There are certain skills you need to have in order to be a great scam artist: quick thinking, the ability to recognize an opportunity, and a complete and utter lack of morals — Cassie Chadwick was a master of all three. The legendary conwoman scammed the nation like none had before, amassing an incredible fortune and living a life most could only dream of. For decades, Cassie’s victims were none the wiser — then, one glaring mistake sent her entire scheme toppling down.
Tight-Lipped
Born Elizabeth “Betty” Bigley in October of 1857, the future Cassie Chadwick spent her childhood on a farm in Ontario, Canada. Considered “odd” because of a speech impediment, Cassie barely spoke as a child in order to hide her disability.
An Unusual Interest
Instead of interacting with classmates, Cassie would practice her penmanship, though she did so by copying her family members’ signatures rather than her own. An unusual quirk, this seemingly innocent doodling would eventually lead Cassie to commit her first crime.
First Offense
Cassie was arrested for writing bad checks when she was just 13 years old, though, fortunately, she was soon released to her father, who warned her to stay out of trouble. She followed this advice for a while, but at age 22, the itch to do bad came back stronger than ever.
Back to Bad Checks
This time around, Cassie forged letters that claimed she’d inherited $15,000 and even printed business cards that read, “Miss Bigley, Heiress to $15,000.” With an air of legitimacy about her, Cassie began cutting more bad checks and shopping at only the most expensive stores.
Wanting More
If merchants questioned how she could afford such luxuries, Cassie simply showed her custom-printed business cards to prove her wealth. Soon, however, Cassie grew tired of pulling her con in Canada and decided to follow her sister Alice to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1875.
A New Gimmick
However, she was promptly kicked out of her sister’s home for attempting a scam with her belongings. In need of a fresh start, Cassie pivoted to a career in fortune telling and met physician Wallace Springsteen, who became immediately infatuated with her.
An Innocent Mistake
The couple wed in 1883, an event they were happy to have commemorated with a notice in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Unfortunately, Cassie didn’t realize how much of a mistake this would be until angry shop owners that she’d scammed stormed their home.
Short-Lived Contentment
Wallace paid off her debts, though the two divorced after just 12 days of marriage. Back on her own, Cassie once again turned to fortune telling, this time posing as Madame Marie Rosa.
Working the Con
Under this identity, Cassie had a brief stint fortunetelling in Pennsylvania before scamming enough money from the locals to travel back to Cleveland. Then, she faked her own death to get out of paying her loans.
Accumulating Wealth
This endeavor also landed Cassie a $50,000 inheritance from C.L. Hoover, a client whom she wound up marrying. C.L., however, conveniently died just a few years into the marriage, leaving Cassie flush with cash as she became Madame Lydia Devere, another master of the clairvoyant arts.
Behind Bars
This time, however, after luring client Joseph Lamb into a check-cashing scheme, the consequences finally caught up with her. Convicted of forgery, Cassie was sentenced to almost a decade in state jail, though she wouldn’t be behind bars for long.
Short Stint
Cassie was released after just three years in an Ohio prison, returning to her life of crime under the name Cassie Hoover. But fortune telling had run its course for the veteran scammer — it was now time to try something new.
New Direction
Cassie opted to become a brothel owner, running an establishment disguised as a residence for single women. Yet it wasn’t long before Cassie met and married her third husband Leroy Chadwick, a wealthy doctor who whisked the conniving con artist off to Cleveland’s “Millionaire Row.”
Growing Bored
For a while, throwing lavish parties and basking in her husband’s wealth kept Cassie satisfied — of course, like always, her contentment didn’t last. It was then that Cassie decided to make use of her husband’s connections to make herself even richer.
Biggest Scheme Yet
In 1897, Cassie traveled to New York to meet James Dillon, a lawyer and friend of her husband’s. Innocently, she asked him to escort her to 2 East 91st Street and Fifth Avenue, to which James agreed. He was stunned at their final destination — it was the home of Andrew Carnegie.
“I’m His Daughter”
Cassie then “revealed” that she was the business magnate’s illegitimate daughter, a fact she seemed to confirm after venturing inside the mansion and returning with a $2 million promissory note. In reality, Cassie had snuck into the home and simply forged the payment slip — Dillon, however, was none the wiser.
Buying Her Silence
As news of his “illegitimate daughter” became public knowledge, Carnegie was so stricken with guilt that he began showering Cassie with enormous amounts of money. With one of the richest men in the world in her pocket, the career conwoman now had free rein to do anything she wanted — and she did.
The Queen Of Ohio
For the next eight years, Cassie traveled from bank to bank, securing loans in Carnegie’s name that amounted to over $2 million, equal to around $50 million today. Her lavish lifestyle soon earned her the moniker “The Queen of Ohio,” her wealth unmatched by any. Then, it all came crashing down.
Finally Caught
In 1904, a Massachusetts banker called in one of Cassie’s loans, which she revealed she could not pay. The bank sued, and soon, the extent of her deceit was revealed. A highly publicized trial followed, and on March 10, 1905, Cassie Chadwick was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The con was finally over.
Lasting Legacy
Because of her celebrity status, Cassie was permitted to bring a number of her possessions with her to prison — in the end, however, this leniency wouldn’t matter. Just two years into her sentence, Cassie died from stomach and heart-related illnesses, leaving behind a legacy as the greatest conwoman in history.
