Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-04-10
A GANG OF F(lR6ERS.
History OF Some Of the Sank Of Eng
land ForU0rn.

land Forgsrs.
Something Of the past history of
Macdonald, the Bank of England
forger, now under arrest in New York,
is obtained by the Boston Daily Adj
vertiser. mcdonnell, under the As.
sumed name of George w. Bradford,
operated in a cattle swindle in Port
land, Me-, several years ago, and while
under arrest there was delivered up to
late Detective Coyle, of New York, whe
had the papers for him on o swindling
operation at Tiffany & Co. =. the Broad
way jewelers., and he was sentenced to
Sing Sing for two years.
In the summer of 1868 he and his
brother Michael, processing to be
commission merchants, attempted to
get IS, 600 out of the Hide and Leather
Bank, OF Boston, on bogus check
drawn by Chicago house, but the
Bank officers were too smart for them,
and they made off to escape arrest.
Michael, in October of the same year,
having in his company a young man
named Hills, appeared in Worcester,
Mass, and by forginga certified check
got 81, 200 out Of bank there, and
then stole horse and wagon to aid
them in escaping. mcdonnell, in that
scrape, gave the name of Hiram Tuck
er, and Hills the name of HI
3. Conklin. Hills was subse.
quently arrested in New Jersey
tor forgery perpetrated in connection
! with Michael Macdonnelo on the Sturte-
want Bank, and got seven years in the
State Prison, but was pardoned out
last fall. Since his release he has set
tied with the Worcester Bank officers.
George mcdonnell was one of the
gang at the time of these forgeries, but
did not appear as q principal. Mi.
chael, taking the name Of Andrew Stan.
ley, went to Hartford after Hills ar
rest, and committed successful for.
gerry upon the Trust Company, getting
"a, 300. His confederate escaped to
California, but he was arrested in
Canada, and is now serving time in the
State Prison ct Wethersfeld, in that
State. Before he went to prison, and
after his sentence, he said that the
gang with which he was connected
George, the Bank of England foreer
being the inventive head Of the organi.
zation-had planned gigantic system
of forgcriss in the United States. De
posts in small amounts were to b,
made in different banks and certified
shecks obtained thereon, which were tc
DO altered, and by simultaneous actor
the forgers expected to make a hau
amounting in the aggregate to hun
dreds of thousands of dollars. In al
the forgeries committed, the certifiei
check plan was adopted. The Sturte
want Bank fraud was successful on two
checks for $67 and $41, which amouut1
were increased by the addition Of two
ciphers, making the sums drawn Sc, 7Ol
and 81, 100. After Michael had been
in prison over year, George came
here and tried to get him released whe1
the Legislature was in session, but me-
with no encouragement. Michael the,
tried to bride the son of the late ward.
en-, Willard. to aid him in securing
outside assistance, and gave him a let
ter to w. w. Bidwell, IN New York
which was never delivered. This Bid
we'll, 1t now appears, was one of til,
confederates of George Macdonald il
in tho English robbery. These facts z,
to show that the gang il an old one
and the New York detectives in con
cealing that fact evidently have som,
motive for it.
The father and mother of GeorR,
and Michael mcdonnell live in La
chine, Canada, and are in good circum
stances. Mrs. mcdonnell was i'll Hart
ford for some time before Michael'
trial, endeavoring to make settle
ment and get him off. The father,
name is Michael, and he is reported t
be q large holder of real estate in Mon
treal, where himself and family reside
every winter.
Michael's term in the State prison
expires next fall, and he will go FIRE,
now that the Worcester matter ha,
been settled.