THEFTS BY TELLER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20324, 3 August 1929, Page 14

THEFTS BY TELLER.

BANK ROBBED OF £240.

PASS BOOKS FALSIFIED

ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY

[RY TELEGRAPH. —OWN con RESPONDENT.]

NKW PLYMOUTH. Friday

At tho Stratford Magistrate's Court today Edward Vauncey Hughes was charged with the theft of £240 from the Bank of New South Wales, Stratford, in four sums, dating from May, 1928, to April, 1929. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence.

Richard Malfroy, manager of tho Stratford branch of the hank, gave evidence that accused had been second officer at tho hank until June 6 last. Ho was then transferred to tho Tokomaru Bay branch as accountant.

On July 19 witness niado an examination of tho passbook of Mr. T. W. Smith. The hook was in the accused's handwriting, and as toon as witness saw this lie knew that there was something wrong. It was a false passbook. Accused's duties wore confined to tho counter, and he was not supposed to have any connection with ledgers, except when there was nobody else about and lie had to got a balance or make entries in the passbook to complete it.

Accused's post was that of teller. He had no authority to make up passbooks. Accused started work at tho Stratford branch on January 24, 1920. Passbook and Ledger Disagree. On comparing the passbook with the ledger witness found that the passbook showed a credit balance of £7O more than was shown in the ledger. Credits of £6B 15s on August 9, 1928. and £OO 13s 8d on April 4, 1929, were shown in tho passbook, but not in tho ledger. A credit of £46 Is 3d on April 18 was also shown in the ledger, but not in tho passbook. Cheques for £25 14s 8d in favour of " wages' 1 was shown in tho passbook as charged to accounts both on April 4 and 11. 1929. but it appeared in tho ledger only on April 11. Air. Smith's deposit book showed deposits of £6B 15s on August 9, 1928, and £BO 13s 8d on April 2, 1929.

As a result of what he heard from tho police witness investigated tho account of Mr. A. T. Tempero. Ho found that no cheque had been paid in in July, 1928, although it was customary for Air. Tempero to bank his milk cheque either in wholo or in part.

Payment Not Credited. A chcquo issued by the Midhirst Dairy Company had since been destroyed by the company, but tlio secretary stated that Mr. Tempera's cheque for July, 1928, was .for £53 13s 10(1. The amount of the payin slip (produced) for £SO was not shown in Iho books.

The account of Mr. A. Coyne was also investigated, witness continued. The passbook could not be found, but a deposit slip had been found showing a sum of £4O 15s 2d, a Makahu Dairy Company's cheque for £3B 15s 2d. and a cheque from J. and J. Hopkirk for £2. Marks on the back of tho dairy company's cheque purported to show that it had been cashed. The other cheque was similarly marked, but the bank on which it was drawn reported that it had not been cashed. The books showed no uecord of payments by Messrs. Ternpero and Coyne. Accused Just Promoted.

Accused's duty was to lake payments, enter the amounts in the teller's cash book, and place the cheques on different files, to be dealt with by different members of the staff. Accused had been on the bank's staff for about 13 years. He was transferred from Stratford on pinmotion, and he was going as accountant to a larger hank at an increased salary. Accused's confession as regarded Mr. Coyne and Mr. Tempero had greatly facilitated the investigations and settlement of accounts between the bank and its customers.

Detective Meiklejohn said that on July 22 accused offered to make a statement regarding his defalcations. Ho had been arrested at Opunake on the previous Saturday and charged as regards two amounts of Mr. Smith's account. Seen a<;ain on July 31 accused said he did not think he had cashed a cheque for £2, part of Mr. Coyne's amount. Accused offered to find the pay-in slips of Mr. Coyne and Mr. Tempero. and had done so. Bail was allowed in one bond of C2OO or two of CIOO each.