BURNT £5 NOTE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5398, 11 March 1929, Page 2

BURNT £5 NOTE.

STORY AT BANK.

SALESMAN CHARGED.

Evidence regarding an alleged fraud on the Commonwealth Bank Was givejn at the Sydney Central Court, wheu Albert Edward Hugo Cooper, 44, salesman, pleaded not g.uilty to a charge of having obtained £5 from the'bank by means, of false pretences.

Victor Ernest Nclley, officer in c.hargq of the notes branch of the bank, told Mr Gates, C.M.S., that on January 23 Cooper, accompanied by another man, came to the bank and presented half a £5 note and’ a statu-. tory declaration stating that the other half of the note had been burnt.

Witness, after reading the declaration, told defendant that, the portion of the note presented did: not appear tc be burnt, but only scorched. When witness asked Cooper how the note was burnt the; latter’s friend replied : “Cooper was standing with the note behind him. I applied a match to it, and it seemed to blow up, as if there was petrol on it.” Asked why he did not proiduce the other half of the note, Cooper said it was in ashes, and he could not pick it up.

Witness reminded Cooper that he was liable to a heavy penalty if his declaration wa3 untrue, and also told him that if any other person presented the other half of the nclte he would have as much right to payment as had Cooper.

Cooper ieplie,d : “There is, no hope of. the other portion being, presented. I will give you £5O if it turns up.” Cooper then signed the declaration, and witness paid him £5. About, an hour later a man named McDuff came to the bank and presented the; ether half of the £5 note. Replying to Sergeant Napper, wit< ness said the edge of the note produced by Cooper showed scorching, but the other half had not been scorched. It had been torn. Vic,tor McDuff, contractor, of Mal'oubra, told the; magistrate that he was in a city hotel on January 18. when a woman snatched a £5 note from him, tearing it in halves. The woman went away with hajf the note and he took the other half to the bank, afterwards informing the police. The case was adjourned in order ; t_o allow the; production of further e‘vi, deuce.