BANK CLERK IN DOCK

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 196, 14 May 1924, Page 10

BANK CLERK IN DOCK

ALLEGED FORGERY,-UTTERING AND THEFT ALLUSIONS TO BETTING TRANSACTIONS The trial of Reginald Hoggard, formerly employed at the Te Aro branch of the National Bank of New Zealand, was commenced in the Supreme Court before Mr. Justice Chapman and a jury of twelve yesterday. Hoggard is charged with forging and uttering a cheque for £ll7 175., also with stealing the sum mentioned. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. W. Perry for accused. Mr. G. Sandford was foreman of the jury. . . , In outlining the Crown s case, Air. Macassey said that for some years past Hoggard had been employed at tho Te Aro branch of the National Bank of New Zealand, and at the time of the alleged offences was acting as first bills clerk. Qn August 14, 1923, Michael Alexander Quin, licensee of the Club Hotel, Martinborough, signed a promissory note for £llB, duo on December 17, 1923, in favour of Dwan Brothers, hotel brokers, Wellington. On August 30. this bill was discounted by the National Bank of New Zealand for Dwan Brothers and then became the property of the bank. Tho bill was forwarded to the Bank of New Zealand, Martinborough, as collecting agents for the National Bank, and the money was duly paid. On the same date the Bank of Now Zealand, Martinborough, forwarded to the Te Aro branch. Wellington, a remitting warrant for the money, and on December 18 this warrant was received by the bills department of the National Bank at Te Aro. On receipt of this remitting warrant tho proceeds should have been credited to the inland bills account, but this was not done. There could be no doubt that accused received the remitting warflant because, on the same date he prepared a. credit slip for the amount stated in the warrant and the proceeds were credited to an account styled “I. Banks.” This credit slip was in the handwriting of accused, and the slip was initialled by him, which showed clearly that he passed the entry. The fact that both the credit slip and the remitting warrant for the money bore the first teller’s stamp. December 18, was conclusive proof that the money posted to the credit of “I. Banks” was the proceeds of Quin’s bill to Dwan Brothers. The following day a cheque for the amount was made out in the handwriting of accused and initialled by him for cash and signed “I. Banks.” On February 25, 1924, a credit for this amount was passed to the inland bills account, but instead of being shown as “No. 119” it was shown as “No. 239,” which would be proved to be a fictitious number. "When interrogated bv detectives and shown the credit slip and cheque, Hoggard admitted that they were made out by him. but he could not give any explanation and said he knew nothing about it. Accused denied writing the signature “I. Banks” on the cheque and could not give the police any information as to who the person was. The Crown would also endeavour to prove that accused had placed a number of documents in a parcel and placed them in the basement at the bank just prior to going on leave and this parcel included the credit slip and cheque. Leo. Thomas Dwan (clerk for Dwan Brothers), Francis Gordon Fendall (clerk at the Bank of New Zealand), and Joseph Ross (second bills clerk at the Te Aro branch of the National Bank gave evidence on the lines of counsel’s opening. Cecil Port, an assistant clerk lit the bills department, deposed to .finding a brown-paper parcel containing the documents, which ho handed to the manager. Robert Moffat, manager of the bank, said that he had requested accused in the presence of a bank inspector and detectives to give an explanation, but Hoggard only replied: “I cannot —I know nothing at all.” Witness produced a private book which he said had been found with other papers in the basement. Mr. Perry: I object, sir, to that book going in; it is a private book. Mr. Macassey: It is a book that shows certain racing entries; it is in the handwriting of accused and was found with the cheque, credit slip and specimen signatures: I. submit that it connects accused with the brown-paper parcel. Mr. Perry urged that the evidence was inadmissable, but His Honour overruled the objection.

Witness proceeded to state that, according to the entries, the owner of the book had invested £46 or £47 on racing and lost about £23 10s. 6d. over a period of six or seven weeks. Under cross-examination, witness stated that he never had occasion to suspect accused of betting. The case had not concluded when the Court adjourned last evening. The defence will probably be opened this afternoon.