Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-07-10
RAIDS ON BANK OF ENGLAND.
GoIdsmiths Twice Defeated, and New
Attack Beaten by Clever Artiflce.

GoIdsmths Twice Defeated, and New
Attack Beaten by Clever ArtifIce.
The old lady of Threadneedle street
has had many a strange experience
since she first opened her eyes 210
years ago, when one small room serV-
ed all her purposes, and for strong
room she had chest little larger than
seaman would require.
She was less than two years old
when the goldsmiths made a raid on
her small exchequer, and were SO con-
fident of cutting short her career that
they went to the trouble of writing
her epitaph" and last will and tesla
ment' But she was already artful
beyond her years and the raiders had
to retire baffiled.
In 1907 the goldsmiths, whose bank
ing business had been seriously injur-
ed by the interloper, made another
desperate attempt to strangle the 'in-
mobiles like the dukes OF Marlborough
and Newcastle driving UP to her doors
laden with bags of gold.
third raid was frustrated by
clever artifiCe. The bank was besieg-
ed in 1745 by clamorous creditors de
upon a number Of the banks agents,
also armed with bundles Of notes,
presented themselves at the counters
in advance of the creditors, were paid
in siXpences to save time, and, leaving
the bank by one door, Ieentered by an
other, deposited their specie and re-
turned to repeat the performance, the
bona fide holders of notes thus never
being able to get to the counters. by
this artifice the bank preserved its
credit and literally faced it's credit
ors."
In 1880, after a fanatical mob had
destroyed New~lte and left behind it
d trail of blazing Catholic chapels AMI
tallow chambers shops, it marched,
thousands strong, on the bank. It's
reception was a hot one, for the roof
Of the building sWarmed with clerks
and volunteers, who had actually
nodded bullets from their melted ink
stands, while a ring of soldiers fenc-
ed the building. The rioters made two
furious onSlaughts but they were re-
ceived with such a murderous hail of
bullets that they turned tail and fed.
But where raiders and rioters fail
ed to do the old lady injury many
clever forger has succeeded. "Old
Patch,' lottery Office keeper, robbed
her of no less than $1,000,000 by a
long series of forgeries, in which he
manufactured ink and paper, engraved
the plate and printed the notes single
handed. He was caught at last and
obligingly hanged himself IN jail.
Fauntleroy, the banker, was still
more successful, for he pocketed 81
10000 by system of forging powers
OF attorney to sell stock which was
not his. He was hanged DIT Newgate,
but, it is said, was clever enough t.
save his life by inserting a silver tube
in his throat, escaping later to Paris
to the enjoyment of his ill-gotten
gains.
John Mathison, a clever amateur
engraver and the most daring forger
of them all, printed Bank of England
notes by the hundred, forging the wa
ter4mark SO slzirlfully as to almost
defy detection, and scattered his
counterfeits prodigally from one end
CT England to the ohter. He was Gle
verify caught at last by one of the
banks clerks, but even then, it is said,
he would have escaped conviction had
he not confessed his guilt in a spirit
Of bravado, actually volunteering to
show the authorities how he had so
successfully produced the water-mark.