The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-08-25
| $l73,OOO STOLEN FROM
U. S. SUB-TREAsURY
Asserting Teller G. w. Fitzgerald
Arrested For Robbery.
HUGE SUM VANISHED IN 1907
Suspicion Aroused by Fitzgerald's At
tempt to Negotiate $1,000 Bill
and Speculation in Eggs-Oth-
ers Are Implicated.

tempt to Negotiate $1,000 Bill
and Speculation in Eggs-Oth-
ers Are Implicated.
Chicago, nl.-The mystery of the
theft of $173,0O0 from the United
States Sub-Treasury year and a
half ago, one of the largest losses the
Government has ever suffered in this
manner, is believed to have been
solved by the arrest of George w.
Fitzgerald Others are believed to
have been implicated in the crime
which for months completely baffied
Government Secret Service men.
Fitzgerald was an asserting teller
under Assistant United States Treas
urer William Boldenwreck. Suspic-
ion at the time of the theft, February
20, 1907, rested on him, but SO plaus-
ible was his story and SO intense his
apparent interest in discovering the
real culprit, that interest ceased to
centre in him. Much work was done
on the theory that the crime had been
perpetrated by colored man.
Meanwhile Fitzgerald was dis
charged from the Government employ
for culpable negligence in allowing
such theft to be consummated under
his very eyes. The money stolen had
been used and was tied in packages,
some having been marked for de-
struction at Washington. Any of the
bills would readily have passed any
where except for their large denom-
nations. None of the bills was under
$500, and some were of the $1,000
and $4,000 denominations, the $1,000
ones predominating.
The theft created a sensation
throughout the country, and Con-
gress at the last session was asked
and refused to release Assistant
Treasurer Boldenwreck from liability,
although it was promised that Con-
gress would again consider the mat
ter at its next session.
Meanwhile Herbert F. Young, a
former Chicago newspaper reporter
and now head of secret service
agency, became interested, at first
without official connection with the
case, but later as the agent of Mr..
Boldenwreck. Mr.. Young's attention
was redirected to Fitzgerald. The
latter, upon his discharge from the
Sub-Treasury, stated that his whole
fortune consisted of $500 in cash and
stock certificate for $1,000. His
wife had $500 interest in the estate
of her mother, which was valued at
about $4,000 and was in litigation.
Fitzgerald, however, according to Mr..
Young, embarked in speculation on a
sacle not consistent with the size of
his reputed means.
There was no ostentation in Fitz-
gerald's life The lavish display
which detectives usually look for in
tracing stolen funds, was absent.
Fitzgerald bought eggs for specula-
ton and stored them. In July, 1907,
he inaugurated an egg deal which ul-
timately, 1t is said, involved an ex-
penditure of $1,000, and the following
March similar deal involved him
according to Mr.. Young, to the extent
Of SIS, 900. Incidentally, the former
teller had become the possessor, in
his wife's name, of brick house val
ued at $500 in Rogers Park, sub
urb of Chicago. Mr.. Young declared
that this purchase was made in a
roundabout way, passing through
several hands, and finally into those
of Mrs. Fitzgerald for a consideration
! of 81.
Under detective surveillance ever
since the robbery, suspicion was di-
rected more strongly than ever to him
last month when Fitzgerald is said to
have offered a $1,000 bill for $500 to
Colonel Harry G. Gano, superinten-
dent of A. Booth G Co., leading
mercantile establishment. The money
stolen from the Sub-Treasury was in
thousand dollar bills. 1t was stolen
from the cage in which Fitzgerald
was employed. Fitzgerald's salary
had been only $500 year.
Colonel Gano notified Sub-Treasu-
| rer Boldenwerck of the alleged offer
and the latter engaged the detective
| agency to investigate. The evidence
| against Fitzgerald is circumstantial
mainly, and the strongest part of il
is submitted by man whose word
while trustworthy, is not corrobor-
ated clearly. Fitzgerald defies the au-
thorities to bring into court evidence
| competent to convict him.
The trial, it is intimated, involved
others not only in helping dispose OF
the money alleged to have been sto-
len, but in the very act of extracting
it from the Treasury vaults. 1t had
not been intended to arrest Fitzger-
aid at this time, but it was found
that those under suspicion had OBJ
tanned an inkling Of developments
and it was decided to act quickly.