The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-31
NAPOLEON OF SVINDLHRS.
The Greatest Confidence Man
Of Modern History
AND HIS WHEELING CAREER.


Crowded with Sensational Incl
dents His Operations up
In the Millions.
The papers of all the metropolitan
cities of this country have lately con-
tanned long accounts OF episodes in the
career Of George Bidwell, known in
this country us "the Napoleon Of swind-
lers, and all over Europe as "the king
OF forgers." An occasional episode of
his career Is all TINT any paper could
print, for the history OF his almost I'M
paralleled achievements in roguery
makes n bulky book. Bidwell was re-
Gently pardoned out of prison in Eng
land after serving twenty years for u
series Of bold md successful operations
by which several millions OF dollars
were obtained by him and his accom-
plices from the Bank OF England. He
came back to this country, and has Wis
tied the scenes of most OF his old-time
swindIes here; but so far as known he
has omitted to return to the city where
in his most sensational and memorable
adventures occurred.
That city was Wheeling.
Few OF the readers OF the INTEJM-
GINCER to-day remember ever TO have
heard the name George Bidweii. But
when it is stated that he was leading
member OF the firm OF as. S. Bovar &
Co." the past will come like flash be-
fore many Wheeling man OF middle
age.
A SUCCESSFUL FIRM.
One Of the most interesting and SEN
satonal cases with which the Circuit
Court OF Ohio county ever had anything
to do, was the trial Of four men forming
the firm OF S. S. Bovar & Co. The bead
OF this firm was man who claimed to
be Spaniard, named DR.. S. S. Bolivar,
for which he claimed Bovar was the
English equivalent.
In the winter OF 1906, q man giving
his name us S. S. Bovar, and accom-
panied bya man calling himself Cole,
The two claiming to be partners, came
to Wheeling and purchased the tobacco
and fancy grocery store OF Messrs. OFT d
| Laushlin, on Monroe, now Twelfth
street, paying Mr.. OFT his price in cash.
Cole was the alias OF George B;dwell.
I, e business was CN...!nued on n more
exte. ive scale, and the new firm cut
quite -. 81 in Weddings conservative
business circle. They sold at whole
sale molasses, SAT-, 'ea, tobacco and CT
CARS, indeed everything coming in the
range OF their line OF business, at prices
so materially below those OF any COM
petitor, that they commanded aii the
trade they could handle.
About this time inquiries began to
come for numerous mythical Wheeling
firms. One New York firm and another
in Philadelphia sent representatives here
TO look up business men to whom they
had sold large bills OF goods on credit.
No such firms were known here, and
though the goods were traced to Bridge
port, across the river, nobody knew where
they went from there.
Now came into the transactions OF the
MOUSE yOuhE An"h nanSN
Eldridge, OF Cumberland, Md. Eldridge
was running business there in the same
Napoleonic way in which S. S. Bovar 4
Co, conducted it here.
A TELt..rALE TRANSACTION.
Eldridge bought Of Gillet & Co., Bal
timore importing house, u whole cargo
of tea. OF course he could not dispose
OF it ali, and the larger part OF it was
shipped to S. S. Bovar 4 Co. here. They
Tin turn shipped it to Cincinnati, where
it was credited on their account with a
large iobbing house. Unfortunately
one box OF the ten was.taken to the Bo'
var store.
Not unuaturally, Gillet & Company
grew suspicious, seeing that the teas had
not been paid for, and sent an agent here
TO investigate. This agent, with the aid
Of Policeman named PeRder, well re-
mcmbered by older residents, soon To-
Gated the box of ten, and then Fender
started little investigation on his own
account. He arranged with Postmaster
A. w. Campbell, or one OF his clerks, to
deliver to him the mail Of the Wheeling
firm, OF which Bolivar and Bidwell were
the chief members. He opened the let
ters by steaming, and, alter reading, re-
turned them to the postmaster, who then
nut them in Bolivar & Bidwell's box. No
suspicion that their mail had been ex-
ahmed ever entered the heads OF
the two worthless. Fender effected SINH
arrangement at the telegraph office.
In due time he captured a letter
10 RidwelI which gave Eldridge's
address. lie procured requlsl-
ton. bagged his man at Louisville, KY,
and nut him on the train. Hand-cuiEed
ms he was, Eldridge raised the car win
dow and jumped out while the train was
making twenty miles an hour, as it was
passing Belmont, over the river. He
was comparatively unhurt. Afterspend-
ing the night the woods he went to a
farmhouse, and with moving tale OF
attempted imprisonment in IN insane
asylum by relatives who desired to con-
troll his property, so wrought upon the
farmers wife TINT she removed his irons,
mended his clothes, cooked him n. gen.
erous breakfast, and, putting q silver
dollar into his hand, babe him God
speed. .,. ~ ri,
|
ridge telegraphed Bidwell to meet him
at Cadiz Junction. The telegram, OF
course, passed through Pender's hands,
and he was promptly at the depot and
greeted his victim with the words:
swell, Eldridge, how do you feel after
the header? knew you had no money,
and did not want to leave you out in the
cold such weather as this."
rHR WHOLE QUARrETTE IN JAIL.
Eldridge was soon back in Jail here.
Then Fender arrested Rovar, Bid
well and their head clerk, man known
as John Wesley, but who was really a
brother OF George Bidwells, his right
namo5sing John Wesley Bidweil.
Before this Bovar and Bidwell, or
Cole, had been arrested, but claimed
that they had bought the tea found
! = a1,,;s ptoFn frnn man nnmnd