The San Francisco call., 1908-08-24
BIG SUBTREASURY
MYSTERY SOLVED
Chicago SIeuths Trace Theft of
$l75,0O0 to Door of Former
Asserting Teller =
deOrge w. Fitzgerald Is Arrest
ed and Others Are Alleged
to Be Involved

CHICAGO. Aug. 2s.-The mystery of
the theft Of $4,000 from the United
states subtreaSury. a year and a half
ago. one of the largest losses the GOV
ernment has ever suffered in this man
ner- Is believer TO have been solved by
tie arrest at an early hour today of
George ". Fitzgerald. Others are be-
heved 10 have been implicated in the
crime. which for months completely
baff1ed the government secret service
men,
Fitzgerald was an asserting teller
under Assistant Treasurer William
Boldenweck. Suspicion at the time of
the theft, February 90, 1907. rested on
him. but so plausible was his story and
so intense his apparent interest in dis
covering the real culprit that interest
ceased TO center on him.
Much work was done on the theory
that the crime had been committed by
negro. Meanwhile Fitzgerad was
discharged from the government en-
ploy for culpable negligence in allow
ing such a theft to he perpetrated un-
der his very eyes. The money stolen
had been used and was tied in pack
ages, some of IL having been marked
for destruction at Washington. Any
of the bills would have passed readily
anywhere except for their large de-
nominations. None of the bills was
$4,000 denominations, the $4,000 ones
predominsting.
EX-REPORTER FINDS MAN
Herbert +. Young, former Chicago
newspaper reporter and now head of
the Young secret service agency, be-
came interested in the case, at first
without official connection, but later as
the agent Of Boldenweck.
Houngs attention was directed to
Fitzgerald. The latter upon his dis
charge from the subtreasury had stated
that his whole fortune consisted of $500
in cash and q stock certificate for
$1,000. His wife had a 500 interest in
the estate Of her mother, which was
valued at about $4,000 and was in liti-
cation.
Fitzgerald, however. according to
Young, embarked in speculation on a
scale not consistent with the size of
his reputed means. There was, how
ever, no ostentation in Fitzgerald's life.
The lavish display which detectives in
Nariably look for in tracing stolen
funds was absent
Fitzgerald bought eggs for specula-
tion and stored them. In July. 1907, he
inaugurated an egg deal which ulti-
mately, II is stated, involved an ex-
penditure Of $1,000, and in March a
similar deal involved him, according to
Young, to the extent of $4,000 Incl
dentally the former teller had become
the possessor, IN his wife's name, Of a
neat brick residence in Rogers Park, a
suburb Of Chicago, valued at $500
Young declared today that this pur-
chase was made in a roundabout way,
passing through several hands and
nnally into those Of Mrs. Fitzgerald
for a consideration of 81.
Last July the scent is said TO have
become hot when Colonel Harry c..
% n
a businessman of prominence, reported
10 Boldenweck, IL is said. that Fitz-
gerald had approached him with a
proposition to pass two $1,000 bills.
With your big business connections, %
fitzgerald is alleged TO have told Col
onel Gano you can easily pass them.
There's $500 in II for you"
Gano is reported TO have declared
that Fitzgerald had a roll of similar
bills. that would choke a horse" Aft
or conferring with Boldenweck, Colonel
Cano continued negotiations with Fitz-
gerald with the result that by prear-
rangement, Detective Young says, sew
eral witnesses were secretly present
when the former teller proposed to
pass two $1,000 bills to Colonel Gano.
Il VIII bring two" Fitzgerald is al
legged to have said, for you can get
rid OF two just as well as one"
So far as known Fitzgerald was not
seen 10 pass any of the large $4,000
bills
SUSPECT SHADOWED
From the moment of Colonel Cans
first interview with the assistant
United States treasurer, Young or some
OF his men shadowed Fitzgerald.
1t had not been intended to arrest
Fitzgerald at this time, as further evi-
dence was wanted against him and
developments were expected which
would cOnclusively involve others. How
ever, IL is stated, that those under sus-
piciOn had obtained an inkIing that
untOward developments were going for
ward, and il was deemed best to lose
no time in securing the man charged
with being the principal in the case
Edward R. Litzinger. formerly a can
didate for the Office of state attorney.
and an intimate friend of Fitzgerald,
who was summoned soon after the ar
rest as counsel. said:
Absolutely and uneouivocally I and
all OF Fitzgerald's friends declare him
innocent I have known him for 90
years and he is a good man morally
and socially. All his friends will stand
hin,