The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-13

Rothschilds and others. He pretended to
have business with the Rothschilds and
one day brought in lot of notes which
he had bought of the Rothschilds in Pa
ris, and asked the bank manager to dis
count them. The manager said he would
let him know the next day II he would
leave the notes. and in the meantime
took them to the main office OF the bank.
The authorities there informed him that
he could discount such notes by the cart
load, and he did.
other genuine notes were brought in and
discounted in the same way. This was
kept up until the bank grew accustomed
to dlscounting Rothschild's notes and
then Bidwell began to forge such notes:
He showed them in by the bushel ana
took out gold to the amount OF half
million dollars in exchange. The most
of this money he took awav in gold coin,
which was carried of to the rented house
nearby. He would have gotten perhaps
a million dollars more, had not Hill. one
date on one of the notes. This caused
suspicion and the forgers were discovered.
They had time to flee, but sooner or later
they were all arrested and imprisoned.
for life, but Austin and George Bidwell
were pardoned on the ground of I'll
health They were released and came
back to the United States.
| don't know that either was able TO
save anything from his stealings The
greater part of McDonalds share fell,
it is said, into the hands of detective
named Irving, Tho, Mcdonnell claimed,
had agreed to allow him to escape If he
would turn the money over to him.
George Bidwell had to give up his share
when he was taken in Scotland, and l
think that $4,000 Of the money was
captured in the shape OF United states
bought in London and sent to New York
in a trunk of dirty linen.
Fraud in Bank Notes.
It is hard to counterfeit the Bank of
England notes, not only on account OF
the paper and ink. but also or thercare
which is used by the bank to trace the
note. Every note that comes into the
bank must be Endorsed, although 1t Is
doubtful whether such Endorsement could
be enforced is the notes are payable 10
bearer. You may have heard the story
Of how the bank refused to cash one of
its own notes for Pierpont Morgan few
months ago. AS the story goes, Mr.. Nor
gan presented the note and asked that
Il be exchanged for gold. The cashier re-
uuested him to write his name on the
back, but he refused. saying that the
note was to bearer and as it was genu-
Inc the bank should cash. 1t without in
dorsement. Upon the cashier persisting,
Mr. Morgan said he would let the note
go to protest. whereupon the banker
threw up his hands in holy horror az
the idea of a protest of the Bank of Eng
land He was about to hand over the
money Wnen MT MOTE gan DIS d Ia"Ot WiCtS
his name acros the back of the note.
How a Jew Bluffed the Bank.
There are few financial institutions
which can afford to have question rails
ed as to their solvency. Even the Bank
of England don't want its notes to go
to protest and it is sensitive as to its
reputation. l was told at the bank how
a Jew once bluffed the officials into pay
ing some notes which the bank officers
knew were stolen.
The Jew was a man of wealth and was
well known in the stock exchange. He
had bought 100000 worth of Bank of Eng
land notes from a clerk who had been
employed in one of the banks of the
but who had absconded with
this part of his banks funds. When the
notes were presented 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
it mad refused to honor its own bills for
500 900. and he showed the notes in cor
roboration of his statement; He said he
would continue to publish the fact that
the hank was insolvent and thereby al
most create panic. The excitement was