INGENIOUS ROBBERY.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12401, 17 November 1908, Page 4

INGENIOUS ROBBERY.

By the first post on a recent morning, each of the managers of twelve suburban branches of the London and South-western Bank received transfer advice notes purporting to have been sent and sighed by the manager of the Harlesden. . branch, informing him that Mr D. Stanley Windell (the thief had a sense of humour), who had an" account of, £710 at that branch, wished to transfer his account to the recipient's branch, informing him that Mr D." Windell should receive every attention. Tho forged signature of the Harlesden manager was so perfect that not one of his colleagues, who knew 'his signature almost as well as they knew their own, thought for a moment it was a forgery. But the managers had an additional reason for believing in the genuineness of the letters. Every morning the manager of each branch receives a letiier from the headquarters of the baiik giving a certain secret code mark, which~all letters written by one : manager to another, or by the mauagors to .the head office, must bear that day. The letters received by the twelve managers advising the transfer of the account to D. Stanley Windoll all bore the correct code mark for the day. By some unexplained means the thief- obtained printed transfer forms, a copy of the Harlesden manager's signature; _ and knowledge of the secret code. Hiring a motor cab, ho began operations at the Vauzhall branch. Having interviewed the manager and ascertained that the branch had been advised of the transference of his account from Harlesden, he obtained a cheque book," drew a cheque payable to "Self" for £290,. obtained the money and went; away. The. same procedure was followed at seven other branches, everywhere with success. Then came the master-stroke. L The thief had taken care that the cab should never pull up in front of a bank building, amj this, combined with the sight of him ; consulting a' plan with the .branches marked on it /.made the driver suspicious. ..The moment the thief noticed this suspicion, he said, "Go as fast as you can to the head offices' of the bank at 174, : Fenchurch street." This, boldness made the driver think his fare was a bank official. To Fenchurch street he drovej and the thief mingled with the crowd in the bank, and was seen no more by' the driver. "