£4700 FRAUD ALLEGED

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1929, Page 15

£4700 FRAUD ALLEGED

SENSATION IN BANK CIRCLES AUCKLAND CLERK IN CUSTODY. MOVEMENTS IN NEW PLYMOUTH. AMAZING SCHEME SUGGESTED. (By Wire—Special to News.) Hamilton, Last Night. An amazing story is revealed by the arrest of a young man named Samuel Fabian Wills, 21 years of age, at Auckland last night for allegedly obtaining £4700 by fraud. Wills was employed in the Auckland branch of the Bank of New South Wales and, his annual leave being due, he forwarded a draft for £4700, payable in the name of A. C. Davis, to the New Plymouth branch of the Bank of New South Wales, and allegedly faked the advice draft which followed. He then went to New Plymouth where, last Tuesday, he called at the locai branch and withdrew most of the £4700 He went across to the Bank of New Zealand and deposited a large sum of money theie. He also got the bank to telegraph a remittance of £2500 to the Hamilton branch of the Bank of New Zealand, and then obtained a letter of introduction to the bank at Hamilton, together with a specimen of his signature. He came straight through to Hamilton by car, and on Wednesday morning presented the letter of introduction at the local branch and, his signature being verified, he was handed over £2500.

The police suspected that ‘Mr. Davis 55 would be making for one of the ports, but doubtless “Mr. Davis” never dreamed that they would seek for him in Auckland. He was about to leave a Parnell home last evening with a young woman to attend a theatre party when he was arrested on a charge o f forging the names of J. McWilliams and M Pocock to a bank draft for £4700 on July 6, thereby causing the Bank of New South Wales to act upon it as genuine. Wills, it is said, told the young woman and his other friends that he would be back later. However, he did not return, for instead of going to the theatre he was taken to the Central Police Station and spent last night in the cells. Wills, who is a fine looking young man and well dressed, was represented by Mr. E. W. Inder when he appeared in court.

Chief-Detective Hammond obtained a remand until July 10. “This lad,” he said, “is a clerk at the Bank of New South Wales, Auckland. He forged the names of his sub-accountant and another clerk to a bank draft for £4700 and afterwards went to New Plymouth by motor-ear, where he drew the money from the bank’s branch there. He had £375 in his possession when arrested last evening. Wills deposited £3BOO in various other banks in the city. He was on leave from the bank at the time.

Wills was remanded, no application being made for bail. For some time past Wills had lived on the bank’s premises, obtaining his meals out. However, since Saturday, July 6, it is stated, he has not stayed at the bank as he was on leave.

It is also alleged that after putting in the draft he went to New Plymouth in his own motor-car and drew all the money with the exception of a little over £lOO. After leaving New Plymouth he motored to Hamilton, where he cashed the draft or document for the balance of money at Hamilton. He exchanged the car for another and drove on to Auckland, arriving back on Wednesday. Yesterday morning the bank draft was returned to the Auckland bank from New Plymouth when the alleged forgery was discovered. Suspicion immediately fell on an employee of the local bank, it being considered impossible that an outsider could have forged the draft. The matter was reported to the police yesterday and detectives commenced to search for the suspect, Wills. He could not be traced during the afternoon, so efforts were made to ascertain a young woman’s address. This was discovered about tea time, and at 7.30 when the detectives visited her house they arrested Wills. Naturally the matter has caused a sensation in banking circles, though all the money, with the exception of about £lOO, has been recovered.