic ad- 1 vices, he will leave Washington today
 to take personal charge of the investiga- | ton.
 Secretary Shaw of the treasury depart
 ment was told of the gigantic theft when l in Chicago last week and was In conff-
 denee with SubTreasurer Williamn Bol-
 denwlclS and secret service officials l The money was stolen either week
 ago Saturday the next day, or last Mon
 
 on Monday. The loss was discovered on 1 Tuesday.
 Bills $1ooo to $1o,ooo. All the money taken was in large blls 1 bills of the denomination of $lGOO, 5000 1 and $10,000.
 Just who discovered the loss the sub | treasury officials would not admist last night. Neither would they tell from | what department the money was taken | nor how the loss was discovered. l At first it was said there must be some 1 error in the bookkeeping. It was thought to be impossible that such large sum or money could have been abstracted in
 the face of all the safeguards thrown l around Uncle Sans strong box. Every man who could have had any
 thing to do with the case was called into | Treasurer Boldenwcks office and put l through an exhaustive examination and | still more rigid cross-eXamination. Cap 1 tain Porter of the secret service assisted l in the inquisition.
 | They stood the ordeal everyone of
 them. All denied any knowledge of the l theft and protested their innocence. But it was perfectly obvious that some one | was lying. The chances were 1000 to l
 that one or more of the employees actually
 had purloned the cash or had connlved at | the theft by some outsider. Sweating Process. Day by day since then the sweating
 has been kept up. Mir Bodenweck, Cap l tain Porter and his assistants have worked from daylight till dark and from | night until morning. All of yesterday the | investigation proceeded in Mir. Belden- weeks private office.
 Saturday there came glimmer of light. | A faint clue pointed in the direction of certain clerk and that followed up. direct | ed the finger of suspicion to another em- ploye, a close associate of the first man. These men were summoned into the in- duistion chamber separately and sub | jected to a grueliSg examination. The sus- | picious circumstarfces against them were | paraded, the certainty of detection and 1 punishment was impressed upon them. and they were advised to make clean breast of whatever part they had played | in the conspiracy. One, thought to be the moving spirit came through the | deal without turning hair. He remained 1 calm and self-possessed. His sangfroid amazed the officers, and they put him
 down as innocent or master hand of 1 criminality.
 The other younger and much weaker showed signs of breaking down. Just what he admitted the secret service men .<- 1 fuse to disclose. but 1t Is believed to | be tantamount to confession. l Every employe of the office is under sur | veilance 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 to any amount near l the loot secured.
 The huge vault of the sub-treasury is constructed of many layers of chilled steel and has q number of doors which
 must be passed before entrance is se- cured to the apartment containing the
 money. The theft of money which had | once got into the vault has been regarded as an impossibility.
 Officials Admit Shortage. | Washington. February 25,--When shown | the press dispatch from Chicago stating | that a heavy shortage had been discoy- | cred in the cash of the Chicago sub-tress ,try inc offif.faIe of fhp trpastIrv de-