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Show SMOOTH IRK OF I SECRETSE1CE I Former Teller of Chicago Sub-Treasury Sub-Treasury Charged With Theft of $173,000. H ARRESTED AND HELD IN H DEFAULT OF $50,000 BAIL H Ruse on Part of Government Led Suspected Man to Believe Himself Not Watched. H CHICAGO, Sept. 11. George V Fit.- jH gcrald, a former assorting teller Sn the Chicago federal sublrcasury, was ar-rested ar-rested today by deputy United Slates marshals, charged with the mysterious theft of $173,000 from tho subtreasury on February 19, 1907. Fitzgerald was ar-rested ar-rested on a bench warrant on nn In-dictmcnt In-dictmcnt returned secretly by a federal grand Jury, February 17, 1010, Three days after the indictment was secretly returned aud suppressed, on IH February '2b. It was announced that the statute of limitations had operated to jH slop possible criminal action In the pe-culiar pe-culiar case Coincident with this ruse jM by the authorities, secret service men .H were detailed to watch Fitzgerald con- fl stantly and make a rigid investigation of jH the former teller':- Interests and affair.-. Discoveries made by these secret service men resulted in the order for Fitzgerald's Has to Wear Handcuffs. jH Marshal. Ebcrstciu, chief of special agents of the department of justice, eM and Walter Wainwrlght and J T. Buck-uer Buck-uer arrested Fitzgerald at his Insurance brokerage office on La Salle street just as the former subtreasury teller was leaving for his home. Fitzgerald was first taken lo United States Marshal rH Hoy's office in the federal building. jH where ho was searched, handcuffed nna placed In a cell. Fitzgerald objected to being searched jH and for a few minutes was handled 'some-what 'some-what roughly by the deputy marshals. After an hour's imprisonment. Fitz-gcrald Fitz-gcrald was taken before Judge Kencsaw jrH Landis. He was formally arraigned aud his bail fixed al $50,000. He was taken to the county jail, unable to give bail. liH The indictment against FItzgorahl read in court specifics four counts. Three charge embezzlement and the fourth charges larceny. Under these charges SH a maximum sentence of ten years in the federal prison or a fine equal to the sum fH embezzled is the penalty upon conviction 91 provided in the federal statutes. jH Some Evidence Cited. Attaches of the district attorney's of- rice declare that since the strange dis- VH appearance of the 5173.000 from the sub- tH treasury Fitzgerald has done the fol- fM lowing things: EB Organized the Illinois Car Manufac- H luring company with a $50,000 plant at. Hammond,' Ind.; organized the Illinois tH Bolt, Nut & Forging company, with a large plant in Chicago: dealt extensive-ly extensive-ly in stocks and bonds; moved from a, modest lint to a $10,000 residence in Rogers Park, a suburb of Chicago: paid lH for this new home and furnished it ex- iflH pensively; lived In expensive style and WM entertained friends lavishly. ?JH After the returning of the suppressed aH indictment on February 17, It was locked i fM up in a vault In the office of the United i tM Stales district court clerk to await such 1 time as the federal lawyers f"lt they had ! jH sufficient evidence to warrant the arrest 3 iM of Fitzgerald. 911 The fact that secret service men i searched Fitzgerald's offices and his resi- J JM dence immediately following Ills arrest vll leads to tho belief that he did some- 11 thing today which hastened his arrest. jtiH Story of toe Robbery. wJH The sub-treasury robbery occurred Wednesday, February -.'0, 1007. The money which disappeared was all in iBH 51000 and ?10.000 bills, and for three years jjfjl persons throughout the country found to Kil huve $1000 and 510,000 bills were subjects JfTl to open or covert scrutiny by secret 91 service agents. Wl The $173,000 disappeared from Fltzgcr- W,M aid's cage. Fitzgerald said he had gone if-M out to lunch arid that when he returned WM the money was gone. He was closely questioned at the time and was shadowed Ul for momhs. A year after the robbery 311 occurred Fitzgerald was arrested by a S4 privato detective agency, acting for ttlOI William Boldcnwcck, the sub-treasurer. Hfll The charge was not pressed at this 'ittM time, however, and Fitzgerald proceeded sEI to institute damage suits against Bol- ill denweck and the detective agency for al- 31 leged false arrest. 9fl Plausible Explanation. Hfl From thai time until his indictment ffllH last February Fitzgerald was not mo- dflll lested. When asked how he had accu- undated certain sums of money, ho ex- fll plained that he had made the money in fll speculation nnd showed records of cor- Hl tain deals in which lie engaged. fll Mr- Boldenweck. who is to be sue- MM cccded by Lcn Small of Kankakee, 111., as assistant treasurer In charge of the Chicago sub-treasury, sent his rcsignu- iH tlon to President Taft on September S. fl None of the government officials would Hl sav whether today's action was in any l way affected by Mr. Boldenwcck's re- WM Tlufobbcry of the Chicago sub-trcas- iil urv stands as one of the largest thefts in ifll tho hlstorv of tho treasury department. SH Tho archives of the department record OH show a mysterious embezzlement of jH 5100.000 from the New Orleans sub- jB treasury during tho civil war. 'M The vaults in the department at Wash- M ington wr.ro rifled of $72,000 in 1S72 by jM a. trusted employe who was caught and jH convicted. A few years later the re- IH ceiving vaults of the same Institution were robbed of n package of hills by a UH clerk. He also was tried and convicted. Hl In October. 1907, the sub-treasury In HH St. Louis was robbed of $61,500. VH |