Bank Clerk's Lapse.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 7 November 1918, Page 4

Bank Clerk's Lapse.

I'LdiAiJto ucUj! 1- iU iiiiVi'T Gr ! C'ti'ji.Miiliijj I' Ult yJiNl'ifiA'UK. At tilts Levm -Magistrate's Court this morning tieiorc Jiossrs I'. \V. Cioldi .snuili, aiid J. iVici-rtjnve.y, J.'sJ.®., Francis ' Kouiu-6 jiatliew.- 'was charged) that on ■ August 12, IUIB, lie did commit the tlicit -oi £375. Accused was further unit, being a servant oi tlic jiuiiii' c*i Australia, lie eomni.'ti.eu tlie Luelt or ;U>< itj tins relating to the same ouin as «uue suujeet ot the previous

cnai'ge. .LiuiAjcuve-Sergeant Andrews conducted Uio case for the police. \Vuiiaiii Hughes, manager of the Bank of Australasia, Levin, i-aid licensed liad .boon in tne serv.ee of the Bank lor about 8J years and since January last was -employed as toller in the bank in Levin. Oil tieptember .10, he was dismissed from the service of the Bank. 011 August 12, '1918, accused

wan carrying out hi,- usual duties, part of which were to collect the excliango from the Bank of Xew Zealand. For that purpose ho liad' to -cross to the opposite side of the street, collect the exchanges . and return to the Bank of Australasia, with them. Accused had

nerformed these duties regularly up to

the date mentioned without there being any shortage iu the cash. Between

11.30 and 11.45 a.m. 011 August 12 ac-

cused a,- usual went across to the Bank of New Zealand and returned promptly, witness hearing him go out and return. So far as witness knew 110 one entered the Bank of Australasia in accused's absence. Everything went on as usual tiH about -1.30 that day. At that time

accused was balancing t"ho cash. "Witnos-' asked how his balance was and accused. said he was £375 short. A few minutes after- witness took accused's fi.sh brok and exnr.*ined it for any entry For that amount but d'd not discover any entries that would account for the shortage. Wit nose then looked over liis exchange book, thinking porsibly a cheque or a number of cheques might have been dropped, perhaps in the office. An entry of C 375 -was noticed which rcprosento-.l hank notes received from the Bank op New Zealand. Witnessl - asked accused if lie had received these notes and receiver! an affirmative reply. Tn reply to a Further question accused said he did hot remember putting- them, in his honk and carrying th-em to the Bank of Amtralasia. nor did he remember placing them in the cash. At the same time accused received the bank notes from the Bank of

• Zealand he received cheques to the amount of f'l 27 12-: od. which had; been nece'inN/""! for. Accused agreed that the £.376 rcfO'ved in bank notes in exchanges was the identical money missing. ATtor the fshprtnce was discovered the. office was thoroughly searched and every likWy nlnbe ransacked. Witnesr went to the Bank of New Ze'nland and saw that accused had signed for the amount by his initials. Accused suggested that the notes may have been taken off the counter of the Bank of New Zealand oi- he may have dropped them in the street, neither of which, from his experience, witness considered feasible suggestions. Witness's instruc-t-on to liis clerks were that cheques were to he entered and. notes counted and initialled for when making an exchange with the other bank : cheques and notes to> be placed in "exchange book and •carried across in that manner. If the notes happened to be bulky the clerk should safeguard them in the best way po.-t ible. Accused should have d.Hdi.scovered the shortage before noon, and reported it immediately, but he'did not--report it until witness inquired after ! o'clock.

Everard Kirkncss Thornton, teller in the Bank of New Zealand, Levin, gave evidence that at about 11.4.5 a.m. on August .12, accused came to the Bank to collect the exchanges and received tness £375 in bank notes -and initialled the exchange book for that amount. To the be-st of his belief witness could say that accused took the notes away. Ho initialled for them and that was the last witness saw -oi them. It was a very quiet day at the Bank and there were no clients when accused was at the Bank.-

Annie Hutchinson, ledger keeper at the Bank of Now Zealand, said she remembered accused coming for the exchanges on August '12 and receiving the bank notes from Mr Thornton." He then received cheques to the value of £127 12s 5d from witness, and signed the exchange book' for that amount. When lie signed for the cheques witness noticed accused, had omitted to sign foi tho notoi separately and she at-kod him to do so. Had not the omission been noticed .t won!'! have been open for the accused to have denied having received the notes «ii the -13;irik ol New /joalund. Arthur Evelyn Andrews, detectivesergeant ijttl itumed at Wellington, said that on .September 2 last he interviewed •icc-uscd a.t Levin concerning the shortage of £375 and ai-ked if he could account for same. He denied that lie liaci stolen the money and said lie mid giv. no further explanations than those at readv siveii. He agreed that it wav impossible that, the money could have been stolen from hi-, drawer in the Ban], of Australasia. Ho said'he must have either left it on tlTo counter of the Bank of New Zealand alter signing foi it or dropp.'d it in the street. He agreed that ; t wa, impr-.ba-ble that In had dropped the notes in the street and retained the cheques. He wonk, not give his oath thai li« left the money n' the Bank of New Zealand it Mi Thorn'. n said he" took it away. Or 0 c i.-b'.T 25 last witness arrested accused at Levin and read the warrant t< .io which accused made no reply. I-fr was remanded to appear at the S.M. Court on November 1. On that date i:i -c e i ae ! "e ot information re (•<>• ved 'ax Hie result of inquiries witness caused accused to be detained a" Levin. Accused asked why he w;is deigned -.f i •vl-ft'ier he could get bail , vpiaiiie ! t hat there would h•i more sei'iouc charge against Iv.m a ■ lime of the Wik not/s li-"! been trace : ro his poss; v'w and w s wanted t. trace the otl'.. ■ ' then aske it' it was true that witness had trace j0.,. : i']-' not'R and would lie .sjiov. him how and wlvve. Witness told a" cused that lie had traced them to th Fni.i.i j'T '" a' Ma. terton. Accuse then i■! he had better toll the truth Witu ' wr.v.ed lifui and then tool ■Mwn his .ialenient and afterwards read it over to acensnd. who signed it. TV' .lateniei'! which was then reail wa-' follows:

s'olo this i:u,C.'!7o, en All • i; ■ i-2 1918. and liid it in a paddoe 1 ' ni in - inv house. Tl'c Bank of Au.stnr las. a. Ivavin. "usponded me a few daybid- aud T wont- to To Kniti lor ;■ |~,1; !;p- ■in.l tnol< tin's with me On arrival (here I hid the money in :• paddeek in l<>Vrrds street. On Sept on: j )oy 10 '! v. n ; d'smi>«e.d from the sorvic- • of IV Bank »F n and T the arranged to bnv a /0-aere lane pea. ~\7oi rmsvi'le and* I u*-d some of the me nev iolen t" !*av for the Inrm. r.n i . ,„,!t : ! f'.-i,•'.!•••. 1018. T wen: t<, M- 'f. : ; i::i Mi, ' te. ■!: .11 the stole" monev witTi mo. I wen. i» Hie I nv>v \ >,-tra'i". ,m Oet<1,,.;, lj ■! • ; . li > some el Hie stole' 1 teu-m-mid note': intv ftve-poiuyl note T Mvn to the Bank ef \»w Zer ■land Mast or toil. and obtained a dra 1 ' f or '-"vab 1 .. to 7\Tr A. H. Smith land ar/ent. Aforrincrille. Fh-s "as tpayment for the farm, already mer_ tioned. T then returned to Te Kniti._' l.nve since e.iron mv wife three note- 1-1 T»r!i'l. which are part - f tV _ stolen me"ev. 'Hii- aceor-tits lei - C-V> of the -iel. " ivorev and T lore spo' the other biX< -u - 1; ■ ' I ' n! ~ • "T have hi: 1 'It's aal. ■■■ Nt read ov< !„ me I>t Andrew It is true and has been made by me mv own free will." (Signed) FR «o'T!" ,r ß'' r "MATTOWh. November '1. l&lf ' Jr, rnii'.. .■..'■■.nf.n "f fbo statement mad-> by "the nrw.l. T> • ■-•n h --S Andrews (--r.id h. h,''! t'oeie."ere<i the throe £50 notes and 1h- <i'' 7 no which Mr Smith