Enormous Forgeries.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 186, 3 June 1873, Page 7

Enormous Forgeries.

(Home Paper. ) On Saturday, the Ist inst., the most startling rumours were afloat in the City, that a series of forgeries of bills of exchange had been detected by the Bank of England? The greatest consternation pre vailed among our financial magnates. Bill-books were anxiously overhauled, and signatures carefully scrutinised ; and until the result of these investigations were announced, the wildest exaggerations as to the extentof the losses were created. It was not until the lapse of several days that the limit of the fradulent operations of the gang was definitely ascertained, and the sum total of the plunder was returned at from £BO,OOO to £100,009. That, it may well considered, was a splendid prize for the swindlers. It, however, fell far snort of their ambitious aims. But for a mere casual oversight in the manipulation of some of the bills, they would in all probability have bagged something like half a million steiding, and placed themselves beyond the reach of their victims before the detection of the forgeries. The plot was discovered in this Two of the series of forged bills, drawn on Messrs Rothschild, and endorsed " accepted," were presented for discount on the morning of February 27. By a singular inadvertence, the endorsement was undated, and the Bank of England accordingly sent the bills to St. SwitMn's lane, with a request that the date of acceptance might be added. This led to the discovery of the forgery, and the exposure of the plot. Within a little over a month Warren had paid in to his account no less than L 104,195 in bills, all of which had been promptly discounted, and the proceeds placed to his credit. The chief of the gang, known by the name of Warren, Horton, and several other aliases, an American, commenced his operations as long ago as last May, by opening a deposit account of the ordinary character with the West-end branch '.of the Bank of England. To effect this he needed only an introduction by some customer. This he readily found in a respectable West-end tradesman. He represented to the manager of the branch that he had come to Europe for the purpose of introducing Pulmann's American Sleeping Cars on the continental railway lines, for use during the forthcoming Vienna Exhibition, and hinted that the monetary transactions would therefore be extensive. To throw the bank off its guard, he for a time proceeded quietly and methodically, drawing upon his balance and renewing it, but always keeping a good deposit. After some months he advanced another step, and deposited some bills. They were genuine and good, and this stage in the operations was continued a considerable time, until he had acquired the reputation and standing of a respectable person engaged in legitimate commerce. Having acquired this footing, and laid asleep all suspicion, he proceeded to the presentation of the forged bills. At this time he seems to have been living chiefly at Birmingham, where, it will probably be found, the forgeries were carried out. But he had confederates in London, and through the agency of one of them, a clerk named Edward Noycs, the bills were pre sented. They were discounted without hesitation, and a considerable portion of the money so acquired was invested in United States bonds. Even while these forgeries were going on, he occasionally discounted some genuine bills. Up to the time of the Unexpected dtiuwmcnt, nearly £IOO,OOO had been secured in this fashion. The spurious paper is said to be marvellously like the acceptances of the firms imitated. Many of them are in the habit of using a peculiar kind of paper, with special watermarks, and an exclusive style of printing, all of which would have to be copied. Then each bill would have different signatures, and the names sometimes of half a dozen acceptors on the back, all first-clnss names. All this was done. Having evidently abundant capital at his command, he could buy on 'Change as many bills as he pleased, and after mastering all the peculiarities of of paper, printing, and signature, could get his money back by discounting the drafts. Among the acceptances successfully imitated ave those of Messrs Rothschild, Messrs Baring Brothers, Messrs Brown, Shiplev, and Co., Messrs J. H. Schroeder and Co., Messrs Sttse and Sibeth, Messrs J. and C. Imthurn, Messrs B. W. Blydenstein, the German Bank of London, the London and Westminster Bank, the Union Bank, and the Bank of Belgium and Holland. The numbers of the United States bonds known to have been purchased

with tho proceeds of the forgeries were promptly published, and bankers, brokers, and others, were warned about dealing with them in any way. <) wing to the use of alUmes, the identity of the leadin'; confederates is involved incoufusmn and uncertainty. Whether Warren and Horton are two distinct persons, or the same individual under different names, was for some time by no means clear. The authorities, however, offered a reward of £SOO each for the capture of either of the three presumed delinquents—Warren, Macdonnell, and Bidwell, or Burton. Warren had two narrow escapes from capture, first at Enstor-jquare Station, and a few days later at Cork. Later a telegram was received from New York, by the city police authorities, stating that the man George Macdonnel, otherwise Swift, for whose apprehension a reward of £SOO was offered, was arrested in that city on the arrival of a vessel from Havre, in which he was known to have sailed. Three persons more or less implicated in the disposal of the plunder, were secured almost immediately after the discovery of the fraud. The first capture was that of Noves, who had been acting as clerk or agent to Warren. He happened to be in the Continental Bank, where some of the proceeds had been lodged to the account of Horton, when a cashier from the Bank of England called to obtain information about the forgery. Fie was spotted, and at once arrested, and has since been twice under examination. Subsequently, Jules Mennior, musical instrument maker, and Ellen Vernon, both foreigners, were captured at Euston-square Station, in unlawful possession of a bag containing nearly £3OOO in gold, which they were about to convey to Birmingham. The two latter have been released, as not implicated in the fraud, and the woman, who turns out to be Noyes’s mistress, lias been admitted as witness against the gang, the nature of whose operations are being gradually elucidated.