Connecticut western news., 1873-09-26
The King of FOrgers,
The Last Voyage of NIcDOnnell, the Bank
 of fEMgland Bond Robber.


 The attempt of the Bank of England forgers to break jail in the old country, has called attention again to those worthies, whose sentence is penal ser vitude for life.
 Two years and ten months ago Mo- Donnell left the N. Y. with capital of twenty thousand dollars. Before that time he had served term in Sing Sing for forgery and short term in an East ern prison for the same offence. Im- mediately before his departure he had been arrested for giving forged order on dry goods house, in conjunction with an accomplice. Instead of going Mcdonnell started for Vera Cruz. Here he lodged a portion of his money and obtained letters of credit on a house in Rio.
 He nextset sail for the latterport and introduced himself to some of the banks there by depositing small amounts of money. He represented himself as gentleman travelings in South America for pleasure. From Rio he journeyed in and crossed the Andes, and after vis- iting Lima and other ports along the western shore line he prepared to return to Rio, having meantime lodged few thousand dollars in each place, for which he received letters of credit. Having provided himself with these he returned to Rio, where he met Bidwell, who had just come from Havana on similar mission, and the~worthy pair of broth CTS sailed for England.
 On the passage the letters of credit were successfully manipulated and a credit of fifty thousand dollars was easily raised on the paper they held with which to commence the banking and brokerage business. These letters of credit first gave the Rothschild con- fdence in Mcdonnell, who had so ar ranged his deposits that the letters of credit could not be verified by telegraph.
 The swindlers had onlya limited time to run and yet immediately after his arrival in London Mcdonnell was stric- ken down with sickness, and was con- fined to his bed for six weeks, every day of which was most precious to him. He had scarcely recovered when the "firm' was started, and the remainder of the story has been told in the courts. Sim pie carelessness in sending in a raised check without date aroused the suspi- cion of the Bank of England officials and burst the bubble" Bidwell had ordered magnificent trunk for his voy. age to South America when the explo- sion came, and in few days more the swindlers would have bade England goodby for ever with six hundred thou. sand dollars between them. It is be, lieved by the detectives that Mcdonnell gave large sum of money to @ young German woman on his last voyage tc New York. When he was seized she managed to get away with the crowd and has not since been heard from McDonnell's magnificent dressing case worth five hundred dollars, is still ir the Sheriff's office in New York, under attachment.
 Some time time before he was extra dicted Mcdonnell was asked by one o1 the keepers of Ludlow Street Jail, who stood guard over him i:
 Mac, what can they give you on the other slde?"
 Anything from two years and hall to 1ife," was the answer: "but Ii they get me there you can bet I'll gel life"
 At this time he did not expect that ht would be extradited. It is said that he was quite chivalric in his notions of for gery. He would never forge the name of poor man or poor corporation. II is said that he was so marvelouslJ expert that he had only to get glance at any handwriting to successfully coun tarfeit if