The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-09-16
FORMER TELLER
IS UNDER ARREST
Former EmpIoye of the Chicago Sub.
Treasury is Charged With the
Theft of $4,000.

TeSleu wednesday ny uepuly OultSt
States marshals, charged with the
mysterious theft of $4,000 from the
sub-treasury on February 10, 1907.
Fitzgerald was arrested on bencf
warrant based on an indictment re
turned secretly by the federal grant
jury on February IL of this year
Three days after the indictment was
secretly returned and suppressed or
February 20, it was announced thai
the statute of limitations had operated
to stop all possible criminal action in
the peculiar case.
Co-incident with this ruse by the
authorities secret service men were
detailed to watch Fitzgerald and make
a rigid investigation of the former tel
ler's fiancial interests and affairs.
Discoveries made by the secret serv'
ice operatives resulted in Fitzgeralds S
arrest. Marshal Eberstein, chief OF
the special agents of the department
of justice, and Deputy United States
Marshals Walter Wainwright and ]. T
Buckner arrested Fitzgerald at an in
surance brokerage Office on LaSalle
street just as the former sub-treasury
teller was leaving for his home.
Fitzgerald was first taken to United
States Marshal Roy's Office in the fed
eral. building where he was searched
handcuffed and placed in a cell. Fitz-
gerald objected to being searched and
for few moments was handled some
what roughly by the deputy marshals.
After an hours Imprisonment Fitz-
gerald. was taken before Judge Kene-
saw Lands and formally arraigned
and bail fixed at $4,000. Being un-
able to give bond in this sum he was
taken to the county Jail.
The indictment against Fitzgerald,
read in court, specifies four conditions.
Three charge embezzlement and the
fourth charges larceny. Under these
charges the maximum sentence is ten
years in the federal prison or fine
equal to the sum embezzeled, pen
atty upon conviction provided in the
federal statutes. Attaches of the dis
trict attorneys Office declare that since
the strange disappearance of $4,000
from the sub-treasury Fitzgerald has
done the following things: Organized
the Illinois Car Manufacturing COM
pany, with a fifty thousand dollar plant
at Hammond, Ind
Organized the Illinois Bolt, Nut &
Forging company with large plant
at Chicago.
Dealt extensively in stocks and
bonds.
Moved from a modest fiat to $10,-
600 residence in Rogers Park, SUI
burb of Chicago.
Paid for his home and furnished it
extensively.
Lived in an expensive style and en-
tertained friends lavishly.
From the time of the returning of
the suppressed indictment in Febru-
airy the greatest secrecy was used by
the government of handling the in
vestigation. The indictment was lock-
ed up in a vault in the office of the
United States district clerk to await
such time as the federal lawyers felt
that they had sufficient evidence to
warrant the arrest of Fitzgerald. The
fact that the secret service men
searched Fitzgerald's office and resi-
dence Immediately following his ar
rest leads to the belief that he did
something today which hastened his
arrest, though the United States dis
trict attorney refused to say what
prompted the arrest.
The sub-treasury robbery, one of
the most battling mysteries in years
which the secret service has been re-
quired to investigate, occurred We'd
nesday, February 20, 1907. The money
was all in $1,000 and $4,000 bills.
Federal officers throughout the
county were brought into the hunt
for the missing money. For three
years persons found to have $1,000
and $4,000 bills were subject to open
or covert scrutiny of secret service
agents. The s173,444 disappeared
from Fitzgerald's cage in the sub
treasury. Fitzgerald said that he had
gone out to luncheon and when he
returned the money was gone. He
was closely questioned at the time
and shadowed for months. The year
after the robbery occurred Fitzgerald
was arrested by private detective
agency accounting for William Bollen-
week, the sub-treasurer. The charge
was not pressed at this time and Fitz-
gerald proceeded to institute damage