The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-01-14
ENGLAND'S BIG BANK.
RAIDS OF swISDLERs UPON IT.
Hundreds Of People In Times Past
Have Been Hanged for Uttering
FOrgeries Against It--Loss
Of 10000 Pounds
NOto Cost It Heavily.

bNCiV y hiRHt UcU ttIt WY tlOCkS
are upon the stroke of @, a company
of life guards leave the Tower of
London aud march due westward.
Passing through Lombard street,
they come to halt before win
dowless, 0ne.story building cover
ing an area of three acres. This is
the Bank Of England, and these
men are the nightly guardians Of
5000, ,000,0O Very few Of the
many thousands who daily pass
the bank regard it in other light
than the huge, practical, business
concern IL il, the center of the
worlds financial system. Any
book of reference contains all
necessary statistics and / am not
going TO describe its dividends, de-
posits and regulations. To me
there is an element of romance
about its foun ling, its relation to
government and the many schemes
devised to defraud ii.
William Patterson, u shrewd
Scotch financier, WAS the prime
mover in establishing this solid
bank. This was POI years ago.
Strangely enough, he was II bit of
an adventurer and had made Il
large sum by successfully raising
Spanish gallcon, somewhere off the
Bahap.ns, viii III yielded 30O,00O
of spnken treasure. There was
need Of some such institution as u
natio lal bank, for up to "A late per-
iod in Il e reign of Charles |. the
London merchants deposited their
surplus cash in The mint, the bust.
ness Of which was carried on in the
Tower. But wien that monarch
seized like II rObbPr the 200, 900
pounds there deposited, calling 1t u
loan, the London goldsmiths, who
ever since 1886 had been more or
less bankers, again monopoliz' d
the entire banking business.
Original Bank Chest TO BE- Seen.
The hank vas Origiual;ya small
and modest building, surrounded
bs houses and almost invisible To
passers-by. There was Il church
called st. Christopher le Stocks"
afterwards pulled down for fear IL
should be occupied by rioters, and
u tavern, 10th of which stood in
Bartho.omew's lane, just where
the chief entrance is. You may
see even now, If you obtain spec.
ial permit, the original bank chest,
no larger than u seamdn's in which
the bullion was kept. Then the
institution grew rapidly, and by
1907 il htd lecome so Formidable
that the goldsmiths and two rri-
vate bankers, lioare and Child,
averted by several whig noble
men who hurried To the bank with
their coaches brimming with bags
Of guineas.
AS II return for this, the B NIX of
England not long aiterward at
tackled Child's bank. They col
lected between 100000 and 600, 900
pounds Of Childs receipts, and,
without warning, sent 1t clerk to
demand the money, Child, how
ever, was prepared. lie had oh.
tanned from the duchessOf Mari.
borough a single check .pOn the
Bank of England fer 400, 900 pounds.
When the messenger from the
bank presented the receipts Child
hurriel oil clerk to cash the
large check. Child began paying
with his own in0ney, but IN II few
mlnu;es replaced II with fresl,
Bank Of England notes, and the
scheme fell Though. In addition
TO The triumph Of this inaneuverl
Child must have made II large sum
from bank paper being considers
able discount.
1t was about 1881 that the first
attempts at I, rgery on tremend
Gus scale were iscOvered by the
bank. A rogue of genius, general
~ known, from his fav0rite dis
suiSc, as "Old Patch," by long
series of fOrgeries received sun
Of more than 2O0,000 pounds. liz
was the son Of an Old-clOthes deal
pr in Monmouth street, and ha,
been II lottery-0tfice Keeper, stock
broker and gambler. AT one time
he was II partner with Fu0te, tlI'
relebrHtfl comedian, Ia brewery
lie made his own ink, manIfac
tured his own paper and, With I
private press, wo kcd oiI his Owi
notes. Ills mistre ~ wns his Onl.
c0nfiIan.e. His disguises wer,
numerous aud perfect. His ser
wants, or boys hired from th'
street, always presented the forge'
DotIs. when seized and throw
into prison, sold Patch" hanse'