CRIMES OF GREEK GIPSY

Taranaki Daily News, 17 February 1933, Page 9

CRIMES OF GREEK GIPSY

THEFTS FROM BANK TELLERS ' CONJURING OR MESMERISM? INCIDENTS AT TELLERS’ DESKS. SENTENCE OF IMPRISONMENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Stephan Sterio, a 25-year-old Australian Gipsy of Greek descent, was again the subject of remarkable revelations F by the'police when he was charged in the Police Court to-day on four counts of doping bank tellers and stealing sums totalling £67 7s. 6d. He was sentenced to six months’ hard labour. Sterio was charged with stealing on February 8 £35, the property of C. M. Tucker, £lO from M. E. Alexander, £7 2s. 6d. from W. B. Leyland and £l5 from B. A. Watts. He pleaded guilty to all the charges. Detective-Sergeant O’Sullivan read statements given to Detective Hamilton, who arrested Sterio and interviewed the four tellers. Bertram Alfred Watts, teller employed at the National Bank of New Zealand, said: "Shortly, after 1 p.m. on February 8 a dark-skinned man called at the bank and asked ‘ for ss. worth of sixpenny pieces. He handed me two half-crowns and I gaye him the value in sixpences. His next request was that I should allow him toi tell my fortune. - He took. hold of my left hand and told me a lot of things concerning my private life. He next asked to see my handkerchief, and crossed my hand with silver. I then gave him Sixpence and he tied it in the corner of niy handkerchief and told me to keep it there for a, number of days. He then asked me to produce some paper money, and, after sprpe hesitation I brought, some loose.fives. and' tens from the drawer and held' them in front of me. ' “CONFERRED : SOME :BLESSING.” . “I did hot allow the man to handle the notes. After he had conferred some blessiiig. on me, at’the same time pushing my hands as I held;the. notes against my chest, he held his two hands on my hand whichheld the notes—about £lOO worth. He told me to look at him. and repeat certain words such as ‘Bites hto, brother? He told me to keep looking at him. He then let go of my hand and told me to bring the notes down and blow on them arid that I would have Or win £9OO next month. He asked me for a shilling for telling my fortune, which I gave him. I cannot say for sure if he had his hands on the notes. I felt a funny Sort of. feeling which I cannot describe and cannot properly recollect while this man was telling my fortune. On checking my cash in the evening I found I was £l5 short. He was the only man who had the opportunity of'taking it.” Claude Tucker, teller in the Bank of New Zealand, told of a similar, experience. At the end of the day he was £35 short in his cash. He said: “I attribute ’ the loss to dealings with this individual. While he was conversing with me he was staring at me very hard, and I consider this man stole £35 by means of a conjuring trick. , “SORT OF HYPNOTISING.” A teller at the Auckland Savings Bank, Walter Leyland, was the subject of a similar-affair. He said of the man: “He, commenced speaking in a low voice and looking ’all the time into my eyes, sort, of hypnotising rile. He .then letgo the notes and’told me to hold a bunch of £JL notes. He held .through the same performance? 'nd thenMot'go the notes and I put them back- in;-'the till. On checking my money I discovered that I was £7 2s. 6d. short. He kept looking into niy ’ eyes all the time, and I had a funny sort of feeling as if in a trance.” Maurice Edward Alexander, teller at the Bank of New Zealand, was the next to tell a similar story. Describing the visit of a dark-skinned man, he said: “He took hold of my left hand and told me different things he alleged had occurred during my life. At his request I ' gave him my handkerchief and a sixpenny piece. He, tied the coin in the handkerchief and told me to keep it there for nine days. He next asked for a handful of coins. I gave him a number of florins which he told me to hold, and I closed hands. He then held them in his hand and returned them to me. He asked me for some 10s. notes, and he went through the same process as he did with the florins. He then asked for notes of higher value. I gave him in turn singles, fives and tens. He continued the same process. I am satisfied he returned all the notes with the exception of two £lO notes. His next request was for notes of higher -denomination, which I refused. I gave him 6d. for reading my fortune. During the whole of the time he was handling the notes and pretending to read my fortune he kept a steady stare in my eyes and requested me to do the same. I kept on looking down at the notes, and each time I did so he told me to look into his eyes as he did not want my money and that it was quite safe with him. Also as he handled eaqh denomination he said, ‘Bless you, brother, these, notes will increase tenfold? When I cashed up there was £1? short. I cannot say whether I was under the power of this man, or not.” The police produced Sterio’s record, showing that he had been convicted of theft in New South Wales and England. The detective Said in each case the bank tellers were under Sterio’s influence., .

Sterio was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, and then he will, be deported. The police said he had over £2OO, and the magistrate ordered restitution to: the tellers.