The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-24
THE GREAT BANK FORGERY
THE CHIEF CULPRITs CAUGHT By THE
CABLE

The Old Lady of Threadneedle Stree,
Swindled Out of Half q Million Dol.
lars-The Flaw that Led to the Plot,
Discovery-Part of the Plumber Re.
covered.
The torgeries on the Bank of England, o.
which some details were given oy telegraph
was one of the most skiIrul known of late
years. 1t was discovered on March 1st by the
merest accident. 1t was most elaborate con
spiracy, The object being to have forged bills
discounted. II must have been carried out by
men OF considerable acquaintance with com.
merclal afflirs of large capital. The Bank OF
England exercises very great caution in al
lowing discount accommodation to new GUS
toners; any person requiring 10 open q
| ''dIscount account" must be introduced by
one OF the directors. and very careful inqul'
ries are made into his respecla6lty and SOL
| vency. But the bank has also branch in
the Weslend, at Burlington Gardens, for the
convenience OF those gentlemen aud trades
men who might flnd IL lnconvenlent to jour
ney to the city on business. This 0ranch
naturally is not ordinarily concerned with lhe
large bill transactions of city commerce, and
| in consequence Ia less bound by strict regua.
tIons In dealing with any business which, by
chance, may come to IL. This was the point
chosen by the consplrators for their attack.
| Some months ago an American named Fred
| erick Albert Warren, but who also appears to
have gone oy the name OF G. J. Horton, open
| ed deposit account with the Burlington Gar
den's branch, for which he would only want
the introduction OF customer. He behaved
| for some time Just like any ordinary Cut toner
| of good resources. He drew upon his balance
aud renewed 1t, but kept IL always at good
| figure. Alter awhile he deposited some BILLS
They were good and genuine bills. Sill he
was careful not to be hasty, and he continued
his transactions with the bank until he had
acquired the reputation OF person engaged
| in legitimate commerce and thoroughly trust
worthy.
At length the moment came for the presen-
tation of the forged bills. They we're dis
| counted without hesitation, and the authors OF
| the fraud had, to all appearance. succeeded In
pounds. Some OF the money, 1t appears, was
invested In United States bonds, 30 that to The
| last they might avoid the appearance OF doing
| anything unusual. They are said TO be Amer
| leans, and what more natural than that they
should desire bonds OF their own country !!
! All these arrangements were masterpieces of
| Ingenuity and patience. But the bills them
selves must have required the greatest
amount of labor. Iu the first place,
many Of the large firms upon whom the
bills purported TO be drawn are In the habit
OF using peculiar kind Of paper,
| with certain water-marks and printed mat
ter, All this would have TO be INFLATED, aud
| as the bills were drawn on more than one
| firm, there must have been several such lml-
| tations. There remained The drawing of The
| bills and The afixiog the signatures. and each
| bill must have required series OF feats In
successful forging. Some bills were backed
| BY several acceptors, 80 that there might
| IL h,iE dana nj 0t,,rn
on o single bill. Yet the bills were 80 perfect
| that not one OF them was questioned on The
ground OF the acceptances not appearing
genuine. The plot had, 10 all appearances,
success which ils cOnsumlnale skill and
patience deserved. The money was OBJ
| taned. The bills were drawn at three
months date. No further inquiry was
likely 10 be made about them until they
tell due, and The forgers would have ample
time for placing themselves lar beyond all
| risk of capture. But the men who had exerted
skill, foresight aud perseverance anlhclent
| to insure the nnhesituiing acceptance OF torgpd
bills. could not escape one trivial blunder
which revealed the whole plot. They pre-
eented two bills In which the dale Of accept
auce had been omitted. The whole calendar
was at their disposal; they knew perfectly
we'll that single clip In the nsual formallllps
would be fatal, and yet they FELL into the FOLLY
|, Vi narring their whole scheme Tor lack OF q
|
| whose acceptance was thus undated; II was
discovered Lhat the bill was not genuine, and
the whole series were then found to be for
geries.
Information was at once given 10 the po-
| lice, and man named NOyes. also an Amel1-
can, who acted as q clerk to Warren, was ar
rested. There Ia some doubt, however,
whether he was not simply tool In the
hands of his principal, and knew nothing of the
swipdle. Warren himself was Seen In the
| city on March /, the day on which the grand
/ coup was lu have OPen made aud TIE securl-
| ties handed over, but he was far loo sharp 10
come himself tor the plundrr, aud consequent
| ly only Moves was taken. Warren Immediate
| ly disappeared. takiDg with him United SHtes
/ bonds (which he had already obtained In pay
ment for the forged bills) 10 The amount OF
| s220, 900. A reward OF $2500 was at once Of
| fered tor bis capture. Had the coup OF March
been successful the conf.derates would have
cleared, 1t is said, upward of half million
dollars.
The Real Rogues Nabbed.
HAVANA, March 20.
On the strength of cable dispatches from
London. the police here have arrested Austin
Byron BidwelI, alias Warren, bis wife, and
Harry Nuno, q servant. Bldwell is supposed
| to be the principal operator In The frauds on
the Bank of England, and answers 10 the
description telegraphed by the London po-
lice. He Ia travelling with an American
passport, He went through France Into
Spain, and reached SantaDdor, where he
| embarked on French steamer ior
Havana. The steamer arrived kere on Satur.
/ day, when the whole party were taken lnt0
custody. Bid veil and his servant, Nuno, are
| in iail and forbidden 10 hold communication
| wilr any one, or with each other. The lazy
WAS permitted TO remain at hotel under The
surveillance OF th. police. Although lhere 10
no eXlradltion treaty between spain and
Great Britain, the authorities will send the
whole party back 10 London If proper proofs
are furnished. detective is expected here
| from England soon 10 Identify and lake charge
| of the prisoners. 1t is stated that confessions
| of Moves, the confederate now under arrest IN
| London, fully implicate Bidwell 10 the for
| geries.
The Evidence and the Plumber.
| NEW YORK, March %.
Judson Jarves, clerk OF arrests bureau,
claims that he has discovered to-day strong
prout that George Mcdonnell, who was ar
rested Yesterday, is either F. A. Warren him.
sell, or one of his principal confederates In
| the late heavy forgerles on the Bank oil Eng
| land. Letters and packages have been found
here addressed 10 Austin Bidwell and Abram
| Bdwell aud TO George MacDonnell. The last
mentioned came to Duncan, Sherman Co.,
\ and they know nothing of liz owners. The
letters and packages are supposed 10 contain
The missing bonds of the Bank OF England.
Proceedings 10 ultach these letters were COM
menced today.
SAMPLING COTTON IN LIVERPOOL.