BANK CLERK'S FRAUD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20312, 20 July 1929, Page 12

BANK CLERK'S FRAUD.

Draft for uioo forged. [CAREFULLY PLANNED COUP. MANY ACCOUNTS OPENED. CONFESSION BY THE ACCUSED. An admission that ho forged a draft for £-1700 on tlio Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth was mado by Samuel Fabian Wills, aped 21 (Mr. A. U. .Johnstone), in tho Polieo Court yesterday. In a writton statement that was read by tho police the accused, who was employed as a clerk in the Auckland branch of the bank, said that he secured the necessary forms for drawing tho money from the bank on July 6, tho day on •which he left for a fortnight's holiday, then proceeding to New Plymouth, ■where ho successfully presented tho draft. 110 was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence. Mr. A. J. Stratford rmd Mr. 11. Brit tain Bull, J.T's., \verron tho Bench. James Archie McWilliams, acting assistant accountant of tiie Bank of New South Wales at Auckland, said that on Thursday, July 11, tho branch received n clearing voucher for £4700 from the New Plymouth office in favour of A. C. Davis, and purporting to bear witness' signature. Tho signature was a forgery, and tho New Plymouth branch was at once communicated with by telephone. It was ascertained that a draft for £4700 was cashed on July 9. Witness said tho signature on the voucher was a good imitation of his own, and he thought that it had been traced. The draft-form had been taken from the second to last page in a book of 100 forms, while the clearing voucher could bo obtained anywhere in tho bank. Mena Pocock, a young woman employed as a clerk in tho Auckland branch of the Bank of New South Wales, said that tho signature on tho draft for £4700 ■was not hers, nor was it anything like it. Payments at New Plymouth. Robert Howard Vincent, teller at the New Plymouth branch of tho Bank of New South Wales, said that on July 9 a clearing voucher was received by post from the Auckland branch advising of tho issue of a draft for £4700 in favour of A. C. Davis, also a specimen signature of A. C. Davis attached to the clearing voucher. About eleven o'clock on the came morning accused called at the bank and presented the draft for £4700. He said that he was a solicitor practising in Auckland and he gave his address. " Tho draft corresponded with the clearing voucher received, and I acted upon tho draft as if all was in order," witness said. " Accused signed the name Alfred Clifton Davis in my presence, and this agreed with the specimen signature, lie opened an account for £4650, and requested the payment of £SO, which was paid him in ten five-pound notes. " A little later that day wo received through the Bank of New Zealand a cheque drawn by A. C. Davis for £2509, and this was paid. About two o'clock that afternoon accused again called at tho bank and cashed a cheque for £2OOO, which I paid in 100 twenty-pound notes. This left a credit balance of about £l4l. I »eted upon the diaft believing it to bo genuine." „ Money Found on Accused. Detective Power said that about seven o'clock on the evening of July 11 he interviewed accused at a house in Parriell. The sum of £375 was fonud in his possession, and there were also three receipts for fi.ved deposits totalling £2~CO in three Auckland banks. Nine passLooks for three branches of the Auckland Savings Bank were a!?o found, showing that £2OO had been lodged in each of the nine accounts. In a written statement accused said that he commenced 14 days' lervve from tho bank on July 6, and that morning he took a blank draft-form from a book on the inquiry Counter. Ho also procured a clearing voucher used in conjunction with tho form. Durim: tho morning lit' filled in the draft for £4700 in favour of Alfred Clifton Davis—a purely imaginary name—on tho New Plymouth branch of the Hank of New South Wales. lie signed tho names of J. McWilliams, acting assistant accountant, and M. Pocock, a girl clerk. " I know both Mr. McWilliams' and Miss Pococli's signatures fairly well, having seen them a good deal in the bank," accused added. " When I signed their names to tho draft I mado as good a representation of their signatures as I could, intending that they should be accepted as their signatures at New Plymouth. Mv next step was to fill in tho clearing voucher, which is a slip sent by the bank hero to the branch at New Plymouth or other branches, advising of tho issuo of a draft, the name of tho paveo and sometimes a specimen signature Voucher in Office Correspondence. " This clearing voucher is sent by post fi'nd when the draft is presented the particulars on tho draft must comparo with the particulars on tho clearing voucher. I filled in. this voucher advising the Bank of New South Wales at New Plymouth of the issue of a draft for £4700 to A. C. Davis, and again on this voucher I forged tho name of J. McWilliams. This voucher I placed in tho envelope containing tho other offico correspondence to the Bank of New South Wales at New Plyrnouth. " On tho following day, July 7, I left Auckland and went to Wanganui in my own car. I stayed at Wanganui until the 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 £47 do. Tho draft was accepted and I made a deposit of £4700 there in the name I had put on the draft and got £SO in cash. I also procured at the same timo three counter cheque forms. " After leaving tho 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 a letter of identification to Hamilton. On the afternoon of the same day I went back to Ihe Bank of New South Wales a! New Plymouth and cashed a cheque for £?000. I got this money in cash and took it awav with mo. After caihin'; this clieeue I immediately loft, New Plymouth and returned to Wanganui, where my people live. T.lnsy Erav/n at ITr.mTon. "The same night I went though to ton and caught the limitc ovpioss to !• ran It io n Junction, arriving at Hamil ton early in the morning of Ju'y 10. The fcaino morning, about tni o'clock. I called at the Bank of New Zealand t'''oro" and tendered tho letter ol identification and obtained the sum of i'25 r 9. less o"ohaii"c and tehgraphic fees All these transactions had also been done in the name of Alfred Clifton *'avis. "Tho position now was that 1 had oh- 1 tained from the Bank of Now South Wales at New Plymouth a total sum of £4559 leading a credit balance of £l4l, which is still there. Of this amount of £-1559, the sum of £2 lis had been absorbed in exchange and telegraphic fees, making the net amount I had received £4556 0,;. " I then came on to Auckland and immediately mado arrangements for tho deposit of so mo of this money in tho banks

in Auckland. I made, tlicso deposits in my own name, this being tlio fust timo 1 had reverted to my own riamo during the whole of these transactions. The deposits mado by mo in Auckland consist of the following:—Auckland Savings Rank, Khyher Pass branch, Newmarket branch and Ponsonby branch each £600; National Bank of Now Zealand, Newton branch (fixed deposit), £600; Union Bank of Australia, Newton branch (fixed deposit.), £800; National Bank of New Zealand, Auckland branch (fixed deposit), £6OO. " .All (lie above deposits I ma'de yesterday (Wednesday, July 10), with tho exception of the deposit of £6CO at Ponsonby, which I made this afternoon. " Yesterday I bought a Singer ear from Campbell Motors, Limited, for £275. I bought this car in the name of a young lady friend of mine. This car was bought with part of tho money obtained through this forged draft. " There is therefore the sum of £lO7 9s, which J have spent. I have spent this money on clothes, travelling expenses and various items sinco I first obtained the money. I could not give a detailed account of the moneys I have spent. Tho sum of £374 which I now have in my possession is part of tho money that I obtained with tho forged draft. " The £SO Bank of New Zealand note included in this amount is ono that I rereived from tho Bank of New Zealand at Hamilton yesterday. I have also one pound in silver, which is part of tho proceeds. When I forged tho names of J. McWilliams and M. I'oeock to tho draft for £4700 I intended to defraud tho Bank of New South Wales of that amount. When I tendered (ho draft at tho Xew Plymouth branch of tho bank I intended that it should bo acted upon as genuine. " I hav« been with tho Bank of New South Wales at Auckland for the past two years and was previously with the same bank at Paten, Inglewood and Wanganui Altogether 1 have been in tho bank's service for four and a-half years. This is the first time I have ever attempted anything of this nature. " The idea first camo to mo on tho Friday night before I went on leave and tho day on which I actually wrote out tho draft and clearing voucher. I got £3 10s a week at tho bank, and for snmo time past I have been rather exceeding my income with my expenses and finally I was tempted to adopt these means of obtaining money. I have read this statement through and it is truo. It is a voluntary statement made l>y mo wishing to get tho whole matter cleared up." The accused added the following postscript: "Tho clearing voucher initialled and dated by mo to-day is the. voucher posted by mo to tho bank at New Plymouth and on which I have forged tho name of J. McWilliams." Upon Mr. Johnstone asking fof bail Chief-Detective Hammond said that lie would be satisfied with £SOO. Mr. Stratford: £500? Mr. Hammond: Yes. Ono surety of £SOO. Mr. Stratford: One of .£500? Mi'. Hammond: Well, we cannot make it. £SOOO. Bail was subseouently fixed at two sureties each of £250.