The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-08-02
How they did the Job.

BOSTON, MASS, July Ao.-OluWelI, tAo
man Who swindled the Bank of England
some years ago out of FL 100000, attend /
ed the recent sesslyns of the National
Prison Association, before which be de.
liyered an address upon the inside of
English prison life. Bidwell is nearly 81
years old. He has strong and attractive
face. His head is quite thickly sprinkled
with gray hairs, and has suspicion of
thinness on the top. He wears closely
cropped black mustache.
In the plot to rob the bank there were
four men, and they got at least FL 100000
out of the bank before the swindle was
discovered. Bidwell WAS arrested with
his accomplices, tried, convicted and
sentenced to Imprisonment for life. lie
served fourteen years in prison, and last
year he was freed on a ticket of leave and
came to this ibis native) country, where
he has since resided with his fami y at
East Hartford, Conn.
Upon being asked as to how the gigan.
tic fraud was successfully accomplished,
Bidwell said: "After long course of
fraud and crime 1 found myselfin Eng
.land with three accomplices, and by
accident we discovered an unguarded
loophole in the business transactions of
the Bank of England, and / concocted a
scheme to take advantage of this to
swindle them to the best of our ability.
"You see, this bank was in the habit
of receiving bills of exchange of deposit
on account without verifying either the
signatures or the acceptance, aud slowing
them away until they became due. We
took advantage OF an account We had
opened under an assumed name with the
bank some time previous, got lot of
bills of exchange printed on counterfeit
plates, and flooded the Bank of England
With these bills from all over the world,
profusely signed. and accepted, and the
bank unhesitatingly cashed them and
put the proceeds to our credit.
"I kept no account of the sum we got
out of them, but at the trial they claimed
that that their loss was about FL 900, 900.
Call went we'll until we we're about to
make a last move and leave the country,
when, unfortunately, neglected to date
the acceptance of two Of the fraudulent
bills. These we're sent to the acceptors
for the omission to be supplied, and, Of
course, they were at once pronounced
fraudulent. Immediately the whole po.
lice and detective force we're put upon
our track. After some weeks 1 was cap.
tured in Edinburgh and sent up for life.
After serving fourteen years time, I am
now free man through the exertions of
my people in this country and England,
while my three confederates are still in
confuement-Austin, my brother, at
Chatham, Edwin Mills at Portsmouth,
and George Mcdonald at Portland. My
prison life was spent at New Gate, Ben
tonville, Dartmoor, Woking and Mill
Bank.
"On my return to this country | was
received at New York by an officer, who
arrested me, but was obliged 10 release
me by order of the court. The Bank of
England people now pay detectives to dog
my footsteps in this country and my every
movement is telegrsphed to London.
However, 1 am perfectly safe in this
country and am determined now OF my
age to lead an honest life"
Mr.. Bidwell is man of much native
ability, speaks French and German as
we'll as English, and has q translating
knowledge of Italian, Spanish and Latin.