UNPUNISHED CRIMES.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1211, 15 September 1874, Page 4

UNPUNISHED CRIMES.

A good narrative might be written of unpunished crimes in. Melbourne, and particularly in relation to rali graphic enterprise. Men who know a good deal of mercantile metropolitan mysteries declare that there is a quantity of paper discount with the Jews that is never permitted to come to maturity for the simple reason that it bears forged endorsement. Such paper is loaded with heavy charges of discouut, and those who take it know well enough that the drawers will pay anything demanded of them rather than that the bill shall be presented. I have heard some queer tales under this head, but the story I am about to tell is one of a still more impudent character if possible. There is a firm in Little Collins street, let me say "X. Y. Z ," one of the firm, say X., having a private account of some £7OO in the bank that ho seldom operated upon. In the office of the firm was a clerk and a smart lad, who seemed to have great attachment to each other, and it was deemed singular that for no avowed cause they both left their employment about the same time. Their departure, however, caused no suspicion as regards money matters, and their places speedily filled. Some time after they had left, Mr X was asked by a friend, in the street one day for a loan of £IOO. The two walked together to the bank, and Mr X., addressing the ledger-keeper, asked how his private account stood. A memo was handed to him marked. •' i)r £2 10s', Mr X. stood aghast. "What this?" he exclaimed ; " Why I have something like £7OO hero" Explanations ensued and as many as seventeen cheques were produced bearing Mr X's signature, upon which the whole £7OO had been withdrawn from the bank. Examina tion of these cheques only added to Mr X's embarrassment. The signature to a hair's breadth was his own signature, and he declared to the bank officials, " Yes, the signature is the fao simile of my signature, it is exact" ; but what was to be done. The bank clearly was not to blame, for no one in the world could have detected the fraud, it was so cleverly done. It was found upon inquiry that all the cheques had been presented by a young lad, and it was soon ascertained that this was the boy who had lately left the service of the firm. He was sought out, and under threat made a confession. The clerk previously referred to, had drawn the cheques, the boy had represented them and obtained payment, and this is how the signature was obtained. An old acceptance of Mr X's was obtained, some blue lead was rubbed upon the back of that part containing the signature, it was then laid upon the cheque, and carefully traced over with a fine point, and the impression thus made was afterwards gone over with ink. 'The pair divided the plunder, and the lad upon a promise not to prosecute him disgorged about £203, his elder accomplice upon the same promise, gave up a quantity of jewellery, and altogether about £'loo or £SOO was thus recovered. The jewellery was lately disposed of by raffle in a house in Swanston street, and nothing more came x ont of the business. I wonder what experts in handwriting will say to this, for it totally upsets the notion that a man's signature may be sworn to in a court of law. In this case no action, it was admitted, could possibly ie against the bank, for the man forged upon was only able to say, that while he did not write the cheques the signature was so like his own that ho could not tell one from the other.