Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-24
Theft of $4,000 From Chi
cago Sub-Ireasury Year Ago
Cleared Up
FITZGERALD UNDER ARREST
Former Teller Charged With Robbery
of Large Sum = Mystery BaffIed
Secret Service Men for Many Months
Wife Almost Makes Confession
When Husband is Taken in Custody.

Chicago, Aug. 24.-The mystery o.
the theft of $175,0O0 from the United
States slpbtreasury, Il year and a hall
ago. one of the largest losses the
government has ever suffered in this
manner, is believed to have beer
solved by the arrest at an early hour
Sunday of George w. Fitzgerald. 9th
ers are believed to have been impli-
Gated in the crime which for months
completely baffled government secret
service men.
Fitzgerald was an asserting teller
under Assistant United States Treas
urer Boldenweck. Suspicion at the
time of the theft. Feb. IS, 1907, rested
on him, but so plausible was his story
and so intense his apparent interest
in discovering the real culprit that in
tereSt ceased TO center in him. Much
work was done on the theory that the
crime had been perpetrated by a col
ored man. Meanwhile Fitzgerald was
discharged from the government en-
ploy for negligence in allowing such a
theft to be contaminated under his
very eyes. The money stolen had been
used and was tied in packages, some
of them having been marked for de-
struction at Washington. Any of the
money would readily have passed any
where except in large denominations.
None of the bills were under $500 and
some We're of the $1,000 and $1,000
denominations, the $1,000 ones predom-
mating.
Herbert Young. q 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 agent of Boldenweck. Mr.. Young S
attention was directed to Fitzgerald.
The latter upon his discharge from the
subtreasury stated that his whole for
tune consisted of $500 in cash and a
stock certificate for $1,000. His wife
had $700 interest in the estate of her
mother, which was valued at about
$4,000, and was in litigation. Fitz-
gerald, however, according to Mr..
Young, embarked in speculation on a
scale not consistent with the size of
his reputed means. There was. how
life. The lavish display which detec-
tives invariably look for in tracing
stolen funds was absent.
Fitzgerald Specialized.
Fitzgerald bought eggs for specula-
ton and stored them. In July, 1907,
he inaugurated an egg deal which ulti-
mately, it is said, involved an eNpen-
diture of $1,000, and the following
March a similar deal involved him. ac-
cording to Mr. Young, to the extent
of $4,000. incidentally the former
teller had become the possessor. in his
wife's name, of a neat brick residence
in Rogers park, a suburb of Chicago,
and valued at $500. Mr.. Young de-
clared yesterday, that this purchase
was made in round about way, pass
ing thru several hands and finally into
those Of Mr.. Fitzgerald for a consider
alton Of one dollar.
Last July the scent is said to have
become hot when Colonel Harry G..
Gano, superintendent of A. Booth u
Co, a business man of prominence
and public spirit, reported to Mr. Boil
denweck, it is said, that Fitzgerald
had approached him with proposition
to pass several $1,000 bills.
After comforting with Mr.. Bolden-
week; Colonel Gano continued negotia-
lions with Fitzgerald with the result
that by Encouragement several wit
nesses were secretly present when the
former teller passed two $1,000 bills
tn Colonel C,anO
81 brought two" Fitzgerald is al
legged to have said, you can get rid
of two just as easy as one"
From the moment Colonel Gano's
first interview With the assistant
United States treasurer, it is said, Mr..
Young or some of his men shadowed
The trail, it is said, broadly
involved others. not only in helping
to dispose of the money al
legged to have been stolen, but in the
very act of his having extracted it
from the treasury vaults.
Wife Almost Confessed.
"They've caught him at last, they've