The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-22

appears to know but there is general
:consesus Of opinion that he never did
it again. Forgery does not seem to
have attained the dignity of a public
industry until 1897, when the fl notes
We're issued. For six years previous to
this date there had been only one exc
cution, forgery in those days being a
capital offense In the six years sue
ceeding. however, eighty-five foreign
ers were put to death. Executions con-
tinued. but forgery thrived until JUS
tees were compelled by the long death
roll to take a more lenient view. FL
nally IN 1920 the convictions for forgery
in a single year amounted to 800 and
the death penalty on the petition of n.
NJ. Rothschild, Overend, Quincy &
company and man named Sander
son, the three biggest names in the
city, with those of other merchants,
was finally abrogated.
THE SENSATIONAL BIDWELL
FORGERIES.
The most sensational episode in the
history of forgerieS of the Bank of
ENGLAND was that of the Bidwells.
While the total amount of money out
of which they defrauded the bank was
not as large as had been obtained by
other great swindlers, yet the scale up
on which they were operating, the
systematic cleYerness with which the
coup had been arranged, and the
wonderful skill with which a large
number of forgeries had been executed
and passed by the bank, showed clear
" that but for an accidental dlScoV-
cry through carelessnes on their part,
the amount of their frauds might cas-
lily have mounted into the millions.
The enterprise and its success were
almost entirely due to the genius of
oh 10
assisted by his brother Austin, George
Mcdonald and in a subsidiary way by
a young American whom they cabled
for by the name of Moves. They came
to this country we'll supplied with money
the proceeds of the forgery, and had a
we'll defined idea of what they proposed
to do. The first thing necessary was to
obtain an account with the bank, and
this was cleverly managed by Austin
through first-class firm of West End
tailorS, who had an account with the
bank at the West End branch of the
bank. Austin told them he was going
to Ireland and wished to deposit large
amount of money. They obliged him by
introducing him to the bank, and he
deposited $4,000 and $1,000 on the day
following. A transaction of $4,000,
which he then induced the bank to car
~ through for him, removed all doubts
as to his solidity, and Frederick Albert
Warren which name he assumed, was
known to be client who might deal
to any amount without exciting suspi-
cion.
THE NATURE OF THE BIDWELL
SWINDLE.
Even with this advantage, George,
who was buying commercial paper in
Holland and vainly endeavoring to
do the Dutch business men, did not
see his way clearly until a small tran
saction through the Earrings in London
showed Mcdonald the whole inside of
the system by which the commercial
paper, usually bills at three months,
| of all reputable and substantial firms,
passed from hand to hand and bank to
bank without the slightest inquiry as
| to drawer and acceptor until it came
due. Mcdonald telegraphed for George
who came at once to London, and the
three went to work. They bought all
the firstclass bills they could get, laid
! in complete outfit of ink, stamps and
paper, and went to work drawing COM
mercial bills, accepting them, indorsing
them, and producing results which Were