Bank Teller’s Thefts

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 308, 29 December 1938, Page 2

Bank Teller’s Thefts

A “SPLIT PERSONALITY" SYDNEY, Dec. 18. A “split personality,*' described as an extremely rare complaint, was. referred to by Dr. Eric Busman, a psychiatrist, in evidence at the Quarter Sessions in Sydney. Dr. Busman said he had formed the theory that Stanley Charles Strout, aged 34, teller, who pleaded guilty to the fraudulent conversion of £B3O from the Commonwealth Savings Bank, had developed a “splitting of the personality,* * owing to severe anxiety and worry. Strout, it was stated, had first taken money from the bank to pay a civil debt, and other sums which were afterward taken were loat on the racecourse. According to accused's counsel, Mr Sturt, each successive lapse was an attempt to raise money to cover Strout *s previous lapse, and to make good to the bank all that he had taken from it. The £B3O shortage charged against Strout, Mr Sturt added, covered the period from September 6 to September 19, and there seemed to be no doubt that accused, at that time, was so numbed by anxiety and worry, which had beset him for the preceding six months, that he did not know what he was doing. Dr. Busman said that only psychological explanation he could give was that, in view of the previous excellent character of Stront, he had undergone a complete change in personality. Up till June witness was satisfied that Strdut knew whether he was doing wrong, but after that time, through stress of anxiety and worry, he became desperate. Strout did such foolish things in such a clumsy way that it was possible to postulate that he was not really conscious of what he was doing. His previous good record and frank, open manner both supported the possibility of a complete change of personality. Other evidence was that Strout had had an excellent record of 18 years as a bank officer. Accused was sentenced to 18 months* imprisonment.