PAINLESS EXTRACTION

NZ Truth, Issue 1228, 13 June 1929, Page 9

PAINLESS EXTRACTION

Dental Manager Removed Teeth, But He Operated On Cash CUNNING THEFTS DISCLOSED SYSTEM (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative). / ■ ■ ■ """"^ The story of a systematic "rake-off" from the takings of the dental business : of which he was manager ' was told at the Auckland Magistrate's Court, when Vincent Walter Morley, dental surgeon, faced nine charges of theft totalling £234/11/.. ,-..■■

UNTIL. February of • this year, Morley was manager of the American Dental v Parlors, m Queen Street, for Dr. Frederick John Rayner at a salary of £11 a week. It was noticed that the weekly takings had shrunk very considerably, and when, the week after his departure, they suddenly trebled, sus-

picion "was naturally aroused. These details were griven by Anna Jane Young, secretary to Dr. Rayne'r, who went on to. explain some of the methods used ' by. Morley to divert cash into his own pocket. The money received, she stated, was placed. in a cash machine, which supplied i receipts m triplicate. It was possible to remove the top receipt by pressing a lever. . . This had been done and the receipt filled m apart from the machine, thus leaving no' extra dockets.

Morley' s practice appeared to he that he would give a receipt for the amount paid as deposit on work to be done. . • ..■ He told patients to bring this receipt back when the work was finished, when he filled up the exti-a amount on the original docket, thus

avoiding the account being closed when, ; normally, the second and third bills would pass through the .: books. ;In another case a patient said that he was too blind to be able to fill m a cheque properly. ' ■' ■ : ' ■. In : this instance, Morley filled m the patient's cheque, making it payable to 'himself,

but putting: the firm's name on the- butt. Detective-sergeant Kelly said he- arrested Morley on one charge of theft m May, but on taking him to the detective office, he interviewed him with regard to thirty more charges, dating back to 1924. Morley read the receipts, ■which had been recovered from various .patients, initialed them, and ; admitted that he had no defence. • He was later interviewed while on bail with regard to yet more charges, and ad-

mitted these as well. All told, these accounted for £248 4s. In reply to Mr. Inder, who appeared for accused; the detective admitted that Morley had given every assistance. On his pleading guilty, Mr. F. " K. , Hunt, 5.M... committed Morley for sentence to the Supreme Court. ■■• ■■ ' ■■,■:■■ ■■ ■ •■ !■ .' .- '