, 1873-04-06
THE BiDWELLS.
Career of the Bank Of England
.; Forgers.
Their Operations in the East, West,
and South. .'
America Made Too Hot for Them.


Tho two Bidve11s. recently arrested fo- heavy
forceaes on the Bank of England, are among
the most remarkable men known to the criminal
annals of America The. simple record of their
of1enses against the law reads like romance.
They are villains Of the rose-water kind, who
have never descended to vulgar crime. Common
thieyery or HOUSEKEEPING is entirely foreign to
their gentle and gent1eman1y natures. So far as
their history is known to the writer, their oper-.
ations have been confined to class Of offenses
included under the terms swindling and forgery.
Their having lived in Chicago, and made it the
theatre OF some OF their boldest exploits, gives
them local interest. Ths two Bldwells men
tioned-George and Austin-be1ong to family
Of six brothers acattered over different parts Of
the West Their parents, Who were from one of
the New England States, lived at Grand Rapids,
Michigan, or III that neighborhood~ Their first
recorded crime was committed in Cincinnati in
1859 OF 1860. They came to that city, leased Il
store on one OF the most prominent wholesale
st5eeta, and laid in, On credit, large
stock Of goods, chiefly tens and
spices. They also solicited consignments,
to be disposed OF at the customary
m .nvthinr nnrchased. Their creditors wore re-
onss.sa - 1neo+ a. +ha;r Macs ~ hnsin.aa 1or
quee'eo W mooI ~ tle!1 P''eo =. oD- -.
boor and d. wore paid With checks On va1ous
banks Of the city. the aggregate amount Of
,,h;o1, .r.a am mn That nirht tha qoode wero
VIII "as tG. c;.n;1at; 90 49,, 49, .h,o1rs
"n1saeo oot u utleH'i' "tta "ton no eus.Ao :;
vera offered at the counters OF the oaaks on the
following day, it Was discovered that tho Bid
vrlls had not a cent Oh deposit at anv financial
- a+;+,t;on ~ n;nc;nnnt; One of Tho .vict;m,
1us.t'o.1on ~ 4h.n 49, rast $1,000 ,;a naads
more eue'so:o .uau NO .e9 @ tr. -.A' $500
at e1s, 900, in the hands Of New York lawyer.
M more Of them were ever recovered.
c,aorce pidve}1 next anneared 1t Grand Rapids.
uoo1so ~" ~ 49,.
mraa % f. ~hoh be c1er;c., .nna.rnnca we1I
fitted him. Stories Of his misdeeds had preceded
him Int he vaa wont to speak of them a. SLAM
!.l' ha...a -. t.a5aoa-. ,-+1, ho11 49,
on aeaa A s bret M tenn Of servco in the Lord.
vineyard, George, in company with the same
brother opened eosS store at Grand h:P. a.
fa.!.a6 49, 49, s:.a,
nn4 ~ 4po1 duss ha @
pair appeared in Chicago. Their first objective
mint wa CANDY store near the
r as,+-a ~ n. c;tv il which an
ienu ias. ~ ~ rnan.rocti1m, nan Id ;nra.+ad
90 nnn bax Tha sann b;1n ~ ii h;a onev
1ney so4h ant m u ~ ~ LUZ cn9y'
1ru 4matn !u9V P;9ra11 m,da b;s annesrnnca ;n Naw
an1nan 6rss T"or "a w,a an e4tremefY hsndsome man
Nth = n1easine address, and some culture, we'll
caicni,fad to Vim his way in INV community. He
Ra;n9 1etected ted in % some fraudulent transactions
70. oo 6h1;1sd r. lava tha civ after brief resi-
Sa.soa Sa,s oJt6.a tl,sra ~
Kan aftarvard. Georeo and Austin agnin
nn;ted their Fortunes At Wheeling, II. Va
Mnne 4tlsea +,a~ n nat WITH temnorarv misfortune
no1e tAeJ Aos "A't4 ,of1 80 -.