"BLUFFING " THE BANK OF ENGLAND

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 526, 27 April 1920, Page 8

"BLUFFING " THE BANK OF ENGLAND

OVERSIGHT THAT COST TEN YEARS' LIBERTY.

"Glyka's got a rush on" said a stockbroker's clerk, jerking his head towards an undersized, sallow-faced man who was darting across the road in the direction of the Bank of England.

'•Like these To vignors" growled the ' other, "Always 1 rushing for something, generally money. He gets i; i j a month at Vagliane's, and yet p'.ning with nrllions. He has vl.2iMi.iHiO outstanding' on a single private account I know of. Meanwhile. Glvka Anthony lsidor Glyka in full had gained the en-t-.-j'.R-o In the hank. Arrived there, he gradually moderated his liace. till at last, on entering the bill office, he was deliberation neisonified. And it wv.itli the utmost composure that lie i> o.ynted a l>rl for £3OOO, slet'ii'j that ho would take it "over Ihe counter.'' Three thousand pounds over the counter, and r.'>t_i's rrual. through a bank! The clerk remembered how a solicit'' * had. in the unclaimed dividends depart nr-nt, applied for CBOOO stand in:: in the name of Miss Slack, of Noithampton, of whose death proof had been lodged: how he had 1 rfused to take ivt:s but asked for Hie whole amount in gold: how a clp'T' wa« so much tickled at the -i of so«.»vl"'dv walking off with iSii!!; in i.is oocke's that he related the incident to some visitors; and how ore of the na:tv stated that he l-ivv. Miss Slack, who was, in fact,

still alive! In .i thought ful mood, then, the c !.-rk :• 11 on'lino; on Glvka picked up tho bill. and going behind a partlti ,n consulted ft colleague. Paper, printing, end'■ r-finfnts signatures everything was in order. Besnles, had not Mi-ss 's Viitliano Eros, advised that the bill wfluid be presented? So il v.; 1? cashed in notes. A few (lavs later Glvka again did a conventional tbine; in nn uneonventional wnv. Having to copy in a press-copying book a letter advising a (•«•> t 'in foreign linn of the state i.f their account, he first placed over the figures in that document a scrap of pa lie r bearing other figures. And the difference between the two was py; u-tlv C 3000! \ Months passed. Then Mr Vagliano was handed in the visual course o! bi'S'ness a bill vliich the name of the drawer. t'niie was up. a*. As the dabbler in miWioriK leaving the bank no doubt "with' t«p fv intention of Hoeing the country--* he was seized by the ami, a stern voice said. ''Anthony Isicior Glvka. 1 arrest you for forgery!" Clone at once was the audacity he had displaved in a long series of frauds. He immediately admitted his guilt and subsequently gave 3 full account of his amazingly daring and skilful operations. "I forced altogether." he said. ":!? letters of advice purporting to come •from an Odessa firm and 42 bills. On six' or seven occasions 1 went to tr.e hank myself, and at other times I sent somebody to receive payment, ■ind bring back the money in notes. The messengers wore clerks of brokers with whom I s peculated.'

And the ik-Mi-ations, it was found, amounted in all to A ' clc'',k willi a salarv of UH(I a voir had indulged in Stork Fvi-4i.'in»9 ' "ilut 1 i'l's" 10 Iho ovl.-nt or 1:10,(100 a 111 <»! 1111 * V\v\n\ romnvkiihlv skilful. incredihly fl?iriill!* * hfso ami f»th£v tributes were iiaid to Clvka at liis trial: and not a lew ::'laneos of adinira--1 j<,11 were her.t i'U him as ho (lisappeared l\cm view 1" begin a son-toiii-o of t:'i! years' ii'-ual servitude. Then aii - • a problem which (oU\nlsod the .iiy l"nr mouths. ,jß'i whom was tlv l<>ss ol tJiO V7fst>o to fall Messrs Ya-liano Bos. or the li-inl; f.r Ktivluml? .liiden'ont was !;iv(-n against the Old Lady of Threadn.'e.lle this was i•>n(irn ed hy the Court of Appeal In the end, however. Iho House o£r l.oftls reversed it. _ " A r'