£14,000 OUT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1012, 10 May 1917, Page 11

£14,000 OUT.

BANK CLERK'S LAPSE. A Idler in the Government Savings] Bank named Arthur .John Leggo, aged 'JO, was charged, before Mr Smithers, S.M., at the Central Police Court, with stealing £14,000, the properly of the commissioners of the bank, between January 2 and April 17, 1017 (says the "Sydney Sun"). Detective-Sergeant .1. T. Pattinson said thai on April 17, in company with Inspector Walker and Detective Mitchell, he saw the accused in Mr Warden's ollice at the Government j Savings Hank. Moore Street. Inspector Walker said: "This is one of the tellers of the bank; he is £14,000] short in his cash, and has told Mr j Warden everything." To witness, ac- j cuscd said: "1 want to give the bank | every assistance to recover the money." Asked where the money j had gone, Leggo replied: "On the j racecourse, all except £SOO, which 1 ■ have handed lo Mr Warden." At the detective ollice Leggo said he wanted lo make a statement and gel il off* his j mind. This statement was pul in evidence. II was as follows:

About a fortnight after my appointment to Ihe Moore Street branch as paying leller. No. 1, 1 took £2OO from cash and put il on The Fortune Hunter in the name of Mr K. Noble with Mr .1. Hacketl. On the following Saturday I went to Mooreiield, and lost about £4OO, also taken from cash. The "horses backed on lhal occasion were: First race. The Knut, £IOO, unplaced; second race, £2OO on Loved One, third; third race, £2OO on Bunny Hug, second; fourth race, Mall Maid, won £SOO to £2OO, J. Brown, bookmaker; fiflh race, £2OO Narivo, third; sixth race, £IOO Fa Balfour, third; £SO Dclara, second. Trepid won this race. Every Wednesday following this dale I sent lo the pony courses by my nephew. Mr E. F. Leggo, various sums from £2OO to £IOO, amongst the ponies invested on being The Tuck, Brown Mimer, Lalla, Margarita, Flying Arrow, and My Delight. Of these I won on The Tuck and Brown Mimer. The losses greatly exceeded winnings. Another pony invested on, and which lost, was Brella, £IOO, being invested at Ascot. These amounts were all taken out of my cash, and when counting day came round, either Tuesday <>r Thursday, 1 made j a practice of deducting from the cash received during Ihe day from the receiving tellers the amount of ' the delicieney. and placed it in my own cash; thus my cash always appeared correct. The amount steadily grew large!' until it reached Ihe sum of £IOSO jusl before the Faster holidays. Without notice on a Wednesday the order came that all cash was lo be counted, receiving tellers' cash as well. I had in my possession a Sehemberg Lodge cheque, of which I was treasurer. I tilled Ibis cheque in for the amounl of £IOSO, and the manager aeeepied it as cash. The practice now became to count all cash, and so my chance of making good my deficiency from lime lo time on counting days was very slight, f then resolved lo lake a good sum out to the Randwick races at Easter. I look £IOOO, and on Ihe first day J i put £lO on Lord Cecil, second; £200; on Canlcrmcrle, nowhere: £3OO on Thrice, won; £IOO on Cctigne (Doncaster); £IOO Whiteiield, third; £800; on Colbert in Ihe Leger, also £2OO on j Achi King. The race was won by Thana. In Ihe last race on the first j day I pul aboul £SOO on Healherbrae, second. On Ihe second dav I pul j £OOO on Redfcrn, and £IOO on WhiteHeld in the Flying Handicap, won by La Sleppe; £IOO on Prince Viridis, and £2OO lo £IOO on Thrice.

I hacked Green Cap for the Sydney Cup, putting.,about £50(1 on, Also Liiigle, £l-100 to £200; Court Jester, £BOO to £2OO twice. Backed Glenquinn far the Steeplechase, £OOO lo £2OO twice, and in the second last race I put £3OO on Olladini. In Hulas! race I had £-100 left from my £•1000, and I pill il on Secret Service at 3 lo 1, thus finishing up the dav with £4OO. On the following Wednesday 1 senl out to Randwick bv Mr .1. Carney £IOOO lo hack Polyciales (unplaced) and £1(1!) on Prince Vir'ulis, who won. thus losing £SOO on the day, and on Salurdav last, feeling thai il was niv last chance, I look £7OOO from Ihe cash, and wenl out for a recovery to try and cover my dclicieney. I put £BOO on Eastcourl in the iirsl race in four hels (unplaced). In the second race I hacked Cetigne, £7OO to £IOO, with Baker, and £7OO lo £-100 with Hackelt. and £350 lo £2OO twice with other hookmakers. In Ihe third rare I mil £IOOO even nionev Green Cap, £50(1 with Baker and £SOO with Hackelt.

In the fourth race I plunged very [heavily, as my chance was - growing less, and I think I pul on Brorrzetti I about £ISOO, who ran second, and aboul £2500 on Spurn, who finished I third in the last race. After returning home I had aboul ' £SOO in my possession, which I handled lo Ihe commissioners, to whom I |made a clean breast of Ihe whole i mailer on going lo Ihe hank al !) I a.m. Hi is dav. j I also lost aboul £BOO on Gien(|uinn, who ran second iif Ihe I Steeplechase. ■ To the best of my belief Ihe comImcneement of all these helling Iranjsactions began on or aboul January 120, and have continued right up to I and including Salurdav, Ihe 1-ilh jinsl. In addition lo Ihe above amounts I have advanced lo my nephew oul of the bank funds Ihe'sum of £BOO lo enable him lo gel a clearance from his creditors. His name and address late Mr E. K. Leggo. "Oaklands," j Brook Street, Coogcc. Willi regard to the advance lo my | nephew I desire lo make it clear lha! ihe had absolutely no knowledge thai Ihe funds I was using were other I than my own. I completely misled ;him in (he matter when I handed t Ihe money lo him. J informed him | of the Irue stale of affairs lasl evenI ing, and rcuueslcd him lo repay Ihe |money lo Ihe hank id Ihe earliesl : possible moment. The onl\ banking aeeounl I have is al Ihe B;mk of New South Wales head ollice. nod should show a credil balance of aboul £BO. (Signed) A. .1. LEGGO. Del.-Sgl. .1. T. PATTINSOX, Witness. Richard P. Breden, manager of Ihe [Moore Street branch, said thai Ihe i accused was employed al Ihe bank ias No. 1 paving teller. He was appointed lo lhal position aboul three months ago. The accused had 2('> | years' service with Ihe bank, and had worked up from a cade!. i Leggo was committed, for trial, bail beins*fixed, self in £1(100 and four snrelies of £IOOO each, or two of '£2ooo each.