The Washington times., 1910-09-18

help was dispensed with and Mrs. F'itz-
gerald undertook her own homework
It Elas been a game Of wits. declare the
men whose efforts have ended IN the
arrest OF George W Fitzgerald The
stake. If their charges are true. has
been $4,000. the largeSS sum ever stolen
from treasury Of the United States
The records Of the Treasury Depart
ment show that but three thefJs. or
shortages, may be cI-ssed with that at
Chicago. In 1906 the sum OF S6l 90 was
missed from the subtTeasury 1t St
Louis. It has never been accounted for
I'D Congress relieved the subtreasurer
there CT the liability. Similar action
recently was taken in favor OF the head
Of the Chicago subtres sury, William
BOldenweck
IN 1875 q teller iIf the Treasury De-
partment at Washington, with the aid
of COnfederateS, distracted $4,000 IN
$500 bills from the vaults He might
have remained undetected had not one
OF these cOnteoerateS. q ne'er-dO- well.
displayed one OF the large bills al the
Saratoga race track. A confession
followed and a portion Of the money
was recovered.
During the civil war when currency
was made at the Treasury and not at
the Bureau Of Engraving and Printing.
some member OF a sightseeing party
puriOined $50. 600 as he was being
shown through the building. The partv
Of a Senator's wife was Joined by a
dapper young man. who assumed a
most deferential manner toward guides
and VISITORS When the theft was dis
covered 1t was found that the young
man was known 10 no one in the
party He has never been heard Of to
this day, nor has the $4,000
The Government has been defrauded
Of various amounts in. the filing OF
contracts through grating officials
and the failures OF national banks
greatest treasury robberies and the
chicago shortage tops The list.
Procedure Kept Secret.
After working lnree years and
seven months 20 obtain evidence
against Fitzgerald. the Government is
not expected TO reveal in advance what
it expects TO prove when the suspect
is arraigned for the lr1aI he SAYS he
IS anxious to have. Regardless OF
any direct evidence II may save how
ever, the Government probably viii lay
stress upon the following circum-
stantiaI facts alleged to have been
ascerUained by its tireIess Secret Ser
vice corps:
That Fitzgerald began to deal heav-
lily in eggs and produce within a few
months after his dismissal rom the
service The Covenant rat says $4,000
was invested; Fitzgerald says not more
than IS. COO
That he moved from a modest home
TO more pretentious one which he
purchased for 50, 00e.
That he negotiated for the purchase
Of three lake steamers
That Ee owns considerable stock in
the Illinois Bolt, Nut and Forging
Company and also IN the Illinois Car
and Manufacturing Company Of Ham
mond.
That he offered Col. Harry Cane SO
for each 81 geo bin disposed Of
That he offered 70 invest in q lake
transportation company with Colonel
Cane.
That two OF F'itzgerald's friends spent
large sums of money IN Scotland
Fitzgerald claims that his SDecuIa.
tons have been modest. and that he
can account for every dollar invested
He says that he + q bounded man. the
victim Of persecuuc~ and Of fatefu
circumstance over ,-hich he had No
control.
The Government. after all. may have
been upon the wrong track during these
years. but the story OF Fitzgerald illus
trates one thing above ali others-thai
the Secret Service OF the United States
IS the most persistent and relentless de-
tective agency "a this or eny other
country