GREAT ROBBERY OF BONDS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1841, 17 January 1889, Page 4

GREAT ROBBERY OF BONDS.

Melbourne, December 18. A hank clerk, named Geo. L. Onjons was arrested on a tram yesterday afternoon at Brighton beach on a charge of stealing debentures to the value of £2700 from the National Bank of Australasia, where he held the position of chief manager’s clerk- This, however, is but a small portion of the total value of debentures taken by the accused, bonds being missing to the value of £13,000. All securities of this description are kept in a safe specially reserved for this purpose in the strong room of the Bank. This safe is secured by what is known as a check lock, and can only be opened by two keys, which are kept by different persons. "When any debenture was required these officials, who were the accountant (Mr G. C, Shillinglaw) and Onyons, went together to the safe and took out what was wanted, and, for mutual protection, were supposed to examine the remaining debentures to see that they were all right. In some manner, known only known to, the general manager (Mr JF. Grey Smith),to,whom the accused has made a confession, Onyons obtained either the ;accountant's key, or duplicates of it, and gaining access to the safe abstracted from it various debentures to the valueof £13,000, which he negotiated at various times with the Mercantile Bank, where he kept his private account. The debentures were of Footscray Corporation, City of Melbourne, Victoria Sugar Works, &c. No suspicion was created at this Bank, as the accused managed his transactions very skilfully, and accounted for the securities which he deposited there by the statement that he held them partially in trust, and that some of them belonged to his brother. No definite information has been provided as to how the robberies were discovered, but it is believed that the disclosure was brought about by the sale of certain of the debentures on the open market, where they were purchased by a well-known broker, who actually purchased his own bonds, The bank official at first became cognisant of the robbery on Saturday last, aud Onyons, apprehending the discovery, absented himself from his position. When sent for he attended at the Bank, and it is understood made a confession of the whole affair, i Wo waa kept under anrm\\anee nnt\\ yesterday afternoon, when he was taken into custody, and lodged in the city lock-np. He is a married man, 28 years of age •, had been in the employment of the Bank for 12 years, and at the time of his arrest was in receipt of £320 per annum. The National Bank’s solicitors have not yet decided whether to prosecute him only for the £2700, for which they are liable, or to proceed against him for the other £IO,OOO, which loss they claim must fall upon the owners of the debentures, or on the Banks which negotiated them after they were stolen. When Onyons was arrested a eix-chambered revolver and a bottle of brandy were found upon him. He made no statement of any description. He is known to have dealt heavily in shares for some time past, and is supposed to have lost in this way the money he feloniously obtained.