Bidwell's Travels, from Wall Street to London Prison: Fifteen Years in SolitudeBidwell, Austin
General
Bidwell's Travels, from Wall Street to London Prison: Fifteen Years in Solitude
Bidwell, Austin
Bank fraud -- England; Bank of England; Bidwell, Austin; Criminals -- Biography
I did not trouble any more about the other two store people, but looked
about the town, amusing myself. In due time I called and tried the
garments on, and, when ready to deliver, I left the cash with the hotel
people with orders to pay the bill, which was done. There the matter
rested for ten days, when I drove up again, and, remaining in my
carriage, the head of the firm came out to me and I remarked: "I must
have more garments; duplicate that order," and drove off.
A week after I called to have them tried on, and then said that as I was
going to Ireland for a few days' shooting with Lord Clancarty, I would
send down a portmanteau for the garments and call for it on my way from
the hotel to the station. So I bought the most expensive trunk I could
find and sent it to the tailor. When the day came for me to call I
provided myself with six L500 bank notes, five L100 and about fifty L5
notes to go on the bottom of the roll. Before leaving my hotel I had a
large trunk put on the cab, and then taking inside of it all the
dressing bags, rugs, silk umbrellas and canes in the whole party, I
drove to the tailor's, paid my bill with a L500 note and had the
portmanteau put on the cab. I turned to go, but, halting at the door, I
remarked quite in a casual manner: "By the way, Mr. Green, I have more
money than I care to carry loose in my vest pocket to Ireland; I think I
will leave it with you." He replied, "Certainly, sir," and as I was
pulling the roll out of my vest pocket he said: "How much is it, sir?"
"Only L4,000; it may be L5,000;" to which he replied: "Oh, sir, I would
be afraid to take charge of so much; let me introduce you to my bank."
He ran for his hat, accompanied me to the Bank of England, and, calling
one of the sub-managers, introduced me as an American gentleman, Mr. F.
A. Warren, who desired to open an account. A check and a pass book were
brought and the signature book laid before me for my autograph, and I
was requested to sign my name in full, so I christened myself Frederic
Albert. I drove to the North Eastern station and telegraphed the boys at
Barcelona that the thing was done and they could, if they liked, curtail
their excursion and return to England at once.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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