Bidwell's Travels, from Wall Street to London Prison: Fifteen Years in Solitude
affair, and started for that town. Our next objective point was Munich,
but as the train did not leave until noon we preferred to spend the time
in a pleasant drive, and at the same time make assurance of our escape
doubly sure. Around Berlin the country is flat and uninteresting. Our
driver was a crabbed old fellow, but we managed to extract some
amusement out of him.
What pleased us greatly was to see him from time to time take out from
under his seat a loaf of black bread and cut off a slice for himself and
one for his horse, and then, seeing we were in no hurry, he would get
down, and, walking beside the horse, would feed him and himself at the
same time. When we arrived at Juterbock we had an hour to spare, so we
drove to an inn, and ordering a bottle of Hochheimer for ourselves and
beer and pretzels for our driver, we passed the time pleasantly. In the
mean time we had touched a match to the letter of credit, and at train
time we went by separate routes to the depot. Each purchased his own
ticket; to Nuremberg mine was, his to some near-by city, and at 12.30 we
boarded the train and were off for Munich and more profit there on the
morrow.
Late at night we arrived, and after locating the bank we went to a
theatre, where a variety show was going on, and found the performances
good; quite up, in fact, to similar exhibitions here. When the house
closed we separated for the night, each going to a different hotel. Our
plan was to secure all the cash we could in Munich in time to take a
train that left for Leipsic a little before 10 o'clock, arriving there
soon after 1, in time to visit the Leipsic bank the same day; then
leaving the city that night we would be in Frankfort early on Wednesday.
We would then make all haste to escape from Germany to the shelter of
mighty London.
Tuesday morning at 7 we met at a restaurant, as agreed, and soon had
over again our Berlin experience; but the amount we obtained here was
only 12,000 gulden (L1,000), Mac thinking it best to ask for a small
sum, Munich not being much of a commercial city. In cashing his credit,
although the amount was in gulden, the bank paid him in New Saxon
thalers, the thaler being 70 cents. We did not like the new thaler
notes, and wanted to change them there, but there was no time if we were
to catch the 10 o'clock train. I had Mac's derby hat in a box, and in
three minutes he had the hat and spectacles on, and, with his beard
again parted, the transformation was complete, and he, a perfect picture
of the dreamy German student, sauntered down to the depot and bought his
ticket for Leipsic. I followed him, carrying all the cash and documents
in my bag. We arrived at Leipsic soon after dinner. Times were brisk,
with plenty of bustle there, for the great Leipsic fair was in full
blast. Here was an opportunity missed; we ought to have had three or
four letters to as many banks. The place was thronged and the banks were
paying out and receiving money in thousands. On the train I had sat
apart from Mac, but in the same compartment, which was filled. Arriving
at Leipsic he left the train, and, walking up the street, entered a wine
room, where I joined him. He scrutinized his letters carefully, and,
placing them in his pocket, in five minutes was in the bank. Seeing the
bank was full of customers, instead of remaining outside to watch, I
entered and stood among the crowd, anxious, of course, but letting
nothing escape.
Instead of waiting or trying to transact his business with a
subordinate, Mac demanded to see the head of the firm. He was received
at once, and upon the production of his letters was treated with the
utmost consideration. He asked for 50,000 gulden ($20,000), which was
given him at once. The amount for fair time at Leipsic was not large. In
a very short time the business was done. The money being paid in gulden
notes, it made a pretty big bundle. As agreed upon, he went direct to
the cafe, carrying the money, while I stopped at a broker's office and
bought French money, notes and gold, for my new Saxon thalers. There the
transformation scene was re-enacted, but we could not leave town until 5
o'clock. We spent the time visiting the famous fair. Leipsic overflowed
with the fair. It was fair on the brain with every one. This annual fair
has been a yearly feature of the old city for four centuries, and draws
to it people from all over the European world, even from furthest
Russia. Soon after 5 o'clock we were on the train, but, for some reason
which I now forget, we did not arrive until 10 o'clock the next day at
Frankfort.
Frankfort, the home and still the fortress of the Rothschilds.
In Frankfort the Bourse opens at 10 a.m., and closes at 2. During those
hours the bankers are to be found on the Exchange only, and not at their
offices. Many of the offices are then deserted and fast locked. It
proved to be the case with the firm to which our letters were addressed,
and if we were to do any business in Frankfort we had of necessity to
wait until 2 p.m., but as it was now Wednesday and the third day since
our affair in Berlin, the first draft drawn on London, if promptly
mailed, would probably have been delivered at the Union Bank this
morning. Of course, as soon as the manager of the foreign department
found a draft for a large sum drawn by a stranger and made payable to
their correspondent in Berlin, he would at once surmise that a fraud had
been committed and undoubtedly would send a telegram to Germany to that
effect. The forgery once known in Berlin, the rumor of it, with a
thousand exaggerations, might easily fly to every Bourse in Europe, and
I feared that by 2 o'clock the story might possibly become known on the
Frankfort Exchange. So far we had $43,000, the result of our two days'
operations, but we had from the first great hopes of Frankfort, chiefly
because it was the money centre of the Continent, therefore the bankers
were used to handling large sums of money, and so long as everything was
all right they would hand out any sum, however large. We really ought to
have taken in Frankfort first. Had we done so, we probably would have
left the town with $50,000.
Soon as we arrived we went to a cafe, and, leaving Mac there and all the
money and papers in the bag, I hastened to the bankers, hoping to find
them open and ready for business. In that case I should have talked
business--that is, about having letters of credit, etc.--and I could
probably have told by their actions if any rumors of our transaction of
the two preceding days had reached the city. Had this been so the
bankers would have betrayed it by their looks and questions, and would
have been anxious to see my credits. Had such questions been asked, I
would have simply said that my letters of credit had not yet arrived
from Paris. This would have, of course, thrown them off the track, and
given us time to move off.
But when I arrived I found the doors locked. I at once returned to Mac
and said: "We are through; let us catch the train for Cologne at once."
He was anxious to wait until 4 o'clock and make a dash. We both knew the
Germans were slow, and might not think of using the telegraph, and we
agreed that we had more than an even chance of success; but Mac said:
"My boy, you are my manager, and I leave it for you to decide." Then I
said we were through, and that he should take no more chances; so we
settled it right there, in the little French-German cafe, and taking
out all the letters and every scrap of paper we destroyed them.
This decision, of course, brought a great relief--for the strain had
been greater than either of us had been willing to confess to the other.
So, easy in mind, we ordered lunch. Of course, we would have no news of
George until we met in London. We had no anxiety about him; we felt
certain he would come out all right. While waiting for the train we
discussed the future, and took it for granted that he would secure as
much as we had done. We counted ourselves possessors of $90,000. Of
this, fully $10,000 would go to our three honest detectives in New York;
we would spend about another $10,000, leaving us about $23,000 each.
Making this calculation, we sat down, and with the cash safe in our
hands we began planning for the future. Did we say: "Now we have a sum
of money ample to start us in an honest business, and, as we have
promised, we will quit?" Nothing of the kind; we simply ignored our many
promises and resolutions. Our ideas had grown with our success, and we
felt poor; so we quickly came to the conclusion that it was the part of
wisdom, since we were already so far in, to secure $100,000 each, and
then to call a halt; so there in Frankfort, in the very hour of our
success, we found ourselves planning new schemes, and further down the
Primrose Way.
Soon after the noon hour the train started, but first I took Mac's tall
hat to the hatter's and left it to be ironed, this, of course, to get
rid of it, and leave no trace behind; then, returning to the cafe, we
started. I fell behind and we made our way separately to the depot. Mac
had absolutely nothing about him save $2,000 in French paper and gold. I
had over $40,000 in notes and some gold in my bag. He bought a ticket
for Amsterdam, and I one for Belgium, both taking us through Cologne. I
saw him safe into a car, while I sauntered carelessly up and down the
station, swinging my bag and staring at everything; as the train was
about to start I entered another carriage. The railway from Frankfort
to Cologne follows the river bank for the entire distance. We quickly
passed Bingen, Mayence, Coblenz, and about dusk reached Cologne. This is
an important junction, and here we had to change cars, having twenty
minutes to wait. Both of us went direct to the cathedral. It is close to
the station, and there we had a few minutes' talk. Here Mac threw away
his ticket to Amsterdam and I gave him mine to Brussels. We agreed to
take separate cars at the station, but at the first stopping place I was
to join him in his compartment, for we had before us an all-night ride
to Ostend (the rival port to Calais), where we would embark for Dover.
At the depot I purchased a ticket to London via Ostend. We left Cologne
all right, and at the first station out I alighted and joined him.
We had a pleasant all-night journey, arriving very early the next
morning at Ostend. How lovely the sea looked, with the morning sun
shining on its restless waves!
We got to Dover without accident, and two hours after the express landed
us in London, and we drove at once to our appointed rendezvous, the
Terminus Hotel, London Bridge. We had no news of George, but that
evening, opening the door in response to a loud knock, he walked in,
receiving a boisterous welcome.
CHAPTER XIV.
I PLAY THE SILVER KING.
The next morning we all drove to Hampton Court, the creation of Wolsey,
and when tired we went to the Star and Garter. There we talked over
matters, and came to the conclusion we must have a hundred thousand
apiece before we could afford to settle down at home.
We resolved to send off the "percentage" to Irving & Company, and to pay
all debts we were owing at home.
Mac's heart went out to his father. He longed for a reconciliation, and
he determined to send him $10,000 and so make good the money his father
had given him to establish himself in New York, at the same time write
the old gentleman he had made a big strike in a cotton speculation, in
order to explain his having so large a sum to spare.
Our accounts were pretty well mixed up, and I hit upon a novel way to
settle them and give each of us an equal start. My proposal was that we
should pool everything. To put every dollar we had in the world on the
table then and there, and let the firm assume all obligations, purely