BANK THEFT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 172, 24 July 1933, Page 8

BANK THEFT.

CLERK FOR SENTENCE.

INVOLVED TRANSACTIONS

WIFE IN DOCK,

A former Lank clerk and his wife, who were arrested in Gisborne recently by Detective-Sergeant I\ J. Doyle, came before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court to-day on . a series of unusual charges connected with savings bank transactions. Accused were Jack Eric Robinson, aged 22, clerk, and Kathleen Marjot'ie Robinson, aged 21. Both were charged with forging, 011 October 4, 1932, a letter addressed to the manager of the Bank of New Zealand, Symonds Street, purporting to be signed by Fanny Swanson, a similar offence on the same day in connection with a letter to the manager of the Dominion Road branch of the Auckland Savings Bank, and on October 3 forging another letter. Kathleen Robinson was charged with aiding and ■abetting Jack Eric Robinson, then a servant of the Auckland Savings Bank, in attempting to steal £728 13/ belonging to the bank. Robinson was further charged that, being a servant of the Auckland Savings Bank, he attempted to steal £728 13/, and that on June 2S, 1932, he stole £201 10/ belonging to the bank. Detective-Sergeant McHugh prosecuted, and Mr. Hogben represented the male accused and Mr. Bryce Hart his wife. Ray Alexander, drapery salesman, said he opened an account 011 April 10, 1920, at the Dominion Road branch of the Auckland Savings Bank and gave the bank specimen signatures. Until April, 1933, he had not been to the bank. His mother banked his savings. As the result of a request by the bank officials witness went to the bank. He did not know Robinson or any other member of the bank staff. A withdrawal slip for £201 10/ signed "Ray Alexander," on which the bank acted was produced. Witness said this was not signed by him and no one had authority to sign on his behalf. It was a very good imitation of witness' signature.

Access to Records. Edward Douglas Boardmali, manager of the Dominion Road branch, said that from August, 1931, to October, 1932, Robinson was his assistant and he had access to all records of the bank. He would know the position of all accounts •which were operated upon by deposit only. He had access to all specimen signatures, two of which were taken from each depositor. On June 28, 1932, a man who signed the name "J. Louder" presented a withdrawal slip purporting to be signed by Ray Alexander and also presented what appeared to be Alexander's bank pass book. The signature appeared to be in order and witness gave the man an order to the head office of the bank. Robinson was employed at the bank at the time. The pass b<sok was cancelled and returned to the man. On April 11, 1933, Alexander's mother called about interest on the account and presented his bank pass book showing there was no cancellation. The pass book presented by the man "Louder" was one obtained from the stock and written up so that it appeared that it was a new book issued to Alexander. Robinson had access to the stock of books kept in the bank and witMess had never given a book to "Louder." Denial to Manager. Thomas Norman Smalhvood, manager of the Auckland Savings Bank, said that in consequence of the withdrawal of £201 10/ from Alexander's account, he •wrote to accused, Robinson, early in April, asking him to call. Accused called at the bank, and witness asked him if he had seen the withdrawal slip before and if he knew anything about it. He said he knew nothing about it. Witness told Robinson he could not believe him. as he was the only person who could have issued a duplicate pass book. Robinson again said he knew nothing about it.

Mr. Hogben: Robinson had been employed in the bank for six years? —Yes. Was he a capable clerk?— Yes, he was. I think while at the bank he came under an outside influence that was distinctly bad for him? —That is so. Would that be a considerable contribution to his downfall?— Yes. Interview with Detective. Detective-Sergeant P. J. Doyle said that on July 8 last he interviewed accused, Robinson, at Gisborne. Robineon, when told about the complaint by the manager of the Savings Bank, that £201 10/ was obtained froip Alexander's account, said he knew nothing about it. He said he had already told Mr. Smallwood that. "They can't put that over me," he added. Witness asked accused if he knew a man who visited him at the Dominion Road branch of the bank and who uplifted the forged document. Robinson said he had never heard of him. Accused then made a statement in which he denied the offence. Witness gaid that on July 18 lie saw accused at the Police Court when he was remanded. He asked what charges were to be brought against him. On being told, Robinson said, "I am pleading guilty to the £201 10/ charge as well as the other." Accused was later interviewed at the detective office, when he made another statement admitting he was a party to the offence. On the charge of stealing £201 10/ th# male accused pleaded guilty and tv*b committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. The hearing of the other charges was then proceeded with. Widow's Evidence. Evidence was given by an elderly widow residing at Mount Eden that she had an account in the Dominion Road branch of the Auckland Savings Bank. A letter (produced), purporting to have been written to the manager of the Dominion Road branch under her hand, was not written by her. She did not have a post office box at Wellesley Street and had never been a patient in a convalescent home. She never at any time authorised the transfer of her credit balance from the Dominion Road branch of the Savings Bank to the Bank of New Zealand, Symonds Street.

Mr. Smalhvood "was recalled and said accused denied all knowledge of the letters purporting to have been signed by the elderly woman. Accused was asked about an account which had been opened by the female accused, who was then single, Ift the name of the elderly Woman at the Bank of New Zealand. "I gave Mm half an hour to tell ttie the truth," 6aid witness. "Accused came back a little later and said he thought out the scheme, and induced the female accused to -write the - letters and- the withdrawal slips,"

Accused's Alleged Confession. Mr. E. D. Boardmaii, recalled, said that after the Bank of New Zealand held up payment of the money he wrote to Fanny Swanson and gave the letter to • Robinson to post. Later witness received a letter purporting to come from Fanny Swanson from a convalescent home. After receiving this letter witness went to see Mrs. Swanson and showed her all the correspondence he had received, and she produced her Dominion Road branch passbook. "After making further inquiries," said witness, "I asked accused Robinson to come with me to head office to see the manager. He said to me, 'What is all the fu?s about?'" Witness told him there was "a little excitement on." "We both went to head office and accused was interviewed by Mr. Smallwood and was that day dismissed from the bank. When accused was leaving the building 1 asked him, 'What 011 earth did you try a thing like that on for? You must have known that you would not have got away with it.' Robinson said, 'I was within an ace of getting away with it, except for you and Hartnoll.' " Mr. Hartnoll was a son of Mrs. Swanson. "Accused rang me on October 7, 1932, and said he was very sorry that he had caused so much trouble and that lie had got a job. He said good-bye." Witness produced the deposit slip for £728 13/ of October 4, when the deposit was made at the Bank of New Zealand, Symonds Street, to the credit of Fanny Swanson. The deposit slip was made out in accused's handwriting.

A clerk employed in the Bank of New Zealand, Symonds Street, said he notified his bank when the female accused called in and opened an account in the name of Fanny Swanson He had known the female accused for some years and knew that she was not Fanny Swanson. A ledger keeper employed at the Bank of New Zealand said the female accused gave the name of Fanny Swanson when she opened an account. Asked why she was owning an account, the female accused said she was expecting to come into some money shortly, and that she was staying temporarily at a city hotel and was travelling. She asked for a cheque book, but witness refused her request, as the sum deposited (£1) was too small. There was no woman of the name she gave staying at the hotel. The male accused called at the bank with an order drawn on the head office of his bank for £728 13/, and said he was paying it to the credit of Fanny Swanson. The lodgment was held up owing to an irregularity. Later the full amount of money had been refunded to the savings bank.

Admissions by Wife. An interview with tlie female accused was then described by Detective-Sergeant Doyfi?. He told her that a young woman had opened an account at the Bank of New Zealand, Symonds Street, in the name of Fanny Swanson and that £728 13/ -was transferred from Mrs. Swanson's account as the result of a forged letter signed "Fanny Swanson," received by the manager of the Dominion lload branch of tlie savings bank. When witness suggested to her that she had opened the account with a deposit of £1 and asked her why she had done so, the female accused said, "Yes, I opened the account and I will tell you the truth about it, but I do not want 'Robbie' to get into trouble." She admitted that she had written the letters. After being warned, Mrs. Robinson then made a statement, in which she said she married the male accused in December last. She did not like to say who asked her to open the account, but she was asked to do so by the same person who asked her to write the latter and who supplied her with information to compose them. (Proceeding.)