The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-03-18
THE BANK OF ENGLAND FOR
GERlES.
Full Details of the Great Fraud.

Full Details OF the Great Fraud
NEW YORK, March 1.-THE Londor
papers OF the Sd and 4th are at hand
with the following details OF the grea
forgeries on the Bank oil England: "II
was discovered on Saturday that bills Il
an enormous amount had been forged on
all the principal houses in the city OfLon
don, and that these bills had been dis
counted at the West End branch OF tht
Bank Of England, in Burlington Gardens
which does an entirely different kind o.
business from the parent establishment
in the city. 1t Is intend for the convenience
of gentlemen, ladies and West End trades
men who might find 1t inconvenient tC
journey to the city, in order to transact
their occasional business. 1t Is not there
fore, ordinarily concerned with large bills
and transactions Of city commerce, and
in consequence. is less bound by the otrici
regulations in dealing with any business
oI that nature which might accidentally
be brought to 1t. The consplrators must
have been aware Of this, and they then
laid plans for approaching the bank OF
England by this weaker portlon OF lts ue'
fences Warren, an American, who man.
aged the plot, was in no hurry, and
took good care to gain good feel
ing before he ventured on his
ultimate enterprise. He behaved for
some time Just like an ordinary customer
of good resources. he drew upon his bal
ance and renewed 1t, but kept 1t always
at a good figure. Alter while he deposit
ted some bills. They were good and gen
uine bills. Still he was careful not to be
hasty, and he continued his transactions
with the bank until he had acquired the
reputation Of a person engaged in legiti-
mate commerce and thoroughly trust
worthy. At length the moment came for
presentation oi the forged bills. They
were discounted without hesitation,
and the authors Of the fraud had to all
appearance succeeded in safely pocketlng
about 100000. All these arrangements
were master pieces Of ingenuity and pa
tience. But the bills themselves must
have required tho greatest amount Of la
Dor in the first place. Many Of the large
firms upon whom the bills purported 10
be drawn are In the habit Of using q pc
culiar kind Of paper, with certain water
marks'an 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 Of such limitations.
There remained the drawing OF the bills,
and afflxing signatures TO each must have
required q series OF feats in the successful
forging. Some Of the bills were backed by
several acceptors, SO that there might
easy be as many as half dozen sigma
lures on q single bill. Yet the bills were
so perfect that not one was questioned
on the ground OF the scceptances not ap.
pearing genuine, but the men who had
exerted skill, foresight and perseverance,
sufficient to secure the unhCsitatlng &C.
cepance Of the forged bills, could not es-
cape tho trivial blunder which revealed
the whole plot. They presented two bills
in which the date OF acceptance had been
omitted. Inquiry was OF course made
Of the firm whose acceptance was thus
undated. It was discovered that the Dill
was not genuine and the whole series then
found 10 be forgeries. How much further
the plot might have been carried 1t is ln'
possible TO say. Advertisements were pub.
iished TO caution bankers, brokers and all
other persons, against dealing in mum
Der of U. 8. s 20, 10.40 and funded loan
bonds amounting in the aggregate TO
$937,0OO, they, 1t is alleged having been
acquired out OF the profits Of the forgery.
The loss to the Bank Of England Is stat
ed at GsO,0OO. The Rothschilds are men
toned as one Of the firms on which the
forged drafts were drawn but no other
names arc given.