THEFTS BY TELLER

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 164, 13 August 1929, Page 10

THEFTS BY TELLER

STRATFORD BANK ROBBED OF £240. PASS EOOKS FALSIFIED. At the Stratford Magistrate's Court Edivard Vauncey Hughes was charged with the theft of £240 from the Bank of New South Wales, Stratford, in four sums, datiug from May, 1928, to April, 1929. Accused plcaded guilty and was committed to the Suprems Court for sentence. Ric-hard Malfroy, manager of the Stratford brnnch of the bank, gave evidence that accused had been second officer at the bank until June 6 last. He was then transferred to the Tokomaru Bay branch as accountant. On July 19 ivitness made an exaanination of tlie pass hook of Alr T. W. Smith. The hook was in accused's handwriting, and as soon as he saw this he know there was something wrong. It was a false pass hook- Accused's duties wero conlined to the counter, and he was uot supposed to have any connection .with the ledgers, cxcept when there was no bodv else about and had had to get a balance or make entries in the passbook to coinplcte it. Accused's post was that of teller. He had 110 authority to make up passbooks. Accused startecl work at tlie Stratford branch 011 January 24, 1928. PASSBOOK AND LEDGER DiSAGREE. On comparing the passbook with the lcdger witness found that the passbook shcwed a credit halance of £70 more than was shown in the ledger. Credit-s of £68 L5s on August 9, 1928, and £80 3 08 8d 011 April 4, 1929, were shown in the passbook, but not 111 the ledger. A credit of £46 Is 3d on April 18 was a!so shown in the ledger, but not in tlie passbook. Cheques for £26 Lls 8d in favour of "wnges" was shown in the passbook as charged to accounts both on April 4 and 11, 1929, but it appeared in tlie ledger only on April 11. Mr Sniith's deposit book showed deposits of £68 16s 01. August 9, 1928, and £80 13s Scl 011 April 2, 1929. As a result of what be heard from ti>e police witness invcstigated the nccrunt of Mr A. T. Tempero. He found that 110 cheque had been paid in in July. 1928, although it was customarv for Mr Tempero to' bank his milk cheque either in whole or in part.. PAYMENT NOT CREDITED. A cheque issued by the Midhurst Dairy Company had since bccn destroyed by the company, but the sccretary stated that Mr Tempero's cheque for July, 1928, was for £53 13s lOd. The amount of the pay-in slip (produccd) for £50 was not shoivn in the books. The accouiit of Mr A. Coyne was also investigated, witness continuecl. The pass-book could not be found, but a deposit slip liad been found showing a sum of £4-0 15s 2d, a Makahu Dairy Company's cheque for £38 15s 2tl, and a cheoue from J. and J. Hopkirk for £2 Marks on the back of the dairy company's cbeque purported to show tliat it had been cashed. The other cheque was similarly marked, but the bank on which it was drawn reported

tthat it liad nob been caslied. The books showcd no record of payments by Messrs Tempero and Coyne. ACCUSED JUST PROMOTED. Accused's duty was to take payments, enter the amounts in the teller's c-ash hook, and place the cheques on different files, to be dealt with bv dilferent members of the staff. Accused had been on the bank's staff for about 13 years. He was transferreu from Stratford on promotion, and he was going as accountant to a larger bank at an increased salary. Accused's confession as regarded Mr Coyne and Mr Tcmpevo had greatlv facilitated ihe invcstigations and settlement of accouuts bctwecn tho bank and ils customers. Detectivc M'oiklciohn said that on Jnlv 22 accused ofl'ered 'to make a statement regarding his defalcntions. had been arresled at Opunake 011 tho previous Raturday and eharced rfrogards two amouiitc of Mr Sniith's aeeoniit. Seen aeain 011 .Tiily 31, aeeused siiiil he did uot, think ho had eashecl a eheqne for £2. part of ^Mr Covne's amount. Aeeu^fv] offered to find the ])av-in slins of Mr Coyne and Mr Tmnporo and had done, so Bail was al'owed >11 oue hond of £200 or two or- £100 each.