A CLEVER SWINDLER.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 114, 12 May 1909, Page 6

A CLEVER SWINDLER.

A cable message published recently stated that Windell had been identified by bank clerks in London.

Banking circles in London were severely shocked by a delightfully simple swindle that was perpetrated at the expense of several branch offices of the London and South-Western Bank on September 27th. Not the least delightful feature in the lamentable story was the name which the bold, bad swindler took. It was, in fact, "D. S. Windell." The story commences with a communication that was received at the Catford branch. The communication, which came from the Harlesden branch, was to the effect that a customer had transferred £750 from his account there to the Catfoi-d office, as he had gone to live in that district. The communication was on the usual official form, and was in every other way official, even down to the secret code word. This code word is changed ©very day, and is only issued from the head office; and its adaptation by the enterprising Mr "D. S. Windell" is only another tribute to' his very modern methods and up-to-date originality. The following morning a well-dressed stranger drove up in a taxi-cab and entered the Catford branch. He announced that he was the new client whose coming had been advised. He proceeded to go through the usual formalities, signing the signa-ture-book and so forth. (The full name he wrote in the signature-book was Davitt Stanley Windell.) Details having been arranged, and the £750 having been credited to his account, Mr S. Windell drew a small cheque for £290, as he was going to Windsor races. He said he would like £90 in gold and the rest in £5 and £10 notes. Mr S. Windell then withdrew, only putting his head round the door to remind the > officials not to forget to send on his new cheque-book. _Mr S. Windell proceeded to visit eight other branches of the bank— Balham, Clapham, Dulwich, Forest Hill, Streatham, Sydenham, Tooting and Vauxhall—in the course of the morning, and at each office the same official communication about the transferred account had been received, j and the same procedure with regard to tho drawing of £290 was gonethrough. The Harlesden branch of the bank received a severe shock the following morning when nine other branches wrote in, and in the soberest | language informed the Harlesden ' office that, in accordance with its instructions, they had duly credited the account of Mr S. Windell with the amount advised, and had further more^ betwoen them paid out to him £2610, which they forthwith proceeded to debit the Harlesden branch with.

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