The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-10-17
Mrs. Cassie Chadwick, Bank
Wrecker, Passes away.
WAS QUEEN OF FORGERS
Borrowed Millions Right and Left on
Fictitious Representations and
Brought Ruin to Bankers and
Depositors Alike.

ing financial transactions illuminated
in the wrecking Of an Oberlin bank,
died in the woman's ward at the Ohio
penitentiary in Columbus Thursday
night.
No friends or relatives waited at her
bedside; only the prison physician and
his attendants.
Mrs. Cassie L. Chadwick, whose
maiden name was Elizabeth Bigley,
was native of Woodstock, Canada.
She first came into public notice in
Toledo, Ohio, about twenty years ago,
where she told fortunes under the
name of Madame Daviere. While in
Columbus, she forged the name of Rich.
ard Brown, Youngstown, Ohio, and for
this crime was sent to the penitentiary
at Columbus for nine years.
She served but portion Of this sem
tence and then located in Cleveland,
where she married a man named Hoo
YER. Her second husband was DR.. Le-
roy S. Chadwick Of Cleveland, man
of good family and excellent standing
in his profession. =
In the latter part of 1902 or early
in 1908, Mrs. Chadwick, in the pres.
ence Of her husband, gave to Ira Rey-
nolds, the cashier Of the Wade Park
bank of Cleveland, box containing
notes signed with the name of An
drew Carnegie. These forged notes
are alleged to have amounted 70 81
100000. Reynolds gave to Mrs Chad
wick receipt for the papers, which
described the notes and the signatures
upon them. Mrs. Chadwick left with
Reynolds as an explanation Of the
existence of the notes, the statement
that she was natural daughter Of
Andrew Carnegie.
With the receipt of Reynolds in her
possession, Mrs. Chadwick went to
different banks, and, making loans,
and paying not only high interest to
the banks, but heavy bonuses to the
bank officials who loaned her the. mon
ey. The extent Of these transactions
will never be fully known, but they
ran up into the millions. They In
yolyed men Of high standing in the
financial world and caused heavy loss,
es to many banks.
In November, 1904, she was sued
by a man named Newton Of Brookline.
Mass, from whom she had borrowed
a large amount. which she was uI1-
able to pay. Other creditors came
down on her, and within a short time
she was placed under arrest by the
federal authorities on the charge Of
conspiring with Charles Beckwith, the
president, and A. B. Spear, Of a ma
tional bank, at Oberlin, Ohio, which
had been substantially looted.
Mrs. Chadwick had obtained from
this institution such large sums OF
money that it was compelled to close
its doors, causing heavy losses to the
depositors and running many of them.
Mrs. Chadwick, Beckwith and Spear
were indicted for variety Of offenses
against the national banking laws.
Beckwith died before coming to trial.
Spear pleaded guilty, was sentenced
to seven years in the penitentiary,
and is now serving time at Columbus,
Ohio. Mrs. Chadwick was brought to
trial on March 6, 1905, and after a
hearing, which lasted for two weeks,
was found guilty of conspiracy to de-
fraud a national bank, and was SEN
fenced to 10 years in the penitentiary.
Her health, which, was not good at
the time Of the trial, failed steadily
after it's conclusion.
Mrs. Chadwick left one son, Emile
Hoover, born of her first marriage.
He is now about 20 years old.
The decline in Mrs. Chadwick's
health began almost from the time
she entered the penitentiary in Jam
uary, 1906. She fretted incessantly
over her confinement until it became
almost impossible for her to sleep. At
times she was so peevish that the pa
tience of the prison officials was sore
" tried. Mrs. Chadwick was a robust
woman whec she came to the peni-
Tertiary, but finally wasted away, and
had lost fully thirty pounds at the
time OF her death. Her last illness
dated back about three weeks, when
she suddenly collapsed. She was con-
a.ol &bo fror,, that time