Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-05-25
THE FORGERS.
William 4. PinkertOn's Account OF His
Sea :eh for the FOrger, Chap.
man.
Who he Saw in EurOpe-Bidwell and
MeDOnald-His Advice to the
English Detectives.
Attempted Operations Of Chapman and
Mcdonald in Memphis about
Year Ago.

The following letter, which by kind
permission of Chief Athy, we are
enabled to publish, will prove interest
ing to our readers, who will remember
the thieves, Chapman and Mcdonnell,
as the industrious rascals who made the
attempts herein alluded to, to &" blk ("
our banks, in which, however, they were
fortunately frustrated by the prompt ac-
ton of Cashier Reed. The letter is from
Mr.. William A. PinkertOn, one of the
most accomplished detectives in the
world, and son of the celebrated Pinker-
ton of Chicago, whose detective system
is fast superceding that of the regular
police systems of our large cities. Mr..
PinkertOn writes from New York, and
says, addressing Captain Athy:
1.-The parties for whom l went to Eu-
rope in search of, found, after consid-
cradle difficulty, and, after numerous
attempts, found that they could not be
eXtradited to this country, as the evil
dence We had-Uiz, burglary and bank
robbery-did not come in under the eX-
tradition treaty. / then attempted to
bring one of them Joe Chapman back
on charge of forgery, but on account
of the death of the principal witness in
Il
either. | would here state that Chap
man is the man who, in Memphis, about
three years ago, attempted to pass a ten
thousand dollar check on one of your
banks, but succeeded in making his
escape.
"While in England, and ON the CONT
nent, | ran across many American pro-
fessionals, among them the now noted
Il
and also George Mcdonnell, who are
the men engaged in the fOrgeries on the
bank of England. When / tell you who
these men are you will easily recOllect
them.
A little more than two years ago, Aus
tin Bidwen (whOse picture l enelose)
went into the Union and Planters bank,
in your city, and presented a letter of
introduction to the cashier, from the
cashier of the First national bank of
Nashville, Mr.. POrter6eld. He then
nght a draft for four thousand five
huA Adred dollars, and while doing so no.
ticed that the cashier was a little suspi-
eious of him. At that time Nc
Donnell and George Bidwell were
at the hotel. Austin came out
with his draft, and reported to
them what he had done, and that he
was afraid the cashier was a little sus-
picious of him. The others were not,
but to test the thing, about four or five
o'clock, Mcdonnell, who is a fine busi-
ness-looking man, and whose picture l
will send you in few days, stuck a pen
back of his ear, and walked briskly into
the telegraph-Offic and said that he
had just sent messenger there with a
telegraphic dispatch for Mr.. Porterfield,
of the First national bank of Nash
vile, and that he was afraid his
messenger had taken it to the wrong
office, and would they kindly look over
their dispatches and see if such one
had been sent. They did so, and 70 und
that such dispatch had been sent to
Mr.. Porterfield, and informed McDon-
nell of it. This settled the matter in
their minds that the cashier was sus-
picious; and they cleared out that night
for New Orleans, where Mac. hired a
room, and Geo. Bidwell ran an Office.
The draft was indorsed over to McDon-
nell, who went to the bank, where it
was found that he was suspected, but
the most cheeky part of the whole pro-
gramme was done by Geo. Bidwell, who
had not shown up in the case, and
who returned TO Memphis and asked the
Union and Planters bank to cash that
draft. They refused, and ! believe Bid
well claims to have charged them in the
| Memphis papers as refusing to pay theiI
paper, / believe in the Memphis AP'