FORGED DRAFT.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19676, 20 July 1929, Page 5

FORGED DRAFT.

BIG SUM INVOLVED. BANK CLERK'S ADMISSIONS. tTHE PRESS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, July 19. An admission that be forged a draft for £4700 on tae Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth, was made by Samuel Fabian Wills, aged 21 (Mr Johnstone), in the Magistrate's Court today. In a written statement that was read by the police, accused, who was employed as a clerk in the Auckland branch of the Bank, said he secured the necessary forms for drawing money from the' Bank on July oth, the day on which he left for a fortnight's holiday, then proceeding to New Plymouth, where he successfully presented the draft. Wills was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. James Archie McWilliams, acting assistant accountant of the Bank of New South Wales at Auckland, said that on Tuesday, July 11th, the branch received a clearing voucher for £4700 from the New Plymouth office, in favour of A. C. Davis, and purporting to bear witness's signature. The signature was a forgery and the New Plymouth branch was at once communicated with by telephone. It was ascertained that the draft for £4700 was cashed on July 9th. Witness said the signature on the voucher was a good imitation of his own and he thought that it had been traced. The draft form had been taken from the second last page in a book of 100 forms, while the clearing voucher could be obtained anywhere in the bank. Mena Pocock, a young woman employed as a clerk in the Auckland branch of the Bank of New Sontli Wales, said that the signature on the draft for £4700 was not hers, nor was it anything like it. Eobert Howard Vincent, teller at the New Plymouth branch of the Bank of New South Wales, said that on July 9th, a clearing voucher was received by post from the Auckland branch advising of the issue of a draft for £4700 in favour of A. C. Davis, also a specimen signature of A. C. Davis attached to the clearing voucher. About eleven o 'clock on the same morning accused called at the bank and presented the draft for £4700. He said that he was a solicitor practising in Auckland and he gave his address. "The draft corresponded with the clearing voucher received, and I acted upon the draft as if all was in order," witness said. "Accused signed the name Alfred Clifton Davis, in my presence, and this agreed with the specimen signature. He opened an account for £4650, and requested payment of £SO, which was paid him in ten fivepound notes. A little later that day we received through the Bank of New Zealand a cheque drawn by A. C. Davis for £2509, and this was paid. About two o'clock that afternoon accused again called at the bank, and cashed a cheque for £2OOO, which I paid in 100 twentypound notes. *his left a credit balance of about £l4l. I acted upon the draft believing it to be genuine." Detective Power said that about seven 0 'clock on the evening of July 11th he interviewed accused at a house in Parwell. The sum of £375 was found in his possession and there were also three receipts for fixed deposits totalling £2OOO in three Auckland banks. Nine passbooks for three branches of the Auckland Savings Bank were also found showing that £2OO had been lodged in each of nine accounts. In a written statement accused said he commenced 14 days' leave from the Bank on July 6th, and that morning he took a blank draft form from a book on the enquiry counter. He also procured a clearing voucher used in conjunction with the form. During the morning he filled in the draft for £4700 in favour of Alfred Clifton Davis, a purely imaginary name, on the New Plymouth branch of the Bank of New South Wales. He signed the names of J. McWilliams, acting assistant accountant, and Sf. Pocock, a girl clerk. "I know both Mr McWilliams's and Miss Pocock >s signatures fairly well, having seen them a good deal in the Bank," accused added. "When I signed their names to the draft I made as good a representation of their signatures as I could, intending that they should be accepted as their signatures at New Plymouth. My next step was to fill in the clearing voucher, which is a slip sent by the Bank here to the branch at New Plymouth, or _ other branches, advising them of the issue of a draft, the name of the payee, and sometimes a specimen signature. This clearing voucher is sent by post, and when the draft is presented the particulars on the draft must compare with the particulars on the clearing voucher. 1 filled in this voucher advising the Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth of the issue of a draft for £4700 to A. C. Davis, and again on this voucher I forged the name of J. MeWilliams. This voucher I placed in an envelope containing other office correspondence to the Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth. "On the following day, July 7th, I left Auckland and went to Wanganui in my own car. I stayed at Wanganui until Tuesday, and then drove through to New Plymouth. I called at the Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth just about noon, and presented the draft for £4700. The draft was accepted, and I made a deposit there in the name I had put on the draft and got £SO in cash. I also procured at the same time three counter cheque forms. After leaving the Bank of New South Wales I went to the Bank of New Zealand at New Plymouth, and after filling in a cheque for £2509 I paid it into the Bank of New Zealand for telegraphic transfer to its Hamilton branch. I also procured from this bank a letter of identification to Hamilton. On the afternoon of the same day I went back to the Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth and cashed a cheque for £2OOO. 1 got this money in cash and took it awav with me. After cashing this cheque* I immediately left New Plymouth and returned to Wanganui, I where mv people live. The same night I went through to Marton and caught the Limited express to Frankton Junction, arriving at Hamilton early in the morning of July 10th. The same morning, about 10 o'clock, I called at the Bank of New Zealand there and tendered the letter of identification and obtained the sum of £2509, less exchange and telegraphic fees. All these transactions had also been done in the name of Alfred Clifton Davis. '' The position now was that I had obtained from the Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth a total sum of £4559, leaving a credit balance of £l4l, which is still there. Of this amount of £4559 the sum of £1 lis had been absorbed in exchange and telegraphic fees, making the net amount I had received £4556 9s. I then came on to Auckland, and immediately made arrangements for the deposit of some of this money in the banks in Auckland. All the deposits I made yesterday "(Wednesday, July 10th), with the exception of a "deposit of £6OO at Ponsonby, which I made this afternoon. "Yesterdav I bought a Singer car j from Campbell Motors, Ltd., for £275, '

I bought this car in the name of a young lady friend of mine. This car was bought with part of the money obtained through this forged draft. There is, therefore, a sum of £lO7 9s which I have spent. I have spent this money on clothes, travelling expenses, and various items since I first obtained the J money. • "I have been with the Bank of New { South Wales at Auckland for the past I two years, and was previously with the j same bank at Patea, Inglewood, and , Wanganui. Altogether 1 have been in i the Bank's service for four and a halt ! years. This is the first time I have '. ever attempted anything of this i nature." | Upon Mr Johnstone asking for bail, ' Chief-Detective Hammond said that he \ would be satisfied with £SOO. i Mr Stratford: £500? • Mr Hammond: Yes, one surety of I £SOO. j Mr Stratford: One of £-500? i Mr Hammond: Well, we cannot make it £SOOO. Bail was subsequently fixed at two sureties each of £250.