The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-09
TELEGRAMs OF SYMPATHY.
Offers of Money to Assist In the Burial
of Austin Bidwe1l.

The sudden death of Austin Bidwell
in Butte has aroused a great deal of
sympathy all over the country, and a
large number of kilograms were re-
ceived yesterday by Mayor Harrington
and George Bidwell making inquiries
and expressing sympathy for the sur
vivor of the famous brothers. Among
the many received was the following:
San Francisco, March S,-Georse
Bidwell, stunned at the news published
to-day Send particulars. Family
deepest sympathy. MAC
Mac is George Mcdonald, one of
the four men who took part in the per-
petration of the fraud on the Bank of
England. by which it was swindled out
of .$5,0O0,000. Like some Of the others Of
the quartette who suffered the tortures
of an English prison for 90 years, he
returned to America with his health
shattered and his mind wrecked. It has
been only recently that his mind has
shown evidence of permanent improve
ment. %-#
Mayor Harrington received a telegram
from Reid Northrop of ST. Louis. which
reads: Notice death of Austin Bid
well in your city yesterday. His home
was either in Hartford or New Haven
instead of Chicago. In case of necessity
for funds to return his body to his horne
or provide decent burial, l should be
pleased to be taken into consideration,
a draft by you on me for my proportion
will be honored."
Mr. Northrop refers to Hoge, Brown
lee & Co., bankers.
The mayor also received telegram
from c. E. Bidwell Of Chicago, brother
of the deceased and George Bidwell, in
curing whether arrangements could be
made to send the body to Chicago for
burial. The deceased left no money,
and his brother also lacks the means for
paying the expense of shipping the
body. The surviving brother had a
deep affection for the dead man. and
he declared yesterday that for the first
time in his life he felt the weight of
misfortune. His face showed the effect
of it, for he seemed to have grown 20
years older since the death of his broth
en- Last evening he sent the following
communication to the Standard:
II landed in New York physical
wreck and mentally affected by the Is
years OF fearful suffering caused by re-
peated attempts to escape. Old friends
came and offered any required assist
ance in the work of freeing my brother.
Austin, and the others. All this l re-
fused. / felt that the fault was my
own and that l alone should make the
struggle. Having thereto always been
Il money making man, l could not for
give myself for overstepping the bounds,
even under SO great financial misfor-
tunes, followed by so great temptation
as the discovery Of the weak spot in the
business system of the Bank of Eng
land. l did not dare go back into bust
ness from fear of failure. Therefore. I
wrote, at the suggestion of Charles
Dudley Warner and others, Forging
His Chains I refused to let the Serb
ners or other publishers have it, but
started out to sell it myself.
II went into Wall street and j. Pier
pont Morgan headed the list of sub
scribers Many offered me considerable
sums, and all the money required could
have been had by contribution, but my
invariable reply was, You can help me
only by buying my book. Instead of
the six or twelve months l thought
would suffice, it took me five years to
get my brother home Canvassing days,
talking on the platform at night, get
ting up petition after petition to send
over to our devoted sister. who made
no less than six voyages to England, l
got the help of Lady Henry Somerset,
duke of Norfolk and many others. She