CLERK'S FORGERIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 58, 10 March 1927, Page 10

CLERK'S FORGERIES.

POSTAL OFFICER'S THEFTS.! AMAZING DUTTEDDf CASE. £010 FROM DEPOSITOR"? ACCOUNT. money srnvr recklessly. A remarkable storv of how a lookerkeeper previously employed «n the Post Ofli«-e S.i- .ngs l'avk at Dui<edin forgwl a <lc]»o«itoi signature to w i;hdrnvva 1 slips and obtained a ti-ul cum of £oio. witbout the authorities discovering the crime. was told at the Police Court this morning. William Knie.* Carrington i2O < it was who unfolded the story. He «n> charged with forging the name of "M. McMil'an" to withdrawal slips for Mim» of £10 on August 17. 1920. £10 on August 9. 102(1. £70 on dune 20. and £."»!0 on August 2S of the same \ear. Nt Dunedin. Chief-Detective Cu mining* prosecuted. Am;sod was n<<t represents! liy counsel. Kraiiri* (icorjo Amo« Kag'es-. arootintant at the Post Oflw Sav.njs Hank at Dunedin. said that ami sod was a clerk in the office for two years ■nilii his transfer to (ire\mouth on Augus' 10. IWMiss Maisie McMillan had her account transferred from Wellington to Dunedin on Novemlx-r 27. 1919. t<l afterwards made several dcj«osits at Diinodin. These were credited to her account, the total amount of credit phi* interest being £019 1/S on April 1. 192<'.. The last deposit to her account w.is mid.- at Wellington on Scptemlvr 1. I nil. Her account was not operated upon bcUtvn that date anil .Itine 20. 19jr.. when £70 was withdrawn. The "M. McMillan" on the withdrawal slips produced resembled those of the de}«ositor. Imt there were certain peculiarities were not in agreement with the specimen signature of the depositor. In June. 1920. aifu»ed was ledger clerk at the Post <'ffice Savings ]l:ink. Aocn-od had accts?to the ledger cards and would l*" it) a position t<> p.i»s for payment applications It withdrawal. 1" would Ik- l.t* dtitv to compare the signature on tly withdrawal slip and the specimen pignature on the ledger card, and if found all right, to initial the slip for payment. It Would then his duty to return the pass book and withdrawal slip to the client for payment. If this nxthod wa» carried otit it would W impossible Jot anv olTicial to withdraw- from a depositor's account, unlfss the ;»er«on who presented the slip was in collusion with some member of the public. The writ in™ tn the withdrawal slips was varied as if an attempt had b-*en made to disguise the writing. Witness was of the opinion that the signatures were roade by accused. Accused was transferred to Cireymouth on August 2s. the day on which £">lO was withdrawn from Miss McMillan's account. He resigned two days after he took over. Detective P. J. Xalder said accused was arrested at Auckland on r«-Lri;ary 1.1 last. He then informed ".he police that he had unlawfully withdrawn money from a depositor's account at Dunedin. Later witness interviewed accused, v.hen he made an explanation. Accused had given the police all possible assistance, and in conjunction with postal officials he had considerably assisted. Inquiries had l>een made throughout New Zealand for the depositor Miss Maisie McMillan, but she could not be traced sine 1921. Accused's Explanation. The signed statement which accused gave Detective Xalder was as follows: Carrington said he was single and 20 years of age. his parents residing at Port Chalmers. He joined the Post anil Telegraph Department as a messeng-cr and served for eight years at Port Chalmers. being later attached to the chief post master's stalT at the Dunedin Post Office. About two years ago he was promoted to the Dunedin Post Office Savings Bank, occupying positions of teller ir.d ledgeikeeper. He obtained a good insight into the workings of the bank. Al«out four or Jive years ago accused said he contracted a certain disease, fid low ed by T hcu ma li«m. and co-ild not -deep at night for the pain. Afterward' he started di inking and got low Imaneially. He 'b-e.d«d to h-a\e New- /.e.lLiuJ for Australia after be had obtained enough money to .If. Noticing that M:-. M-\Mar.'« .i.v.-;n • ha I not l«-<-ii otM-rated u;«in -iiire 1921. ,ir 1 that she wa» in < tedit to t ,ie extent of £01'.l. lie dee-d'-d to «opy lu-i •••<-ei>i!cii signal me. it w.> ail e.«s\ ..::e to forge. Having seo't. to all pa«»iiftf>k'. h<- took a lie» one and tilbd in M:»s McMillans name, enter'nc 1 ?:«- lir»t wit hdrar. al r.f i'U in the (iiirunv pa«»'wiok. Aem sod sai.j he collected the nietioy himself from the teller. but explained that the ]att<r d.d not »ee him. and would think that ae eiised was acting on behalf of a < h<-nt who might be sitting on one of th< ehaii s provide.! for j«-ople at the end «<5 the ledger counter. The teller had im idea that accused wr>. acting «iisone.tlv a- he did li<t ap:<.ir oj-enlv i.i lioi t ..f !u m. < irrington *,%.] that the £7l> which he too N :-r-t was ►;>e:;t on drink and in ■t..r w-'h lia-1 » •inn. common pr. t>! ;t iltes. a;,d bv jmreha sit.g drng-whi.-.i h- to -k : • alleviate h f a.r.. H<:a 1 i.o a-ri-.'. au e tri-m .mv ei.- and knew tl.at " 0 .;:>g w After h.s trm-fer t > <J ■. y mouthe leira.ne," i-.-re f.-r t v.day- an 1 t".« n r<-.;-'-ci Wi'h the £.'•<») v. h.--h h- w ,:hdT,--.v fro-n M;.-»• M ~Mi2laii r ai'.'i'iiiit on August 2** he Went *i v v ill! y by the M.sheno. whi-h sab"l ! m W. Ilingt.,n during *-iplem"«er of l9J:i. g<':ng arr a« a passenger in the name of •'fakihan." He r>-". urne-1 to A;i.-.si.ni<l ::i iK-vinVr of hit-t \ ( -ar ai.d wejit rt.n at h - un-Vs farm at Mangere. tett.i tie! to re nr. 1 February l."«. when he . .a;nc to All k'and and eal .-d at the dete.-t've •in g;v:ng iiinr-eif up to the p.d .-e. Ihe vv -~:rv o vj..-,1 i.y what he had • lone caused 2i::n to take tiiv «-trp. C.irr.ngton added that he .'.est r >y«-d tlu dummy pa— book 1* th.re l.e h-fi Dunklin. He de.i not kit-a M t-s MMdlan. W inn he started to o]«-rr.:< < n .n-r account she had a cred.l of £019. b;:t n .on he all that "a* left £9 1 >. A. ■ iiisfti ph ade.s gu.i'v all el.arres and w .i. < .-tntr.itted t . t,..- Supreme tour; ii-r i-entetiee.