The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-08-24
THEFTOF $173,OOO
FROM CHICAGO
SUB-TREASURY
Mystery of IS Months Believed
to Have Been Solved
ASSERTING TELLER IN JAIL
Detectives Had Been on Trail OF Geo.
w. Fitzgerald Ever Since Money
Was Stolen.

Chicago, Aug. 2i.-1he mystery of
the theft of $4,000 from the United
States sub-treasury year and half
ago is believed 10 have been solved
by the arrest Of George w. Fitzgerald,
Other persons are believed to have
0een implicated in the crime.
Fitzgerald was an asserting teller
under Assistant United States Treas.
urer Boldenwreck,. Suspicion, at the
time of the theft, February 20, 1907,
rested on him, but so plausible was
his story and so intense his apparent
interest in discovering the real cul
prit that interest ceased to center In
him. Fitzgerald, however, was dis
charged from the government employ
for culpable negligence in allowing
the theft to be committed. The mon
ey stolen had been used and. was lied
in packages, some having been mark
ed for distribution at Washington
Any of the bills would readily have
passed anywhere except for their
large denominations. None of the
bills was under $500 and some were IF
the $1,000 and $4,000 denominations The
$1,000 ones predominating.
Meantime, Herbert F. Young, a for.
mer Chicago newspaper reporter and
now head Of the Young Secret Service
agency, became interested in The
case. His attention was called tow
ards Fitzgerald and later Fitzgerald
was dismissed
In July, 1907, Fitzgerald inaugur-
ated an egg deal which it is said ulti-
mately involved an expenditure Of
$1,000 and the following March, sim
liar deal involved him, according to
Mr.. Young, to the extent of $4,000
incidentally, the former teller had
come into the possession, in mis- wife s
name. of neat brick residence lit Rog
ers Park, suburb of Chicago, and val
ued at $500. Mr.. Young declared to-
day that his purchase was made in
a round about way, passing through
several hands and finally into chose
of Mrs. Fitzgerald for a consideration
of 81.
Last July, Col. Harry C. Gano, a
business man, reported that Fitzger-
aid had approached him with a FRO
position to pass several $1,000 bills.
declaring there was $500 in 1t fol-
Gano.
Gano, it is reported, declared Fitz.
gerald had a roll of similar bills that
would choke q horse"
Gano continued negotiations with
Fitzgerald, with the result that by pre-
arrangement several witnesses wcre
secretly present when, 1t is alleged
the former teller proposed to pass
two $1,000 bills to Col. Gano. Thereaf-
lSli II itASCl dlu Muo constantly oHdubW
Ell and the trail, 1t is intimated broad
ly, involved others, not only in help
ing Fitzgerald to dispose of the mon
ey alleged to have been stolen but in
the very act of his having extracted
it-from the treasury vaults and later
in the covering Of tracks.
Detective Young. with Detective
Joseph Kinder, drove to Rogers lark
Sunday in an automobile and arrested
Fitzgerald.
They've caught him at last, they.
We caught him at last" is the eXciam-
alton which Detectives Kinder and
Young declare came from the lrs OF
Mrs Fitzgerald in the half hysterical
state into which she fell when she
comprehonded the object of the Off
GERS visit Fitzgerald himself, mere
ly remarked 81 suppose you want me
to go to Jail; guess I'd better go
along"
Behind the bars he refused to see
newspaper men but held a conference
with his attorneys.