The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-07-13

accounts OF wealthy people Austin Bid
Z well rented a house near this bank and
then introduced himself as a wealthy
American and opened an account with a
deposit OF $4,000. He drew out and paid
In money for some time. cultiyating the Of
hcials OF the bank and talking TO them OF
his friendship with the Rothschilds and
others. He pretended to have business
with the ROthschilds and one day brought
IN q lot Of notes which he had bought OF
the Rothschilds In Paris. and asked the
bank manager to discount them. The man
Gger said he would let him know the next
day II he would leave the notes. and in
the meantime took them 10 the main Office
OF the bank The authorities there informed
him that he could discount such notes by
the CARLOAD. and he did.
Other genuine mites were brought In and
discounted in the same way. This was
kept up until the bank grew accustomed to
d~iscOunttng Rothschld'S notes and then
Bidwell began to forge such notes. He
showed them In by the 6ushel and took out
gold TO the amount OF half u million dollars
IN exchange. The most OF this money he
took away in gold coin. which was carried
on to the rented house nearby. He would
have gotten perhaps n million dollars more
had not Hill. one OF his confederates. omit
ted TO Ill In a date on one OF the notes.
This caused suspicion and the forgerS were
discovered. They had time 10 fee. but
sooner or later they were all arrested and
imprisoned.
Mcdonald and Hill were kept in prison
for life. but Austin and George Bidwell
were p~ardOned on the sround Of i'll health.
They were released and came back to the
United States.
I don't know that either was able to save
anything from his Stealings. The greater
part OF NcDon2ld's share fell. II Is said.
into the hands OF a detective named IT.
wing. who. Mcdonald claimed. had agreed
a. H. Il - 1911 wn--
the money over TO him. George Bidwell had
to give up his share when he was taken in
Scotland and I think hat $4,000 OF the
money was captured in the shape OF United
States Government bonds. which had been
bought IN London and sent to New York in
a trunk of soiled linen
1t IS hard to counterft the Bank OF Eng
land notes not only on account OF the paper
and ink. but also OF the care which Is used
by the bank to trace the note. Every note
that comes into the bank must be Endorsed,
although II IS doubtful whether such in
dorsement could be enforced as the notes
are payable to bearer. You may have
heard the story OF how the bank refused to
cash one OF its own notes for PierPont Nor
gan. a few months ago. As the story goes
Mr.. Morgan presented the note and asked
that Il be exchanged for gold. The
name OF the back, but he refused
saying that the note was to bearer
and a. II was genuine the bank
should cash II without Endorsement. Uron
the cashier persisting Mr.. Morgan said he
would let the note 60 to protest. whereupon
the banker threw 10 his hands in holy hor-
rOr at thu idea OF q protest OF the Bank Of
England. He was about to nand over the
money, when Mr.. Morgan. as a favor. wrote
his name across the back OF Ide nots-
There are few financial Institutions which
can afford to have n question raised as TO
their solvency. Even the Bank c. England
didn't want It's notes to go to protest, and
It Is sensitive as TO It's reputation ! was
told at the bank how n J9v cine blufed the
officials into paying some notes which the
bank officers knew were stolen.
The Jew was q man OF wealth and was
well known In the Stock Exchange He had
bought 500. 90 worth OF Bank ec England
notes from q clerk who had been employed
in one of the banks OF the Continent. but
who had absconded with this part OF his
banks funds. When The notes were pre-
scented the officials refused to pay them, but
the Jew at once took them with him to the
Stock Exchange and there proclaimed that
the Bank OF England had stopped payment.
He said II had refused to hono- Its own bills
for 10000. and he showed the notes In cor
roboration OF his statement He said he
would continue to publish the fact that the
bank was insolvent and thereby almost Gre
ated a panic. The excitement was PucA
tina the cashier Of the Bank 81 England
sent for him and gave him the money for
his notes. It is doubtful. however. whether
such q thing could be done to-day.
FRANK Q. CARPENTER
Copyright ro1 By =. q carpsntsr.