DARING BANK FRAUD.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 15, 19 January 1887, Page 4

DARING BANK FRAUD.

£SOO Obtained,

A low timo has elapsed since thero was chronicled such a daring and succeeeful bank fraud in Melbourne as one we have to record (says tho Melbourne "Telegraph ) afhavlnTbeen committedlon therational Bank, at the corner of Webb and bmitn streets F.tzroy, on Wednesday morning .a_r This branch of the National BankwUoh ha' become celebrated in connection with criminal offences lntely-M tv more pretentious than many suburban banks, and the manager of it ia Mr Davis who is a _iated by several clerka. Amongst the bank's clients arc Messrs Boyd and Head, of the well known Shamrock Brewfry! at tho extreme end of Simpson a Koad, near tho Hawthorn Bridge, and i was by one of tho cheques of thia tottrtto fraud in question waa committed, and t.io sum of A in noto coolly pocketed by a youngish man, at present at largo, who seems to have "bluffed "tho bank olhciala 3th whom he dealt with mazing impudence. Some features of the case are most PecuHar Between 10 and 11 o clock on Wednesday morning Mr Davis, the man-^ ager, had occasion to bo absent from the bank, and" it ia suspected that hia absence was noted. Whilst ho waa away a atrango man entered the bank, and inquired whether a Mr Harrison kept an account there, and a second stranger then entered and pretended to writs out a pay slip, but did not transact any business. Thoro ore circumstances Which were rocollocted after the fraud, but did not at the time attract that attention which in theso days of banking frauds it might be expected thoy would. Soon after ] a j oungi.h man, whoso description haa been supplied, ontcred and presouted to the ledger keeper (Mr Toy lor) a cheque for X..OS, bearing the signature of Mr Hammond, tlio chief clork of Messra Boyd and Head. Mr Taylor waa dubious, aud did no_ lino tho appearance of tho cheque, co ho consulted Mr Bagley, who was relioving in tho abaoneo of tho regular accountant, who had loft. The man who presented too cheque was actually kept in tha bank about half an hour, tbe officials thinking tho manager would return, and whilßt ho was there tha man bohavod with complete nonchalance. Ho produced a card bearing the name cf Mr Joseph Cohen, formerly a pawnbroker in Elizabeth-street, and euid ho was employed by Mr Cohon, Ho also threatened to report tho delay to Mr Boyd, and ultimately, only about ten minutes before tho manager returned, the officials decided to pay tho money, the fellow took it in £20 and £10 notes, and walked out composedly. It did not strike cither of tho officials to use tho telophono and mako inquiry about tho cheque, but tho moment Mr Davis returned he set the telephono to work, and hia suspiciona were confirmed by Boyd and Head repudiating a cheque for that amount. Tha detectivo police were immediately communicated with, and it waa ascertained that Boyd and Head had given a chequo for £3 8s to a man in payment for somo bottles, aud had received a receipt signed in sotno namo liko McFarron. Tho chequo, which had been made payable to a number, had been cleverly altered in the writing in the body and tho figures to mako it £308. Tho man doo3 not appear to have been previously known at Boyd and Head's, but the police aro following up a clue, and at least ono arrest may tako place at any hour. Tho bank, of course, ia responsible for the loaa of money.