The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-03-21

IHE BANK OF ENGLAND FgArps.--The
torgertes on the Bank Of England. OF which
some detRils were given by telegraph. wa,
one OF the most skilful known of iate years
IL was discovered on March LIST by the Eneres,
ACCIDENT. 1t was most elaborate consr,,.
racv, the object being to have forged bills dis
counted. 1t must have been carried out by
men OF considerable acquaintance with com
mete1ai sftatrs OF large capital. The Bank Of
England exercises very great caution in al.
| rowing discount accommodation to new Gus.
| toners; any person requiring to open a
discount account" must lie introduced by
one OF the directors, and very careful maui.
rles are made into his responsibility and sol,
vency. But the bank has also branch in
the Westend, ut Burlington Gardens. for the
convenience OF those geutleiaep and trades.
men who might find it announcement 10 Jour.
ney to TIC city on business. This branch
naturally Is not ordinarily concerned with
the large Till transactions of city commerce,
ana In consequence is less bound by strict
regulations in dealing with any business
winch, by chance, may come to it. This
was the point chosen by the con.
spirators for their attack. Some months ago
an American named Frederick Albert War.
rem, but who also appears to have gone by
the name OF G. j. Horton. opened deposit
account with the Bennington Gardens
branch, for which he would only want the
introduction of customer. He behaved
for some time Just like an ordinary customer
Of good resources. lie drew upon his ba-
lance and renewed it, but kept it always at
Il good figure. After awhile he deposited
some bills. They were good and genuine
bills. Still he was careful not to be hasty,
and he continued bis transactions with the
bank until he had acquired the reputation of
4 person engaged in legitimate commerce and
thoroughly trustworthy.
At length the moment came for the pre-
sentatiou Of the forged bills. They We're
discounted without hesitation, and the
authors Of the fraud had. TO all appearance.
succeeded i'll safely pocke;ing about hum
dred thousand pounds. Some of the money,
it appears, was invested in United States
bonds, SO that to the last they might avoid
the appearance of doing anything unusual.
They are said to he Americans. and what
more natural than that they should desire
bonds of their own country? All these
arrangements We're masterpieces of i'll
gcnuity and patience. But the bills them
selves must have required the greatest
amount Of labor. In the first place,
many Of the large firms upon whom the bills
purportcd to he drawn are in the habit
of using Il peculiar kind of paper,
with certain water-mrks and printed mat
ter. All this would have to be inflated,
and, aS the bills were drawn on more than
one irm. there must have been several such
limitations. There remained the drawing Of
the bills and the atliXng tie signatures, and
each bill must have required a series Of fcatS
in successful forging. Some bills were
backed by several acceptorS, so that there
might easily be a. many Us half dozen sig
natures on Il single bill. Yet the bills We're
so perfect that not one Of them was queS-
toned OF, tie ground CT the acceptances not
appearing genuine. The plot had, to all ap.
pear;nceS, Il success which its consummate
Skill and patience deserved. The money
was obtained. Tie bills were drawn al;
three mon,hs' date. No further inquiry
WAS likely TO be made about them until they
tell due, and the 1orgcrS would have ample
time for placing themselves far beyond all
| risk of capture. But the men who had en-
crted skill, foresight, and perseverance
| sufficient to insure the unhcSitating accept
| ancc of forged bills, could rot escape one
| trivial bluuGcr which revealed the whole
| plot. They presented two bills in which
| the date Of acceptance had Gccn omitted.
The whole calendar was At their disposal :
| they knew perfectly well that single slip il
the usual iormaiitits would he fatal, and sc!
they fell into the folly Of marring their
whole scheme for lack of 4 date. Inquiry
vas of course made of the frlI whose ac-
ccptancc was thus undated; it was di>cov-
cred that the bill was not genuine, aud the
whole series were thcn found to be forge
rieS.
Information was at once given to the pc.
lice. and man named Nuyes, also an Amcri-
can, who acted us a clerk to Warren, was ar
rested There is some doubt, however,
whrthc: he was not simply Il tool in the
hands OF his princirai, and knew nothing OF
the swindc. Warren himself WIS seen Ill
the city on March !, the day OH Which the
grand coup was to have been made and the
securities handed over, but he Was far too
Sharr to come himself fer the plunder, ana
consequently cnly Moves was taken. War
rem Immediately disappeared, taking with
him United States bonds (Which lie had al
ready obtained in payment for the forged
til.) to the amount of 5000 A reward oil
y, 800 was at once offered for his capture.
Had the co,ip OF March ] been successful tue
confeLemtes would have cleared, it is said,
upward of half million dollars.