Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-21

office employed at the time of the theft upon
the work of preparing the packages for remit
lance. Under the direction of the Secretary and
of the Solicitor of the Treasury, proceedings
we're at once instituted by criminal process for
the trial of the parties suspected and by civil
process for the recovery of such of the money
or its proceeds as could be found in the posses
sion of any of these parties.
THE matter is at this time undergoing be-
fore the proper tribunals an examination, which,
it is hoped, will result in the conviction of the
parties charged with the crime, if guilty as
alleged and the recovery of the moneys and
property attached. These moneys and prop
erty Inclusive of $14,50O in $500 notes believed
to be some of the identical notes stolen found
on special deposit in a bank in Alexandria, Va,
in the name of Ottman) amount in value to a
considerable portion of the money taken.
THAT such a misfortune the loss of this
money should occur at the time that it did was
particularly annoying TO my predecessor, VINO
was about to retire from the charge of this
Office, and it may we'll be believed that great
relief felt by him and by the employees Of
the Office who had fallen under suspicion by
reason of their having had the opportunity to
commit theft upon this discovery, one of the
parties implicated (HalIack) having confessed
to his participation in the crime
urer of the United States. more than two
months passed before any clue was obtained to
the perpetrators of the theft, and it remained
for our own Police Department to clear the
matter up, and on Monday, August 9, The Star
printed the story of the fine work of Detective
George o. Miller in unraveling what up to that
time had proven a mystery to the best seuths
in the employment of the Government. The
Stars interesting account of this famous rob-
berry follows:
THE announcement in The Star of Saturday
that our Washington detectives had arrested
Theodore w. Brown and Benjamin B. Halleck
ON the charge of being connected with larceny
of the package of SAT OCT IS from the cash room
OF the United States Treasury on June % last
caused some excitement in the community, par
ticularly among those connected with the Treas
ury. Among the latter class the announcement
was particularly pleasant to those who had
charge of the money at the time Of the robbery
or whose business called them to the cash room
that day, as since then they have been more
or less under a cloud of suspicion.
"As soon as Judge Wylie had dismissed the
writ of habeas corpus and remanded Brown to
the custody of Maj. Richards on Saturday, as
stated in The Star, he accompanied back
to police headquarters by the officers.
1T appears that after Browns arrest and
detention at police headquarters by Detective
Miller on Thursday he was not locked up, but
allowed to sit about the office and was
under surveillance On Friday afternoon W. H
Ottman. who keeps a restaurant on Pennsyl-
vania avenue just above Twelfth street, called
at headquarters and had a short conference
with Brown, which interrupted after q
short time by policeman detailed to watch
him. In short time after this interview Mr..
Newman of the firm of Moore & Newman called
and had a consultation with Brown, the result
of which the application for the writ of
habeas corpus. 1t is thought about headquar-
tiers that this action not thought of by
Brown, but was suggested by Gilman alone.
..TLIE FIRST CLUE
About July 20 information commune
Gated to the washington detectives that Brown
had a short time before asked John Kelly,
well known sporting man here, to change him
a $500 note stating that he was getting 1t
broken for Mr.. Ottman Brown was not then
in town, and it was surmised that he had gone
to the springs. Although it was known that
Halleck, clerk in the cash room of the Treas
ury was intimate with Gilman, it was not
deemed advisable to arrest him or any one else
Just then.
UON Tuesday July 81, Detective Miller re-
ceived telegram from New York from
a person well known to him. asking him TO come
on at once and bring with him blank war
rant. But knowing what was wanted MI
miller consulted with Maj. Richards and Chief
Clarvoe and as a result telegraphed that ne
could not come with the warrant, ana ASKING
what was wanted. A second telegram SIMPLY
said: Come without the warrant Beng
satisfied that there must be something worth
going for, Mr. Miller started for New York on
the night of the 18th. There he met his frlend'
and soon learned that Theodore w. Brown was
at Saratoga, living high and singing $500 DIS
around.
He immediately went to Saratoga, put up
at the Grazd Union, and kept an eye upon
Brown ~ KILLER soon learned that Brown
had passed a number of $500 bills. On being
questioned as to how he was so flush, he stata6
that he had borrowed $4,000 from Ottna9h "a