Show THEFT MYSTERY IN t SOLVED AT LAST George Gcorge W N Fitzgerald Assort Assorting Assorting ing in j Teller Charged With Stealing FORMER NEWSPAPER MAJ MAI MA GIVES VALUABLE AID CORNER IN EGGS FURNISHES CLUE THAT LEADS TO CLIMAX CLI MAX Chicago Aug 23 The mystery of ot the theft of ot from the United States L a year car and a half halt ago 4 one of ot the largest losses the govern government government government ment has ever eer suffered in iii this manner is believed to have been solved by the arrest at an early hour today of or George GeorgeW W lv Fitzgerald Others are believed to have been implicated In the crime which for tor months completely baffled battled the government secret service men Fitzgerald was an assorting teller un under under under der Assistant United States Treasurer WlllIam Willlam Boldenweck Suspicion at tt the time of ot the theft February 20 0 1907 rested on him but so plausible was his story and so intense his est CRt In discovering the real culprit that I interest ceased to center on him Negro Is Suspected Much work was done on the theory theor that the crIme crimo had been perpetrated by a negro Meanwhile Fitzgerald was discharged from the government t cm em employ ploy for culpable negligence In allow allowing allowIng allowing ing such a theft to be consummated under his very ver eyes e s The money mone stol stolen en cn had been used and was tied In pack packages packages packages ages some of it had been marked for tor destruction dt t t Washington Any of ot them hem would readily have passed any J except for their large illions None of or the bills was under and some were of ot the 1000 and denominations the 1000 ones predominating The theft created a sensation through throughout out the country and congress at the thelast thelast last session was asked and refused to release Assistant Treasurer Boldenweck from liability although it was prom promised promIsed promised that congress would again con consider consider i isider sider the matter at its net next session 1 Newspaper r Man Solves Mystery Meanwhile Herbert F Young a for former former former mer Chicago newspaperman reporter and now head of ot the Young Secret Service agency became interested In Inthe Inthe inthe the case at first without official con connection connection connection but later as the agent of Mr lr Boldenweck Mr Youngs attention was greeted l to Fitzgerald The latter pOn his discharge from the Ury tiry stated that his whole fortune con cont of ot In cash and a stock certificate certificate for tor 1000 1400 His wife had a Interest In the estate of or her mother which was valued at about and vas In litigation Fitzgerald however according to Mr Young embarked in speculation on a ancale ascale scale cale not consistent with the size of his reputed means menns There was however no ostentation in Fitzgeralds life lICe The lavish display which detectives invariably look for tor in tracing stolen funds was absent Fitzgerald bought eggs for tor speculation and stored them Corner In Eggs I In July Jul 1907 he inaugurated an egg deal leal which ultimately it is stated In Involved Involved an expenditure of ot and the following March a similar deal Involved him according to Mr lr Young to the extent of ot Incidentally the for tor former former mer teller became the possessor In his name of a neat brick residence in Rogers park a suburb of and valued at Mr Young de declared declared dared today toda that his purchase was made n a roundabout way wa passing through several hands and finally Into those of Mrs Fitzgerald for a con consideration consideration of ot 1 Last July Jul the scent Is said Raid to have become hot when Colonel Harry C Gano Ganc superintendent of or A Booth Co Continued on Page 2 I I I THEFT MYSTERY IN SOLVED AT LAST Continued From Page 1 a business man of prominence and pub public public lic lie spirit reported to Mr Boldenweck It Is said that Fitzgerald had hal ap approached approached approached him with a proposition to pass several 1000 bills With your big business connections Fitzgerald is alleged to have argued to Colonel Gano you ou can easily pass them After conferring with Mr Bolden Boldenweck week weck eck Colonel Gano continued negotiations negotiations with Fitzgerald with the result that by prearrangement Detective Young says SUS several witnesses were se secretly secretly secretly present when the former teller proposed to pass two 1000 bills to Colonel Gano I can bring two Fitzgerald Is al alleged alleged alleged to have said sald for you can get rid of ot two just as well as one So far as known Fitzgerald was not seen to pass any of the large bills From the moment of Colonel Ganos first Interview w with the assistant United States treasurer it is said Mr Young or some Bome of his men shadowed Fitzgerald The trail it Is intimated broadly Involved others not only in helping Fitzgerald to dispose of or the mone money alleged to have been tole but butIn butIn butin In the very act of his having extracted It from the treasury vaults aults and in inthe Inthe inthe the later covering of ot tracks Who Vho these persons were those working on the case state tate they are arc not yet prepared to divulge It had not been Intended to arrest Fitzgerald at this time me as further evi evidence evidence I dence was not only wanted against I him liim but also allo developments were ex cx expected expected Which would wo ld conclusively In Involve Involve involve volve others However it is stated that those un under und der dr d r suspicion had obtained an inkling that untoward developments were going forward and It was deemed best to lose no time tune In securing the man charged with being the principal Declare Suspect Innocent Edward R Ii Litzinger formerly a candi candidate date for the office of states attorney and an anan an intimate friend of Fitzgerald who was summoned soon after the arrest as coun counsel counse sel se sd said Absolutely anti and unequivocally I and all of Fitzgeralds friends declare him inno Info innocent innocent cent He has absolutely no knowledge as asto asto asto to who stole the tho money mone I have known him for twenty years ears personally and he lie heis heIs liei is i a good man morally and socially All his friends will stand by him The case Is not one that the states stats attorney should handle but I that the warrants war warrants rants were sworn out before Judge Chet Chetlain Chetlain Chetlain lain because they could not find a federal Judge regard to conversations c taking place previous to the time timo of ot the arrest and und while the tho arrest was being made maile which would throw suspicion on Fitzgerald Fitzgerald ald aid I in his behalf deny I spent a great part of Sunday Sundy with him When questioned about the rumor tumor that Fitzgerald had speculated heavily on the thee egg e market Mr Ir Litzinger Litsinger said That story is absurd The extent of Fitzgeralds aids speculations Is about 1000 and I 1 Ido Ido do not think that indicates that he stole money missing from the It is said that tho the fact tact that Fitzgerald bought a house valued at is a sus suspicious suspicious suspicious circumstance The fact is that there Is an Incumbrance on that house of It ItS S OO and the rest of ot the money came from his own pocket and that of his hI wife Any man of ot the financial standing qt Fitzgerald could have done the same Theft Mystery Fitzgerald will be arraigned in the crim criminal crimInal inal thai court tomorrow morning on the for formal formal mal mai charge of larceny larcen as bailee after which It is expected expect d that he will be turned over to the federal authorities Efforts are being made to secure his release on bonds but It was asserted that Steps would be taken tomorrow to liberate him b by means mean of or a habeas corpus Captain Thomas head of the United States secret service In Chicago In an interview tonight ht intimated that the arrest of Fitz Fitzerald amid erald was made prematurely and that there here was doubt In his mind as to the strength of the case against him |