The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-15
Former Teller of Chicago Sub
Treasury Charged With
Theft of $173,OO0.
ARRESTED AND HELD IN
DEFAULT OF $4,000 BAIL
Ruse on Part of Government
Led Suspected Man to Believe
Himself Not Watched.


gerald a former asserting teller in the
Chicago federal subtrszsury, was ar
rested today by deputy United States
marshals. charged with the mysterious
theft of $4,000 from the subtreasury on
February l9 1907. Fitzgerald was ar
rested on bench warrant on an In
dictmcnt returned secretly by federal
grand jury, February II. 1910.
Three days after the indictment was
secretly returned and suppressed, on
February 20: it was announced that the
statute of limitations had operated to
stop possible criminal action In the pc
culiar case. Coincident with this ruse
by the authorities, secret service mon
stantly and make a rigid investigati ton OF
the former teller's interests and affairs
Discoveries made by these secret service
men resulted In the order for Fitzgeralds
arrest.
Has to Wear Handouts.
Marshal. Ebersteiu chief OF special
agents Of the department OF justice,
and Walter Wainwright and j. r. Buck
brokerage office on La Sale street just
as the former subtreasury teller was
leaving for his home, Fitzgerald was
first taken TO United States Marshal
Hoy's office in the federal building,
where he was searched, handcuffed ana
placed in a cell
and for 81 few minutes was handled some
what roughly by the deputy marshals
After an hours Imprisonment Fitz-
gerald was taken before Judge Kenesaw
Lands. He was formally arraigned and
his bail fixed at $4,000. He was taken
to the county Jail, unable to give bail
read in court specifies four counts. Three
charge embezzlement and the fourth
charges larceny, Under these charges
a maximum sentence OF ten years in the
federal prison or fine equal to the sum
embeZzled is the penalty upon conviction
provided in the federal statutes.
Some Evidence Cited.
Attaches of the district attorneys Of
appea france of the Si73.O from the sub
treasury Fitzgerald has done the fol-
lowing things:
turing company with H s50ooo plant AT
Hammond. Ind: organized the Illinois
Bolt, Nut & Forging COMPANY. with II
ly In stocks and bonds; moved from n
modest flat to 100000 residence In
Rogers Park, a suburb OF Chicago: paid
for this new home and furnished it eX-
pensivcly; lived In expensive style and
entertained friends lavishly.
After the returning OF the suppressed
indictment on February u. IL was locked
up in a vault In the office of the United
States district court clerk to await such
time as the federal lawyers felt they had
sufficient evidence to warrant the arrest
of Fitzgerald.
The fact that secret service men
searched Fitzcerald's offices and his resi-
denCe Immediately tollO%llg his arrest
leads to The belief that he did some
thing today which hastcned his arrest
Story of the Robbery.
The sub-treasury robbery occurred
Wednesday. February 20, 1907. The
money which disappeared was all III
persons throughout the country found To
have $1,000 and 900 bills were subjects
to open or covert scrutiny by secret
service agents.
The si7S. 900 disappeared from Fitzgcr-
AIDS cage. Fitzgerald said he had gone
out to lunch and that when he returned
the money was gone lie was CLOSELY
questioned at the time and was shadowed
for months year after the robbery
occurred Fitzgerald was arrested by
private detective agency. acting for
William Boldcnwcck, the sub treasurer.
The charge was not pressed at this
time, however and Fitzgerald proceeded
10 institute damage suits against Boil
dcnweck and the detective agency for al
legged false arrest.
Plausible Explanation.
From that time until his indictment
last February Fitzgerald was not mo-
Tested. When asked how he had accu-
mulated certain sums of money. he eY-
pla incd that he had made the money In
spccula ton and showed records OF GER
tain deals in which he engaged.
Mr., Boldenweck. who is to be sue
ceeded by Len Small of kankakee. ILL.,,
as assistant treasurer in charge OF the
Chicago sub-treasury. sent his resigna-
tion To President Taft oil September \.
None of the government officials would
say whether todays action was in any
way affected by Mr.. Boldenweck's re-
tremenI.
The robbery of the Chicago sub-trcas-
ury stands as ono of the largest thefts in
the history OF the treasury department.
The archives OF the department record
show mysterious embezzlemcnt OF
s. 90 900 from the New Orleans sub
treasury during the civil war
The vaults in the department a WASH
ington were rllled OF $I2 600 in 1872 by
a trusted employe who was caught and
convicted. A few years later The re-
ceivlng vaults of the same institution
we're robbed of n package of bills by
clerk He also was tried and convicted
In October. 1907, the sub-treasury in
ST. Louis was robbed OF S6t, 500,