TELLER CHARGED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 141, 16 June 1936, Page 5

TELLER CHARGED.

THEFT ALLEGED. SUM OF £7500 INVOLVED. COUNTRY BANK SENSATION. (By Telegraph. —Special to "Star.") WANGANUI, this day. The Wanganui police were advised from Mangaweka on Friday last that the sum of £7500 was missing from the strongroom of the Bank of New Zealand, and Detective-Sergeant J. K. Robertson and Detective J. Murray were sent up to make investigations. The report of the money being missing created a sensation in Mangaweka, it being generally thought that some expert burglar, with a duplicate key, had obtained access to the bank and stolen the money, which was in £5 and £1 notes. The matter was all the more mysterious as thare were no marks of any des?ription to indicate how the building could have been entered. It is customary for banks in country towns, instead of having to send frequently to headquarters for notes, to carry their own reserve and draw from this as occasion demands for paying out purposes, it was when making one of these missions to the strong room on Friday to replenish the tellers' reserve that it was discovered that a large number of notes were no longer there. I

The investigations of the Wanganui detectives led to all the money being recovered yesterday.

Later in the day tlie bank teller, Maurice Edward Alexander, single, aged 32, appeared before -Air. F. Dickinson. J.P., charged that 011 June 10, being a servant in the employ of the Bank of New Zealand at Mangaweka, he stole £7500, the property of tlie bank. On the application of the police accused was remanded to appear at Wanganui to-day.

Accused, who was represented by Mr. W. C. S. Bainbridge, appeared in the Wanganui Court this morning before Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M. DetectiveSergeant Robertson asked for a remand to Tailiape til! June 10, which was granted. Mr. Bainbridge made an application for bail, and stated that the whole of the money had been handed back by accused.

Detective-Sergeant Robertson said that accused had 110 relatives in New Zealand, but had many friends. He had been employed in the Bank of Xew Zealand since leaving school, and had refunded the money. The magistrate said that under the circumstances he would lix bail at £200 in self and one similar surety. Accused was ordered to report daily to the police at Mangaweka.