The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-30
BANK OF ENGLAND STORIES.


arisen into a truism; yet there have bee
some occasions since the birth of tn
venerable Old Lady of Threadneedl
street when her stability, if it has no
been seriously threatened. has at leas
sustained many severe catastrophies, an.
one of which would have proved tn
deathblow of a less substantial concern.
Contrary to the usually accepted notion
the bank is not a business under govern
ment control. 1t is merely q private un
dertaking. which acts as the bankers o
the Exechequer Department, although b,
virtue Of its long and honorable stand
ing it has many rights and privileges.
1t is a popular error, too, TO suppose
that the Bank of England is the oldes
in Great Britain. As a matter of fact
this honor belongs TO MesSrs. Childs
Bank, which was established III 155y-more
than one hundred years before the Bank
of England
The first tragedy connected with the
bank bears in some respects resem-
blance TO the last. although il had more
tragic conclusion. In 1893 Michael God
frey, then then deputy governor of the
bank took funds 10 King William III.
who was at the time actively conducting
operations in the siege of Namur. The
Kin gwas demonstrating with Mr.. God
frey for taking needless risk, while that
gentleman was in the act of replying a
shot crashed through the windows and he
was killed at the Kings feet.
Runs on the bank have been many.
Most have, happily. been weathered. but
the straits to which the bank officials
have sometimes been reduced have been
serious. On one occasion early in the
bank S history. whe nan excited horde of
depositors were clamoring for their
money, persons in the employ of the
bank were given bank paper, which was
cashed by the cashiers in sixpences, and
Immediately it was handed over the
money was paid in again at aonther coun-
ter. Thus time-which is verify money on
these occasions-was gained.
On another occasion the credit of the
bank-and. indeed. of the country-was
saved when hope had almost been given
UP by the accidental discovery Of a for
gotten box of 81 notes in the very nick of
time. They represented an amount suffi-
cient to discharge the immediate reuqire-
ments, and thus very serious crisis was
tided over
Despite the most stringent legislation.
the Bank of England has always been
considered fair game by rogues and
swindlers Almost every kind of fraud
has been practiced upon it. The first at
tempt TO initiate the notes issued appears
to have been the work of a gentleman
who wished to enhance his Importance in
his lady loves eyes and to appear a man
CT great substance. He forged a sheaf OF
notes, and boastfullp presented them TO
his fiancee. An engraver. however who
had assisted him in his nefarious work.
turned informer: and although it is very
doubtful whether Naughan-whlch was
the name OF the forger-ever intended to
make use Of the notes. he paid for his
exhibition of vanity with his life.
Another carly fraud was committed by
a teller named Guest. He was noticed to
put all the new guineas which came to
him in the course of business and it was
also discovered that he had in his posses
sion an ingot of gold Suspicion. however.
was fuond that he had been in the habit
of fling the gold coins and melting the
filings into an ingot. which he, of course,
disposed Of to goldsaiths
On one occasion however. the bank Of
ficials proved To be little over jealous
George Morland the famous artist. over
whose work artists stin rave was. as is
not unusual with artists. at one time
very impecunious His retired manner Of
living convinced husybodies that he was
bank note forser. whereas he was
actually hiding from his creditors The
Morlard. thinking they were bailiffs es-
capped by window AT the back of his
house. The cloud had silver lining. for
Moriand received $40 as a solatium when
the facts We're discovered.
Even with the affairs Of the Bank OF
England it has not always been the great
est offender who has received the greatest
punishment. \ clerk named ASIett. who
was nephew Of the chief cashier. Melted
GS2e.eeo by very ingenious frauds: but.
owing to a lesal flaw in the indictment.
he was acquitted.
William Turner, another clerk. who sue
eessfully defrauded the bank OF eiGO10.
was, when his theft had been discovered
locked in a room IN the third story of a
hotel while the directors considered his
misdeeds. He dropped from the window
sill OF the room 10 the street. and 81
though he Was badly hurt. he lived to sn
10 court. and. in spite OF his undoubted
guilt, TO secure q uacquittal
one of the greatest frauds ever at
tempted or the bank YVES onl yprevent-
ed by trihing omission on The part Of
the swindlers. Three AmericanS-of
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