The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-23
AN HISTORIC FRAUD.
How the Bank of England Was Robbed by
Clever Swindlers.

Clever Swindlers.
New York Commercial Advertiser,
The last great fraud by which the Bank Of
England has been sufferer was that of Austin
Bidwell and his accomplices On the 18th of
April 1872 Austin Ridwell called upon a tailor
named Green, in Sayile row, and under the as
sumed name of Warren gave him handsome
order On May he paid Mr.. Green another
visit. He was then professedly on his way to
Ireland and having about him a large
sum of money asked Green to take charge of it
during his absence. Green hesitated to take
the responsibility, but remarked that the branch
Bank of England was in Burlington Gardens,
close by, and offered to introduce Warren there.
This was done, and Warren opened an account
by deposit of e., 200 He gave his name as
Frederick Albert Warren, and his address as
Golden Cross Hotel He paid in and drew out
moneys to "a considerable amount and shortly
began to offer bills for discount They bore the
best of names, and were discounted without hest
tation On the 18th Of June, 1873, a bill of
Rothschilds for "a 500 was offered, and was dis
counted in due course
Having thus gained, by transactions in genuine
bills. the confidence of the bank authorities the
supposed Warren commenced operations of an
other kind. Bills came in thick and fast for dis
count, still bearing the same first-class names
-Rothchild, Blydenstein, Suse q Silbeth, etc !;
but thew were now cleverly executed forgeries
The bank continued to discount without sus-
picion. Naturally, however, it paid in it's own
notes, of which the numbers were recorded, and
| which, when it was discovered that the bills
| were forged would be difficult to realize Bid
WE'LL in order to dispose of these, and to dimin-
| sh the chances of Identification, opened an ac-
count in another name (Horton) at the Continental
| Bank. Here he paid in the notes received from
| the Bank of England, taking French and Ger
! man money in exchange; Hls-under the name
| of Noyes-acting as his clerk. Sometimes by
way of variety, Hills changed notes into gold at
the Bank of England itself alleging that the
coin was for export but the gold so obtained was
| brought back again by Macdonnell and exchanged
! for fresh notes, which, thus Obtained, would
| have no obvious connection with the original
| fraud. George Bidwell undertook what may be
| called the manufacturing department, namely
the preparation of the plate and the printing of
! the bill forms for the forgeries. By thus
| dividing tn cir labors, and working each
| in q distinct department of the fraud
| the gang hoped to evade discovery
until they had made what they regarded as a
| sufficient haul. when they would doubtless have
retired to foreign chimes to enjoy the fruits of
| their labors. How much further they would
| have gone it is impossible to say, for they had
! already offered forged bills to the amount of
| fl02, PIT los I'd, when happy oversight led to
their detection Two bills for 81. 600 each, pro-
| fessedly accepted by Mr. Bydenstein, and pay
| able three months after sight were not
| s'sighted'-that is, the date of acceptance was
| not inserted clerk of the bank was sent to
| Messrs. Blydenstein's to get the omission recti-
! ded, and was met by the startling information