The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-12
WILL ACT THE STORY.
e,DvELL FORGERs TO PUT THEIR
CRIME ON THE STAGE.

ma Brothers, George and Austin
Who GulIed the Bank OF England
ont OF 50, 5oo,ooo-AusEin Tells the
s.orv of Their Great Scheme-The
recovery, Arrest and Incsrcer a.
,,on-aeroic Efforts of Loving Sis
tar Effect Their Release From Prison.
From the Chicago Tribune.
The Bidwells are here-George aud
.r7tin. brothers. They are the Americans
,,bo went over 60 London something like a
core Of years ago and gave the Bank of
Engsrd g lesson in banking which "The
oI5 LADY Of Threadueedle street, has never
forgotten.
Tbese brothers. assisted by two friends.
harmed the slipshod way Of doing business
nrsoticed by the Bank Of England, and
ro.r afterward the ancient and venerable
institution, which had set itself up as the
..fest bank in the world, discovered that il
ned been heeced out of a sum of
money equal to $2.5OO,OOO In
United States money. The fact
Inst the scheme had been managed by two
Imerican boys, who had a Puritan train
inc. did not minimize the injury and only
saTved to more than accelerate the pursuit.
cspture, and convection Of the Bidwells and
their cOnfederates.
They were sentenced TO life servitude-
one. George, to Dartmoor; the other, Aus
hin TO Chatham. George served fifteen
Years, and he is now Sc years old. Austin,
who is "A, served nineteen years, and was re-
leased only few weeks ago.
TIE story Of the way in which the Bid
well boys, aided by George Macdonald and
Edward Noyes, worked" the Bank of Eng
land has been told all around the globe.
George Bidwell has written book about it.
and now the brothers are in the lecture
field. They say. each for himself, that the
object Of their solicitude for the American
dollar is not so much for the purpose of en-
rlching themselves as to accumulate fund
with which they hope to release their old
confederates, who are still lauguishing in
an English prison.
The brothers Bidw are in Chicago for
the purpose of making dates for lectures. in
which they will recount the old story, en-
bellishing the same with incidents in tbs
prison life in England and winding I'D with
the way in which they were released. Hav-
ing brought the audience TO this point the
brothers propose to ring down the curtain,
and after a lapse of a few months they will
resppear with a drama, whichsh has already
been chrstened Forging his Own Chains. y
that will relegate to oblivion the old favor
ite If boyhoCd, 'Ticket-of-Leave Man"
George Bidwell says they will not only
write the play. but they will act in it, and
and will have in it some Of the most "start-
lingly realistic scenes.h
There is much in the future to encourage
the contingent that patronizes the genius of
American thesters to live for. It is not the
intention Of these men to present the plav
in nd tba
1t was no trouble for either of the BidwelI
brothers to talk. But it fell to the lot Of
reporter for the Tribune to listen to Aus
tins story OF the scheme-they do not call
j. a crime-fOr depicting the treasury of
the Bank Of England to the extent of 50, =
$4,000.
u first went abroad, - said he, sin 1871.
was IN Paris at the time of the commune.
saw the smoking ruins of that proud city.
Then came back to my own country. My
brother was still living it America. left
again March 20, 1872. ought to have
waited two days longer, as subsequent
events proved. 1t was in my head
at that time TO go to London and
60 into some scheme by which could re-
leve John Bull OF some of his shekels. /
soon found out that the Bank of England
was conducted in a manner that would
have made an American boy laugh. never
Germ that were as guillible as the officials Of
that venerable old bank. | told them that
was the agent Of a Russian syndicate
which proposed to expend 100000 and
they believe it without asking ANYTHING
more. when they could have gone to the
Russian embassy, right under the Old
Lady's' nose, and found out that l was a
har
CASH BILLS WITHOUT INQUIRY.
v told them that | was building a rail-
road IN South America and they took it all
IN. Then discovered that it was the GUS
tom of the bank to cash bills of any amount
without sending to inquire Of acceptors IL
their signatures were genuine.
When the plans were ready to spring we
nad taken In Mcdonald and Noyes. | was
lt OF the country. George initiated the
signature OF his alias and carried on a cor
rsspondence with Col. Francis, who was
ioe duped manager of the western branch
the Bank OF England. Francis easily
IVallowed the bait about F. A. Warren's'
luLI'nan car works at birmingham without
@much as writing to the postmaster at
birmingham for confirmation of our ex-
bence.
!, was the r. A. Warran who established
'L account at the western branch, and
"Nch enabled the coterie to cash the bills
ue1change upon which the forgeries were
made 1t took a year from the opening of
mat account to rake off the 81, SOC, 600. The
TGiScovery was made March l, 1873. Mac
Donald carelessly left undated an accept
I Hnce OF the firm of Blydensteen & Co. This
nu 70 the sending of the bill to that firm,
'Iu mat Is what caused the discovery.
HE MARRIED AND WAS CAUGHT.
was in Havana and had married. I
way on my wedding tour. l had resolved to
:. %'o The states, go west and become a use
"a Gt!zen. l had done what started to
w. had never thought of being a crimi-
s s l had never thought of making liv-
lug Dy any other than honest methods,
au what did was the result Of circum-
"ances, Do you know | think we are all
features OF circumstances When i saw
y. "" careless the Bank OF England was in
@Suethods it set me to thinking. | really
ought 1t was time to teach the great
~ ~out yea Institution OF the enemy of my
"ultry lesson. did it.
a., as soon as was arrested my wife de-
s eu me. l was taken back to England
Nun spain without any extradition. / was
s r'u - years old. Soon after George was
VIZ In Edinburg. Then Macdonald
S 1aKen as he was leaving the steamer
III lngia In New York. This was followed
4. .ae arrest OF Noyes, who was the clerk Of
h. ss cous Horton who did business with
rsn I;c ~ Warren; and this was the first