GOUDIE DIES IN PRISON.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 24 August 1907, Page 3

GOUDIE DIES IN PRISON.

BANK THIEF WHO STOLE OVER £IOO,OOO. DUPE OF GAMBLERS.

Thomas Peterson Goudie, tlm bank clerk, who was in February, IUO2, sentenced to ten years' penal servitude in connection with the sensational frauds iwrpetrated ou tho Bank of Liverpool, lias died at Parkhurat Prison Hospital. Gourdie, who was barely thirty-four years of age, had been suffering from heart affection."

Gaining the confidence of his superiors by his methodical and zealous behaviour, Gourdie, who was a native of Shetland, by ingenious manipulations of his books, swindled the Bank of Liverpool out of over £109,000. The frauds extended over several years, and only came to light when a well-known soap manufacturer was informed that lie had overdrawn his account at the hank, when he knew that there was a considerable sum to his credit. Waiting until the last moment, Goudie calmly walked out of the bank and disappeared. The whole country was scoured by the police from end to end, and at' last lie was discovered in hiding at Bottle, a few milc3 from Liverpool.

Little by liltle, after his arrest, the story of the frauds came out, and the police-arrested several men, three of whom, "Dick" Burgc, Kelly, and Stiles, were charged along with Goudie with forgery, fraud and conspiracy, and false pretences. Burge, like Goudie, was sentenced to ten years' penal servitude, while Kelly and Stiles, who pleaded [ guilty to conspiracy to defraud, were sent to hard labor for two years. Goudie in the witness box told how

through betting on race-horses he got into debt and forged a cheque for £IOO. Then he got into the hands of Burge and tho others, and appeared to have become

their dupes, for little of the proceeds of the forgeries went into his own pocket. From a few pounds his wagers, which he entrusted to others, ran into hundreds and thousands of pounds. In one week he lost £25,000, and to cover his losses.stole from the bank. In the wit-ness-box Burgc told how he acquired innocently £38,000 of the £91,000 which was got out of Goudie in less than a month. "

Two other men who were Implicated in the frauds took to flight. One, "Larry" Marks, was reported to have thrown himself into the sea from a liner and was drowned. The other, James Mances, who, according to Goudie's confession, was the man who mainly induced him to cuter into his desperate deals fled to America, and was never brought back to this country.

Over £100,(100 of the £169,000 stolen was disgorged by the accused. The fact that Cloudie was said to have received only £4208, out of which he repaid £457, shows to what extent he was the dupe of the others.