, 1873-04-01
THE ENGLISH F0RGERlES.
Byron 4. Bidwell and George Bid
well, alias Horton, Known
to Chicago.
operatlons Of tho Firm Of Bid
: we'll s. Co. in tho West.
1ntoresting Notes from tho Diary Of IN
Ex.ohioago Detective.

~ would seom that nothing Of Importance
eutao w. occur III ctthor Europe or America unless
Snea9o' morallyor orininally, assisted In its ao4
oolnphAehrnont Tho Dank Of England forgerdes
were at first supposed 10 bo tho work Of ehnrp
!.nellahinon; but they woro subseouontly nttribu-
W. 70 AmorlcahR, and fna1Iy 1t appoarH TINT tim
14acaiaa OF tho gang aro OhicasoanH-at least
'n'ynVoahore onco and accu1nuotei oonu,dcr,h,o
"oaith o9 apeoulatons dotasloa below With TIN
nanor Ill which tho forgcrs oporatoa thn,r f,,oht
wv. M.'a not"een 100000 and 4500.o0o In 11n;1ct,
o."'e" oonas aud other socurites, and thu nrrost
y. y. ono OF them in London, Of another In Nav
nosx, and third in Havana, tho RAIDERS or
u nAh lhlnusE aro already familiar. Tho ch1ef Of
sno san9-1ho follow who furaialos tho Brain
mofn' ana concoctod tho schomo, was known IN
Easlano as Horton" His right namc how
over, la believed to bo George Didwoli. Uia
ofothor' byron Auatfn Didwott, hus boon arrestod
IN havana. Tho former iH IN Ingenious ecoun-
orei aa II eVidont from tho bolduoss ind e,tccoaa
OF hla "'atslo gamo;" md tho name BIdwel1 an.
poar1ng to DO familiar to an old objective Of tha
e'ty, no oraminod hlH diary, end catno to. tho
conclusion thht he know lin worry we'll, From,
oht',oaG tus oGeF 'a0 circumstances Hubjoined wore
In. 1896, thoro appeared in Chicago
FAMILY .named Didwell, who rented a
house .;oen Eighteenth etroct, near tho
oreaSwator, aud Immediately took poasos-
elon' Iho, malo mombors were two soma
named door8e and Byron Austin, and o nan.
"hoso name is not remembered digtinctly, but is
probably tho MacDonnell now under arrest in Now
York TOR participation in tho foreoriee. Tbo
nrothere D commenced working In their peculiar
Line, which, at that timo, WAS approprintine
rronartp aphfc11 iii ~ 1,c1o h. I
ing 1t for tho bono1t of themaclyoa antl otl1ora
associated with them. George for como reason.
possibly because ho wns tho moot uctiyc, OBJ
taincd tho largest dividends, and in two yoar,
boaBtcl that hb lad .uado 100000. Tie clan.
gang, firm, or whatovor thoy may bo called &C.
ouptoa n small oilco in d small building On
South Wator street. Tho nano Bidwell 4
Co., was paintod on snnll tin
sign, beneath tint OF 4 respectable firm, but sou-
arated from 1t by dasl,. Byron always remained
in tho "onlce," aud George travelled for tho
"houae." Tho latter journeyed into the interior
OF Illinois, and purchased tobacco, clacese, cgge,
flour, and everything ho could, on credit, order
ing tho articles to DO shipped ito his place OF
business on South Wator street." Byron H. was
present whom they wore delivered, md indus
triouBly devoted himself to erasing the FIRMS
namo aud substituting tint Of copartnor (sup-
poaed to be MaeDonnolD IN Cnnada, whittier tho
packages wore Expressed, and their contents
sold for cash. Tho business was unique mud
very profitable, in fact all profit, aB no money
was invested, and nono paid out. Complninta
wore occasionally made to tho police authortioa
by tho victinB, but the city detectives conld
mover got on tho track OF tho firm, In Decem-
ber, isl0, George purchased tobacco Of tho vaiuo
Of 81, GOO from Quincy merchant, nnd gave
sight draft IN payment, requesting, however,
ttat It bo not sent to Chicago to be cashod until
had pasne The S hppea he
Being OF ausplciouB nature, no followed tue
tobacco, and called at The "ofIlco' Oh South
Wator street to got his money. The firm woro
day or the next, tho citizen from Uulnoy hccama
alarmed, and visited Capt, TnrtloA Office md on
gagged Linn to find tho tobacco or the Didwolls-
4 dotoctiye learned that tho former was still as
I'VE ra!iroad depot, aud orders were gvon not to
then commenced, and 1t WAS ascertauod tint
thoy lived OH Eighteenth street, noar tho lake
shoro as stated above. The brothers wore nn-
usually astute, and did not chow themselves.
made on the honao, With a view Of seeing If thoro
was any stolen property concealed in 1t. Upon
entoring, the offfcera were grntifed beyond moas-
uro at finding George Bidwcil there. 11o made
an effort to ,eacnpe, but q rovovor presented
at his head caused lim to reconsider
his determination. Noarly $4,000 worth Of
wineB md cigars were found in the house. The
prisoner waB soarchod mud tllen taken to Caut.
Turtles Office. Ho Ind plenty OF money, and.
disiking to go to jai requested TINT l,e 10 nent
to some hotel aud allowed to remain there until
tho Quincy authorities catno fur him. He waa
permitted to 60 to tho Briggs House, and atail
Ihoro thor In custody Of t'so dotoctiyea for three
weoks' w ea -, They nyea snmptnously; hed Cham.
elit Cda remains unpaid to this day: Bidwel waa
aoot1t Ills operations md of his SUCCESS. Whom
u Quincy, on tho way to tho jail, ho offered tho
ieteotiye y wh9 Lad him in charge $4,000
aer." Tho incorruptiblo otllcor declined
TO conniyo at his escape, and placed him In tho
hands or tho Sheriff While III tho JUL Ddwoll
9hnyod of his whiskors and procured suit OF
aow c}otfe1. Ono morning no was nisaing It
rus said Ao '"piclted tho lock Of his coll-door.
9rcenbacks aro bottor than any tools IT q person
desIren to escape from prison. provided tho iudi-
Eidnal in charge is willing to add few hundred
lollars to his income. Efforts. wore made to re-
'rroBt Bidwoll, but they wore unsuccessful. He.
yaH Engaged to bo marrled to young lady who
lved in Hartford, Conn.,, md was heard from nix
Months afterwards, while in that city. Tile
'eoplo ut tue house OIL Eighteenth street aaid ho
md gonc to Europe, and would not return for
oyeral years.. Two married. sisters of his aro
low living in Chicago. Tley are respectable,
nd doubttoss dop1oro tho notoriety which tho
,amily name has obtained through the yillaipy OF
Ito brothors.