The Topeka state journal., 1899-03-11

vertiSement for a clerk and be accept
ed. A contract with him was made
which made it appear that he was an
innocent party, unacquainted with the
forgeries of his principals, and it was
his duty to pass the forged paper on
the banks. If he was arrested the con-
spiratorS figured that his documentary
Innocence would secure his freedom,
while his arrest would give the three
leaders a chance to escape. George Bid
well made a trip on the continent, buy
ing at many places bills of exchange
for large sums and sending them to
Macdonald, who first copied them and
then secured the cash on the original
documents. AS the men claimed to be
the point of establishing big works
at Birmingham for the manufacture of
sleeping cars, it seemed only natural to
the bank officials that they should re-
ceive heavy remittances. After a great
stock of forged bills had been provided
George Bidwen came back to London
from the continent, and the gang ven
tured to present the first piece of forged
paper for cashing. Almost to their sur
prise it was accepted as quickly and
easily as any of the genuine paper.
Passed to their account at the Bank of
England it was soon drawn out by
checks in favor of the London and
Westminster bank, and the funds ac-
cumulated here were as quickly as pos
sible converted into bonds and negotia-
BILE securities.
The wealth of the forgers piled up
rapidly. Some days as much as $780,
900 was added to their holdings. Inside
of a couple of months the million dol
lars was theirs. Then they began to
think of leaving London. One night
they got drunk, and the next day care
leSSly sent to the bank a forged bill
which was not dated. The clerk who
accepted it thought to make good the
error without troubling the wealthy
American customers by sending the bill
to the maker, B. w. Bledenstein, for
correction. Then the cat was let out of
the bag. The next day when the junior
swindler, Hills, came to the bank with
a new forged bill, he was arrested. Hills
was at once all virtuous Indignation. He
himself had been swindled, he said, and
he wanted to lead the officers to cap
ture the swindlers. The officers bit, and
of the partners who was shadowing
outside. Then there was rush of the
three principals for safety. Geo. Mac
Donald escaped to New York by a
roundabout way, and was arrested as
he stepped off the boat. George Bidwell
eluded his pursuers in Ireland, and
lived for a time as a French gentleman
in poor health at Edinburgh, and was
only captured when letters from him to
his brother had been seized.
Austin Bidwell, the man just dead,
had escaped through Spain and had ta-
ken passage for Vera Cruz on boat
that was to stop at Havana. w. A.
Pinkerton made a rapid trip overland
from New York, and at Cedar Keys,
Fla, got a boat that brought him into
Havana harbor just as Bidwell was
sailing in. With his newly welded wife
the swindler was arrested and ultimate
ly sent back to England. All four of
the men who had part in the crime
were given life sentences by the Eng
lish courts, but all were released before
20 years had expired. OF the money
they had stolen about three-fourths
was recovered and returned to the
bank. OF this $3.50, 600 was found in a
a StOTRhOllSR New
George BidWen came to America af-
ter his release, which had been granted
on account of partial paralysis, and
wrote book which he sold to defray
the expenses of securing the release of
his accompliceS. Then he established
a printing house at Hartford. Conn,
and he has been honest and indefatiga
bic in his work since then. Austin Bid