The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-24
THEFT OF BIG SUM CHARGED George w. Fitzgerald Is Arrested. ACCUSED OF TAKING sI73,ooo Mystery of Missing Money May Be
 Cleared. A.sort,ns Teilsr Fer ceyer.n.ent !. !. AH>1 ia Chsssso After Case
 Jdaa Reen Investigated by , sS Detectives.


 States sub. treasury year and a half ago, one of the largest losses the gov ernment has ever suffered in this man. ner. is believed to have been solved Dy the arrest at an early hour today or George W. Fitzgerald.
 others are believed to have been tri- plicated in the crime which for months completely baffled government secret service men
 Fitzgeraid was an asserting teller under Assistant United States Treasur- CT William Boidenweck. Suspicion at the time of the theft, February go. 1907, rested on him. but so plausible was his story and So intense his ap. parent interest in discovering the real sculprits, that interest ceased to center on him. Much work was done on the theory that the croIne had been per- petrated by negro man.
 Meanwhile Fitzgerald was discharges from the government employ for cuip- able negligence in allowing such theft to be consumsslated under his very eyes. The money stolen had been used and was tied in packages. some or t having been marked for destruction al washington Any of 1t would readily have passed anywhere except for their large denominations. None of the bills were under $500 and some were of the s1 ,ooo and ss.eoe denominations. the sl,- coo ones predominating.
 worked Up By Young.
 The theft created sensation throughout the country and Congress ait the last session. was asked. and re- fused to release Assistant Treasurer Boidenweck from liability. although 1t was promised that Congress would again consider the matter at its next session. Meanwhile Herbert F. Young, a former Chicago newspaper reporter and now head of the Young Secret Ser vice Agency became interested n the case, at first without official connec- ton with the case but later as the agent of MF. BeldenwRex.
 Mr TounR.a attentipn was re- direcsS cd to Fitzwerald. The latter upon his 4fathhrws from the ss1b- asliry stafer khat his whole fortune eonslatS
 $500 in cash and stock certifi sf Sl 900. His wife had a 9100 infV in the estate of her mother whtc was valued at about $4soo0 and was In liti- gation Fitzgerald. however, according to MT. Young, embarked In speculation on scale not consistent with the size Of his reputed means Fitzgerald bought. eggs for specula- ton and stored them. In July. 1907, he inauaurated the egg deal which ulti- nateIyE it is stated involved an expen- allure of s7,000i and the following March similar deal involved him. ac- cording to Mir Young, to the extent or SIS, 00O s Incidentally, the former teller had become the possessor. in. his wtfe's name, of a residence Tn Rogers Park. suburb of Chicago. and valued at $s,- 800. Mir. Young declared today that this purchase was made in round- about way, passing through several hands and finally into those of Mrs. Fitzgerald. for consideration of one dollar.
 Last July. the. scent is said to have become hot when Colonel Harry c. Ganos q business man of prominence and public spirit. reported to Mir. Boi- denweck. it Is said, that Fitzgerald had approached him with a proposition tc pass several s3,000 bills
 with your big business connections, FftzReraid Is alleged to have argued | to Colonel Gano, you can easily pass them. There's $500 in It for you.' Gano is reported to have declared that he had a roll of similar bills. .tliai would choke a house." After corferr- ling with Mir. BoIdenweck. Colonel Ganc Ieentinued negotiations with Fitzgerald with the result that by pre-arrange- ment, Detective Young says several witnesses were secretly present. wher the former teller passed two $lO,00l bills to Colonel Gano,
 T will bring two" Fitzgerald is al. legged to have said. You can get rid of two just as easy as one" From the moment of Colonel Gano't first interview with the Assistan nj United states Treasurer, it is said that Mir. Young or some of his men shadow ed Fitzgerald. The trail. 1t Is intimate6 broadly involved others. not only ir helping Fitzgerald to dispose of the money alleged to have been stolen, but l in the very act of his having extracted l 1t from the treasury vaults, and in the later covering of tracks. Who these persons were. those working on the case state they are not yet prepared tc devulge.
 Arrest of Fitzgerald. It had not been intended to arrest Fitzgerald at this time. as further evi denee was not only wanted against him. but developments which woulC exclusively involve others. However 1t Is stated. that those under suspicion had obtained an inkIing that untowarC developments were going forward anC 1t was deemed best to lose no time ir the priRcipal.
 shortly after midnight this morning Judge chetlain at his home Issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Fitz- gerald. Detective .Young. with Detec- tive Joseph Kinder. of the States es- torncys office. climbed Unto a high power automobile and for the better part of an hour ignored all speed regu- iations in a rush to Rogers Park.
 Fitzgerald appeared at the door ir his night gown. He listened to tho reading of the warrant with com, posture. kissed his two young childrer goodbye and left his almost hysteri, cal wife to enter the automobile with
 the officers.
 They've caught him at last. they'vt caught him at last" Is the exciama
 tion which Detectives Kinder anC
 Young declare came from the lips O Mrs Fitzgerald in f half-h hysterica
 seate Into which she fell when sh,
 comprehended the object of the .offi cers' visit.
 Fitzgerald demanded. T suppos
 you want me to go to jail; guess r,
 better go along"
 Behind the bars to-day he refuse,
 to .see newspaper men. but held
 conference with his attorneys. J. In
 V4s and C. R. Litzner. John M