Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-06-20
THE B.s.vK OF B.eGL.s.vD rom
GERERS.

topics of conversation during the past few
months, may venture the assertion that
very little Is known concerning the facts oil
the case; therefore, as have recently re.
ceived some interesting information con-
corning this chapter of crime, will lay il
before the readers of The Mail, as follows
During the autumn of last year four
Americans-George NJ. Macdonald, A.
Biron Bidwell, George Bdwell, and a man
by the name of Noyes-came together in
England, where they formed copartner-
ship for the purpose OF transacting illegiti-
mate business. Macdonald had Just finish
cd term in Sing Sing for "raising" a
check on Tiffany for diamonds, when he
rejoiced in the name of Livingstone; Noyes,
under the name of Kellogg had served a
term in the New Jersey State Prison for a
similar offence, and the two Bidwells had
been in durance vile in the far west.
These adventures possessed funds amount
ing to about thirty thousand dollars, which
they used as capital in their nefarious trans
actions. Their first step was TO invest in
genuine bills, SO that they might get forms
and signatures which they could forge.
Having procured these for patterns, the
younger Bidwcll "a. Biron) went TO tho
branch Bank of England with proper in
PRODUCTION and deposited the genuine bills
for collection, stating that he was the agent
for the Pullman Car Company and had
had many transactions for that company
on tho Continent. He said he would be in
receipt of foreign bills to pay for rights
which he had sold, and that his hcadquar-
tors would be at birmingham. lie opened
an account with the Bank of England under
the name of i. A. Warren and endorsed
the genuine bills for discount by that name.
The other Bidwell, George, procured pa
per to be printed like tho genuine bills and
these counterfeits were filled up by Mac
Donnell for any amount of which he hap
pened 10 think. They were then taken by
Noyes and A. Biron Bidwell to Birmng-
ham and then mailed TO the Bank of Eng
land for discount in letters signed +. a.
Warren. The Bank discounted the bills
and notified Warren of the fact by letter.
Here matters began TO grow complicated.
A. BirOn Bidwell went to the Continental
Bank, in London, after they had their plans
at the Bank of England fully unCcr way,
and was introduced under the name Of c..
j. Horton. He deposited in this bank the
checks which he drew as +. A. Warren on
the Bank of England, and which were paid.
AS c. Horton, A. Biron Bidwell then
drew his checks on the Continental Bank
to bearer, and gave them TO Noyes, who
ma in nf Enn
which he Immediately took to the Bank of
England and had exchanged for Sovereigns.
Noyes gave these sovereigns to MacDon-
nell. MacDonneh tool. them back to the
Bank of England, and exchanged them for
notes, and with these notes the four con.
spirators purchased American bonds which
they sent to this country, and which have
since been found addressed to various
aliases to the amount of over three hun
dred thousand dollars.
So far, so good, for them; their plans had
been very cleverly carried out, but in an
unguarded moment the slip was made that
doomed them all. One of the forged ac-
ceptances was payable so many days "afler
sight," and therefore required the date of
the sight in the acceptance. This had been
omitted. The bank sent it to the acceptors
for recti fication, the acceptors said "for-
gerry" and then it was discovered that the
bank had discounted one hundred and We
thousand pounds of forged acceptances.
Just as this discovery was made Noyes
appe AIRED with a check of Horton for five
thousand pounds with which to purchase
more United States bonds, and he was i'm
mediatcly taken into custody.
In the meanwhile, A. Biron Bidwell had
married young English girl, stating to
her relatives that he was tho agent of the
Pullman Car Company. On Noyes' exam
ination the managers of the Bank of Eng
land stated that i. A. Warren had repre-
sented himself as engaged for the Pullman
Car Company. The relatives of Mrs. Bid
we'll read this statement in the papers, and
upon comparing notes it was found that Il.
A. Warren was A. Biron Bidwell, and up
on showing his photograph 10 the Cashier
OF The Continental Bank, he was identified
as C. j. Horton. Mrs. Bidwell wrote to
her friends that her husband was 10 take
her to Madrid and thence to Cuba, and up
on that hint A. Biron Bidwell was arrested
in Havana.
mcdonnell, as ii will be remembered,
came to this country and was arrested up
on his arrival. This fact was published in
the papers, and George Bldwell, who had
secreted himself in Edinburgh, saw it. He
wrote letter of coincidence to Macdonald
without signature, but sealed il with his
monogram seal. The fact of such seal and
the postmark on the letter were telegraph.
ed to London, and George Bidwell was
soon found in Edinburgh and arrested.
Up to this time the losers by these stu
pcndous frauds have recovered 800 900 in
acceptances which are good, S3lO, 900 in
bonds, 81 100 in Bank of England notes.
sll 900 in sovereigns, and $1,000 in dia-
monds ; in all little over $685.
This is the history of the celebrated Bank
of England forgeries, as nearly as can be
given in condensed form, and it is a pref
ty clear demonstration of the fact that the
cleverest people will sometimes make mis-
takes, and that an avenging Nemesis Is
continually on the track of all scamps.
confident and careless, aud then they fall
into the clutches of the law. Under the cir.
cumstances the best thing the law can do
IL TO tighten its grip upon these fellows as
much as possible, and place them where
they will be obliged hereafter to work for
the interests of other men.-N. y. Mail.