The Washington times., 1902-03-30
AMERICAN SWINDLERS
SCORED TN LONDON
Worked Bank of England
With Forged Paper.
LIQUOR CAUSED DOWNFALL
Nearly a Million Dlilars Secured With
out Detection and the Game Would
Have Continued But for Their Dissipa-
tion-Spent Years in Jail.

Thirty years age four young Americans
swindled the Bank of England out OF
more than Sl,OGo.C00. The story reads like
a romance, not alone because of the vast
ness of the crime, but from the personal
! characteristics of those involved in the
| gigantic fraud. George and Austin Bid
| well, brothers, the latter having died
| three years ago in the far West, and
George Macdonald. together with Edwin
Noyes Hills, composed this famous gang
of criminals. All were arrested some
| months after the swindle was perpetrated,
and spent many years in English prisons.
Austin Bidwell, early in the spring of
, 1898. returned to his native land to die,
having just been released. with others of
the gang. from a British jail
In the early part OF their lives these
four men hit upon the weakest point in
the manner of conducting the financial
operations of London banks. They were
clever enough to use their knowledge SO
sk1ilfully that until enc of them grew
careless and made slip, no suspicion OF
their crooked work was aroused Young
as they were. when their scheme of fraud
was first planned, some time about 1872
they had enough knowledge to present
themselves as men of wealth and intlu-
ence, so that many shrewd business men
Win whom they came in contact were de-
ceived. Then. with all their iIl-gotten
gains turned into negotiable securities.
they would beyond question have ESCAPED
arrest, SO clever were their plans laid
had it not been fer the merest accident
Recognized and identified by w. A. Pinker-
ton. when the truth became known,
nhcfnuT1pfG ho
water, the gang was finally run to earth.
Their Striking Careers.
All the swindlers had striking careers
before they Joined forces for the cam
paign against the Little Old Lazy of
Threadneedle Street"
Macdonald was one of the cleverest forg-
ers in America, and came from a wealthy
Montreal family. The Bidwell brothers
had worked through the country with
a gang OF forgers, of which Dutch"
George Engles was member, and even
before that they had operated what was
called business swindling." under the
guise OF a commission house in Chicago,
with branch at st. Louis. In still
earlier days the Bidwell brothers kept
a candy store in Chicago, and memories
still exist OF their place of business. on
Madison Street, that city. Hills was a
minor character, acting as clerk, and
he received only per cent of the profits
of the English operations.
These four men late In the fall of 1872
carried with them to England about s20.-
Geo. This sum was used as basis for
future operations. BY clever ruse they
got stylish English tailor to introduce
them to the Western Branch of the Bank
of England, and with an established ac-.
count they were soon in position to lay
their plans for big game. But first they
took flying trip to Rio de Janeiro.
which netted them some $40, 900. and gave
them mere capital to work. Returning to
Europe they first attempted TO swindle
the Dutch merchants OF Amsterdam. but |
found the latter too cautious for them. |
1t was while at Amsterdam that they |
made the great discovery as they called |
it. which decided them upon their meth |
cd of operating. The discovery was SIM
ply that when bills of exchange were |
sent to England. they were paid offhand, |
without requiring the 20. K" OF the
makers and endorsers in advance.
This was in the spring of 1873, and
Hills. who had not before been of the
party, was brought over from America.
It was arranged that he should answer
in advertisement for a clerk, and he ac-
,epted. contract with him was made
which made it appear that he was an in
locent parry, uDacqudlnled with lne lOr-
series of his principals; and that it was
MS duty to- pass the forged paper on the
Janks. If he was arrested, the conspira-
ors figured that his documentary limo
,ence" would secure his freedom. while
lis arrest would give the three leaders
chance to escape.
How the Scheme Worked.
The scheme thus laid. George Bidwell
made trip on the Continent, buying at
many places bills of exchange for large
ums and sending them to Macdonald,
yho first copied them. and then secured
he cash on the original documents. AS
he men claimed to be on the point of
establishing big works at birmingham
or the manufacture of sleeping cars 1t
eemed only natural to the bank Ctfi-
ials that they should receive heavy re-
nittances.
After a great stock Of forged bills had
,een provided. George Bidwell came back
o London from the Continent. and the
,ang ventured to present the first piece