FORGED DRAFT

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 18, 20 July 1929, Page 15

FORGED DRAFT

BANK CLERK'S STORY

£4700 STOLEN FROM BANK

(By Telearaph.)

(Special to "The Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, This Day

An admission that he forged a draft for £4700 on the Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth was made by Samuel Fabian Wills, aged 21, in the -Magistrate's Court in a written statement that was read by the police. The accused, who was employed as a clerk in the Auckland branch of the bank, paid he secured the necessary forms for drawing money from the bank on 6th July, the day on which he left for a fortnight's holiday, then proceeding to New Plymouth where he successfully presented the draft. He was committed to the' Supreme Court for sentence.

Evidence was given first by bank employees and a detective.

In his written statement the accused said' he commenced fourteen days' leave from the bank on 6th July and that morning he took a blank draft form from a book on the inquiry counter. He also procured the clearing voucher used in conjunction with the form. During the morning he filled iv 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. M'Williams, the acting assistant accountant, and M. Pocock, a girl clerk. "I know both Mr. M'Willianis's and Miss Pocock's signatures fairly well, having seen them a good deal in the bank," the 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 it 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 of draft must compare with the particulars of the clearing voucher. I filled in this voucher advising the Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth of the ijssue of a draft for & 4700 to A. C. Davis, and again on this voucher I forged the name of 3. M'Williams. This voucher I placed in an envelope, containing other office correspondence to the Bank ofv.New South Wales at New Plymouth. -, .•:.-' t TEIP TO NEW PLYMOUTH. "On the following day, Sunday, 7th July, 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 inthe name I had put on the draft, and got £50 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 ■i 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 £2000. I got this money in cash and took it away with me. After cashing this cheque, I immediately left Now Plymouth and returned to Wanganui, where my 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 10th July. The same morning, about ten o'clock, "i called at tho Bank of Now Zealand there and tendered tho letter of identification and obtained the sum of ,t2009, less exchange aud telegraphic foes. All these transactions had also liccn done in the name of Alfred Clifton Davis: . .-_~ ; -"The position now was that I h;id obtained from the Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth £4;359, leaving •ii credit balance of £141, which is still there. Of this amount o£ £4559 the' sum of £1 llg had been absorbed in exchange and telegraphic fees, making the net amount I had received £4550 9s.

I then came on to Auckland and immediately, made arrangements for the deposit of some of this money in bauks m Auckland. All the deposits I made yesterday (Wednesday), 10th July with the exception of a deposit of £GOO at Ponsonby, which I made this afternoon."- ■-.•■-•. .- ■ ■

•■ lesterday I: bought a Singer car from Campbel! Motors, Limited, for &L7o. I bougth this car in the name of a young lady friend of mine. This car was bought with part of tho rnonev obtained through this forged draft There is therefore the sum of £107 9s' which I have spent. I have spent this money on clothes, travelling expenses" and various items since I first obtained the moncv.

"I have been with the Bank of New South Wales at Auckland for the past two years, and was previously with the same bank at Patea, Inglewood, and Wanganui. Altogether I have been in the Bank's service for four and a half years. This is tho first time I have ever attempted anything of this nature " Bail was fixed at two sureties, each of £250.