SAVINGS BANK RECEIPTS

Evening Star, Issue 21631, 29 January 1934, Page 12

SAVINGS BANK RECEIPTS

WOMAN CHARGED WITH FALSE PRETENCES SEVENTEEN SEPARATE SUMS INVOLVED Facing seventeen charges of making a false statement in connection with the withdrawal of money from another person's Post Office Savings Rank account, a middle-aged woman, named Annie M‘Dougall Smith, appeared in the Po’ice Court this morning before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M. The accused, who was represented by Mr C. J. L. White, also faced seventeen charges of uttering the documents. The accused was charged with making a false statement on August 15, 1933, to wit, a Post Office Savings Bank withdrawal receipt for the sum of £2 10s, purporting to be made and signed by Mary Copley, well knowing the receipt to be false, with the intention that it be acted upon as genuine. There were sixteen similar charges, the remainder being for the following amounts: —£1 (August 17), £2 (August 21), £2 10s (August 25), £3 (August 29), £3 (August 31), £1 (September 5), £2 (September 7), £2 (September 11). £2 10s (September 13), £2 (September IS), £1 10s (September 18), £2 (September 21), £l (September .23), £1 (September 25), £1 (September 27), 10s (September 29). The total amount involved was £3O 10s. The accused was charged also -with uttering these documents, knowing them to be forgeries (seventeen fcharges). During the morning the court adjourned to the Talboys Home to hear the evidence of Mary Copley, who is an inmate of the institution and whoso savings bank account was alleged to have been depleted by the accused. Witness' stated that she had known the accused for years, and after she had gone into the home the accused took care of some of her furniture and possessions. When -witness entered the home her bank book was in a box at her house.

Maurice Carson, a storeman in the Railway Department, said the accused was his sister-in-law. He also knew Mr Copley, who died last month in the Talboys Home, as well as Mrs Copley, who was at present an inmate. When the old couple went to the home portion of their furniture was taken to his place and portion to Mrs Smith’s place. When Mr Copley died inquiries were made as to what Mrs Copley had in her hanking account, and it was then found there was no money in the account with which to pay Mr Copley’s funeral expenses. Some time later he had a conversation with his sister-in-law about the banking account, and she handed him the Post Office Savings Bank book, telling him she had drawn everything out_ of the account except Is Bd. She_ said she had done it because she required the money, and that she had done it without the authority of Mrs Copley. When he received the book (produced)_ he examined it and saw that his sister-in-law had drawn out seventeen amounts of money totalling £3O 10s. To Mr White: His sister-in-law, the accused, had been in ill-health for some years, having had a stroke on two occasions.

Thomas James Glen, a clerk in the Post Office, said his department held an account in the name of Mary Copley. He had examined the seventeen withdrawal slips in the number of the book and had checked the bank book of Mary Copley, and could say that seventeen withdrawals had been made. On four occasions he was the paying teller at the time of withdrawals, the bank book' bearing his initials at'those times. The withdrawals were believed by- his department to be genuine. ‘ Detective-sergeant Nuttall - said that on January- 23 he interviewed , theaccused at the Detective Office in,connection with the withdrawals from .Mrs Copley’s account. He showed her eighteen withdrawal’ slips, and she admitted that the "signatures on seventeen, of them were hers', hut said the eighteenth was no. this last being,for a withdrawal on May 19, 1933. She admitted having signed the seventeen slips without the authority of Mrs Copley, and said she was there to tell the truth about the whole affair. In her statement the accused _ said she was a married, woman, residing with her husband at 10 Duke street. She had known "Mrs Copley,, an old lady living-in the Talboys Home, for the past twenty-five years. Mr Copley was also an. inmate of the home, and he died there in December last. When, the Copleys went to-the home some of their belongings were removed to her (the accused’s) house for safe keeping, among these being a wooden box which was not locked. Some time later she found in this box the Post Office Bank book of Mrs Copley. At this time the accused was hard up for money, and was tempted to get it. She went to the Post Office and gave them a specimen signature in the name of Mary Copley. Later she made out withdrawal receipts in the name of Mary Copley, and withdrew money from her Post Office Savings Bank account. In all, she-withdrew the sum of £3l 10s,. starting' with £2 10s on; August 15, 1933, and ending with 10s on Septcni-; her 29,. leaving l.s'/Sd in the account.; Wlien she withdrew this money front Mrs Copley’s account she was in hopes' of being able to put it back into the; account,, blit had been unable to do so.; In all she mndq seventeen withdrawals,; the reason being, that she had always; been kept- short of .money by her bus-; band. After Mr Copley died .it; was; found opt that Mrs Copley’s account" had been operated on. Mr Carson, who was accused’s brother-in-law, asked for the bank book. She handed him the book and told him she had withdrawn the money. The ■ Saturday after,, seeing her brother-in-law she saw Mrs Copley and told her what she had done. Mrs Copley told her that it was very wrong of her to do that, but, would not make, any charge about it.! The accused then agreed with her to take - her (Mrs Copley) to accused’s home and keep her there until she had made up for the money she had taken. Accused never at any time had Mrs Copley’s authority to withdraw the money. Mrs Copley did hot know the money had been taken until after her husband died. (Proceeding.)