Evening star., 1924-07-20
C0NV|CT'S WEALTH
PUZZLES POLICE
"Count," Freed PenniIess,
Back in Prison With For.
tune in 3 Weeks.
by Consolidated Press,

| oL'oM, calf, July 19-If some
oooy Will kindly step forward and
INFORM officials of the State peniten-
dary mere just how and where
| Couht Albert Sichofsky, Folsom's
richest convict, obtained s75 600 which
Is now carefully slowed avav to hi.
eieui. IN the prison strong box, they
heaVy load of worry from
.he shoulders of the said officials
Also police authorities of this and
| several other far Western States n,ho
ior more than year have heen
ing 1ruitlessly to run down tho
source OF the counts mysterious
wealth VIII tender the information
person rising vote of thanks
Count Sichofsky, who elaine ..
etlsh nobieman, but who refuse.
" oher any proofs in suhstantia.fs
VI socn claims, although his educatio,i
lu eHiueht refinement indicate tbat
"a ,aIiforni ol an excellent family. is
| GaiiioFniaS S most mysterious 60 -
Even without his unexnIsineJ ., eioli.
- "edith ne would still be mystnri
Gus. But $4,000 to his credit ;n ~.
- saIe and the uncertainty as
douhi, ne came by it make him
"ohey In Belt.
Teen months ago the count
was released from the Federal nrieo,,
oi McNelFs Island, Wash, where he
hao served two-year term for
Federal offense. When he 1.f, NJ
Nelis Island he was pennfIess Tbroo
"eehS later the count was arrestad
CS customs authorities at Caiexico
odllf, after he had tried IN sn,nnr,I
.nieeo states. He had $4,000 in c,,r
rehcy ~ money belt about his val,
When arrested 80 " "oi'I
Inc count refused to make anv e,-
pidhat1on as to where he eot ~
money, except to assert that be 5;I. ~
.tedi IL. he was held while an inves
tledlloh was made, but there had hee,,
no recent robberies which could he
raced 10 MN. The customs authori-
lieS were about to turn him iooco
When it was found that he had for
merry served a term in San Ouentin
prison Tor passing worthless cbecks
ana had been freed on parole Ir
committing the Federal offense which
sent him to McNeiTs Island he bad
violated his parole, so he was SEM ~
rolsom prison here, to serve ont sbe
frsst OF his former sentence HI
slo,eoo came to Folsom with him and
warden. Pi iSoii
Except to admit that after his re-
lease from the Federal prison he bad
visited Seattle, San Francisco Reno
Sa1t Lake, Denver and finally crossed
INTO Mexico at FL PaSo, the count has
stedofastly refused to throw any Iipbt
on now, stepping out of prison penni-
less; ne was able to turn up three
"eeks s,e.h Iater with $4,000. And police
authorities of all the cities he ad
nuts visiting, carefully checking over
ms back tFail. have been unable to
hnd now he got the money either.
Inroush underground channels
"ltnin the prison walls of Folsom. how
eyer comes what may or may not be
the explanation. The story, in parr
is as follows: =
Fellow prisoners of the count at
McNeils Island had hidden away ne.
sotiable bonds valued at more than
sE'o,ooo, said to have been obtained
IN IN annapolis bank robbery. Sichof-
SKY about TO be liberated. was in
trusted with the secret hiding n,ace
OF the bonds on condition that he dig
tnen up and dispose of them.
Sought to Make Restitution.
me money from the sale was to be
deIlVereo to certain persons designated
oy the Mcneil Island prisoners and
slchofsky was to retain $4,000 as his
share. 60 iiiS
1 NoUHl oOldlneO the bonds,
the story runs, took them to Mexico
Where he disposed of them and sent
the agreed part of the sale price 10
the persons designated. Then, so
the mysterious underground story
ends, he started back to CaIifornia IN
make destitution for the worthless
checks which first had sent him TO
san quentin prison and was arrested
as he crossed the border. Rare rugs
which he was trying to smuggle
a h
tended as a present to persons he had
once mulcted.
While the underground story from
WITHIN the prison walls is accented
as probably true, it is of no value to
the authorities. The count refuses
TO disclose the identity of the parties
in Mexico to whom he sold the al
legged stolen bonds, and if the author
tiles were able to trace the sale.
which they have failed to do so far
the buyers would hardly aid in prose
cutting the count for disposing OF
stolen property.
Promises to Tell Later.
There is still another unique angle
connected with Count Sichofsky'S
mysterious $4,000. 1t has had more
than dozen court judgments award
ed against it, but is still intact Al
most everybody who ever knew the
count before he became convict has
tried to get a slice of his wealth. But
all judgments have been in vain. Be
cause of the peculiar legal status of
the funds, the Folsom warden refuses
to turn over any of the counts money
to others.
Among those who have obtained
such judgments is the Sacramento law
firm from which the count obtained
advice as how best to protect his
money. They gave him the advice
and he claims to have paid 800 for
it-all it was worth, he contends IN
satisfied, however, the legal advisers
sued him for $4,000 and obtained Il
court order for its delivery. That is
as far as the courts verdict has been
able to get, however.
Meanwhile the count laughs at all
judgments against his mysterious
wealth and awaits the day when he
will be liberated. Then he promises
he will tell where the money came
from.