Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-04-03

The BANK or ENGLAND FRAuDs.-
The forgeries on the Bank of England
OF which some details were given b,
| telegraph, was one of the most sl1ilfu
known of late years. It was discovered
on March LIST by the merest accident
1t was most elaborate conspiracy, the
object being to have forged bills dis
counted. 1t must have been carried
out by men Of considerable acouain-
| lance with commercial affairs of large
capital. The Bank Of England exer-
clses very great caution in allowing
discount accommodation to new custo-
mers; any person requiring to open a
| discount account must be introduced
| by one OF the directors, and very care
ful inquiries are made into his re-
! spectability and solvency. But the
Bank has also a branch in the West end.
at Burlington Gardens, for the conven
fence OF those gentlemen and trades
men who might fine it announcement to
Journey to the city on business. This
branch naturally is not ordinarily con
cerned with the large bill transactions
OF city commerce, and in consequence
IS less bound by strict regulations in
dealing with any business which, by
chance, may come to it. This was the
point chosen by, the conspirators for
their attack. Some months ago an
American named Frederick Albert
Warren, but who also appears to have
gone by the name of G. J. Horton,
opened a deposit account with the
Burlington Gardens branch, for which
he would only want the introduction OF
customer of good resources. He drew
upon his balance and renewed it, but
kept it always at good figure. After
awhile he deposited some bills. Still
he was careful not to be hasty, and he
continued his transactions with the
Bank until he had acquired the reputa
ton OF aperson engaged in legitimate
commerce and thoroughly trustwor-
thy. ,'..
At length the moment came for the
presentation of the forged bills. They
were discounted without hesitation. and
the authors of the fraud had, to all ap
pearance, succeeded in safely pockcting
about a hundred thousand pounds
Some Of the money, 1t appears, was in
vested in United States bonds, so that
to the last they might avoid the APP
pearance of doing anything unusual. -
! They are said to be Americans, 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 themselves must have required the
greatest amount of labor. In the first
place, many Of the large firms upon
whom the bills purported to be drawn
are in the habit ofusing a peculiar kind
OF paper, with certain water-marks and
printed matter. All this would have
to be initiated, and, as the bills were
| drawn on more than one firm, there
must have been several such limitations.
There remained the drawing of the bills
and the affixing the signatures, and
each bill must have required series of
feats in successful forging. Some bills
were backed by several acceptors, SO
Ethat there might easily be as many as
hafa dozen signatures on single bill.
Yet the bills were so perfect that not
one Of them was questioned on the
ground Of the aeceptances not appear
ing genuine. The plot had, to all ap-
pearances, a success which its consum
mate skill and patience deserved. The
money was obtained. The bills were
drawn at three months date. No
further inquiry was likely to be made
about them until they fell due, and the
forgers would have ample time fol
| placing themselves far beyond all risk
of capture. But the men who had ex-
erted skill, foresight, and persever-
anee sufficient to insure the unhesitat-
ing acceptance of forged bills, could
not escape one trivial blunder which
revealed the whole plot. They present
ed two bills in which the date of acep-
lance had been omitted. The whole
calendar was at their disposal they
knew perfectly well that "a single slip
in the usual formalities would be fatal
aud yet they fell into the folly of mar
ring their whole scheme for lack of a
date. Inquiry was of course made q
the firm whose acceptance was thus
undated; it was discovered that the bill
was not genuine, and the whole series
were then found to be forgeries. :.
Information was at once given to the
police, and man named Noyes, also
an American, who acted as clerk to
Warren, was arrested There is some
doubt, however, whether he was not
simply a tool. in the hands of his
principal, and knew nothing of the
Eswindle Warren himself was seen in
the city on March LIST, the day on which
the grand coup was to have been made
and the securities handed over, but he
was far too sharp to come himself for
the plunder, and consequently only
Noyes was taken. Warren immediate
Fly disappeared, taking with him United
States bonds which he had already OBJ
tanned in payment for the. forged bills
to the amount Of $22o,0QO. A reward
eff So, 500 was at once offered for his
capture, Had the coup of March l
been successful the confederates would
have cleared, it is said, upward Of half a
million dollars