A man entered the State Bank of Chicago and presented a check for forty thousand dollars to be cashed. The check was made out to the order of Charles Kochones (Kisonas) and was signed by L. Wood Gilbert.

The bank cashier handed the check to an assistant, Anthony Zalatoris, (who lived at 1840 South Halsted Street) with instructions to check the books to see how much Mr. Gilbert had on deposit in the bank.

Zalatoris returned in a few minutes and announced. "Mr. Gilbert has a deposit of $40,100." Then the cashier wet his thumb, counted out 40 one-thousand dollar bills, handed them to Mr. Kisonas through the little window, and the whole matter, not an unusual one in the banking business, seemed to be ended. But it was not ended.

The check-cashing incident took place on October 24, 1917. The next day Anthony Zalatoris, who had been employed in the bank for about a year, "took a vacation", from which he never returned. After a few weeks the bank noticed that it was short forty thousand dollars.

An investigation was made and the bank swore out warrants for the arrest of Zalatoris and "Gilbert." The police said that "Gilbert" and Kochones (Kisonas) were the same person. An examination revealed that "Gilbert" had deposited $100 in the bank, but somebody who had access to the books had made it $40,100 by writing 40 in front of the 100.

The Pinkerton detectives and the police got busy. All over America they circulated posters showing photographs of the crooks and offering a reward for their capture. But, until last week, nothing came of it; the crooks had disappeared like a rock in the sea.

Finally, Mooney, Chief of Chicago's detectives, received a telegram from the sheriff of Glendive, North Dakota. The telegram read as follows: "Alexander Palmer, six feet three inches tall and twenty-three years old, is under arrest here as a slacker from the army. I believe he may be a German spy. He had, when arrested, 31 one-thousand dollar bills. Do you want him?"

"Yes, we want him," wired back Mooney. "Hold him. Detectives are leaving immediately."

And immediately two detectives were sent to Glendive with Zalatoris' and Kisonas' photographs and finger prints. Mooney believes that there is no doubt that Palmer is the Anthony Zalatoris who disappeared from the bank.

Records in the Pinkerton Detectives' office show that Zalatoris formerly lived in Melrose Park, a suburb of Chicago, where he was treasurer of the Consumers Association Company, and that he was once arrested for embezzling company funds, but was found not guilty. The records show that Kochones (Kisonas) also once lived in Melrose Park and conducted a "bank" business and a barber shop for Lithuanians of the locality.

Zalatoris and Kochones, according to the Tribune, organized a socialist chapter and a branch of the Industrial Workers of the World in Melrose Park in 1916.

Whether "Palmer" is really Zalatoris will be learned when he is brought back to Chicago sometime this week.