STRANGE LOSS OF TWO THOUSAND POUNDS.

Evening Star, Issue 3921, 17 September 1875, Page 3

STRANGE LOSS OF TWO THOUSAND POUNDS.

{From the Australasian.)

A sum of over L 2,000 was lost by two clerks in the Bank of Victoria on the 31st ult. The circumstances attending the loss were very extraordinary, and the aid of the detectives had to be called iu to unravel the mystery. In the Bank of Victoria there are two receiving tellers, each of whom is assisted by a clerk called the exchange clerk, whose duty it is to sort the notes of other banks received during the day, and upon the following day to deliver them to the various banks. On Tuesday morning, in accordance with the usual custom, the two exchange clerks proceeded to deliver the notes received by them from the tellers, and counted by them and accepted as correct. They went to the Rational and Colonial Banks, and handed over the notes of those banks, but on arriving at the Commercial Bank they discovered that the notes of that bank were missing. Upon a further search they discovered also that two other bundles of notes were missing, the Oriental and Union Bank notes, making altogether a sum missing of L 2.100. They retraced their steps to the banks they had visited, believing that possibly the notes might by mistake hare been left there, but they could learn nothing of them. The matter was at ouco reported to the manager, and the aid of the detectives was called in. The two clerks—one a youth of eighteen, and the other a few years older—express themselves as confident that the notes were in their possession when they set out on their rounds. The notes were carried in a leather case or bag, which would only need to be opened when delivering the notes at the banka. The affair is at present under investigation by Detectives Williams and Black. The Government has decided to offer a free pardon to any accomplice not being the actual principal offender. The mystery has hitherto altogether baffled the detectives, and considering the daring and success which distinguished the crime, it is thought necessary to adopt these unusual means of discovering the offenders. The general manager of the Bank of Victoria offers by advertisement a reward of L2OO for the recovery of the notes, amounting in value to L 2.128, which the advertisement states were “ stolen ” from tho bank on the 24th inst. A proportionate reward is offered for the recovery of any portion of the notes, and a large reward of L4OO is offered for information leading to the recovery of tho property aad the conviction of the offender or offenders.