Early on the morning of the 24th instant a man attended at our Aston Cross Branch and applied to open an account, giving his name as Harry Littlewood. The cashier (Mr Thomas) gave him a deposit slip to sign, and while he was doing so, the cashier obtained a new ledger card and pass book, ready to put the heading and address on the former and the heading on the latter. The deposit slip was completed, and the cashier then referred to the Card Index to see whether the man had had an account before, so as to prevent the opening of a double account. He found that the man had not been a depositor previously, and on returning to the counter he proceeded to head the ledger account, and having done so, made out the pass book. The man opened the account with a deposit of 6d, giving his address as 60 Bromwell Street, Nechells. 

At the end of the day, the Manager of the Branch, in checking the stock of pass books, noticed that pass book No AC 26542 was missing. 

During the morning of January 25th, a youth attended at our Sparkbrook Branch and presented a pass book belonging to Aston Cross Branch (No AC 26541), which had been made out by someone other than a Bank officer, and contained five entries purporting to show a balance of £6. 10. 0d. The youth also presented a withdrawal form made out for £2. The cashier at Sparkbrook Branch (Mr Holmes) immediately came to the conclusion that the entries in the pass book were fictious, and the youth explained that he had been asked by Mrs W Hodges of 104 Sandy Lane, Camp Hill, to call and withdraw the money on her behalf. He further explained that Mrs Hodges had given £2 to Mr Littlewood, who gave in exchange the pass book, which he said was his property, and also gave her a receipt signed for £2. As withdrawals cannot be made at any Branch other than the one where the account was opened, payment was accordingly refused and the pass book and receipt retained. The youth gave his name as M J Allen of 30 Conway Road, Sparkbrook, and he was told to advise Mrs Hodges not to advance any further money on the security of the pass book, which he promised to do. The cashier then rang up Aston Cross Branch to tell them of the circumstances, when he was informed that the entries were fictitious, and appeared to relate to the circumstances connected with the lost pass book. 

On the 27th January, a depositor named Mr Moor of 61 Aston Road North, told the Manager of our Aston Cross Branch (Mr Raftery) that a man had tried to obtain money from Mrs Moore (his wife) on Friday last, and produced a Bank pass book with the hours of business 6 to 8pm Friday altered to read "6 to 8pm Saturday". telling Mrs Moore that the Bank would not be open on that evening and he wanted some money urgently. Mrs Moore told him that the Bank was open on Friday evenings, and refused to have anything to do with him. She did not notice the name on the book, and this incident may or may not refer to the above matter. 

The Manager of our Aston Cross Branch surmises that what actually happened at the counter when Littlewood first attended was that between the time the cashier handed the deposit slip for Littlewood to make out and leaving the counter to refer to the Card Index, Littlewood picked up the pass book No AC 26541 from the counter and put it in his pocket, and on the cashier returning to the counter he forgot that he had already taken a pass book out of the bundle and took the next one, No AC 26542, which he proceeded to make out to give to the depositor with the entry of 6d. as a deposit. This pass book No AC 26542 is presumably still in the possession of Littlewood. 

The cashier at Aston Cross Branch is unable to account for the issue of two pass books in any other way than that suggested by the Manager, and I think it is quite a likely explanation as to how the two pass books left the custody of the Bank.

J P Hilton. 

January 29th 1936

Supplemental Report.

On the 3rd February, pass book No AC 26542 was brought to Aston Cross Branch by Mr E Rushton, of 152 Lawley Street, together with a receipt form completed for the withdrawal of £2. 0. 0. 

The man described as Littlewood had apparently told Mr Rushton a similar tale to the one he told Mrs Moore, and Mr Rushton advanced him the sum of 10/-d., but kept the pass book and the receipt. 

The matter was handed to the Police, who state that Mr Rushton was suspicious from the beginning, and that is why he kept the pass book and the receipt, and advanced only the sum of 10/-d. 

I am further informed that Mr Rushton is taking out a warrant, and that the case will come before the Court in the usual way. Mrs Moore had been seen by the Police, but she did not feel inclined to take out a warrant.

J P Hilton. 

February 10th 1936

The above account was opened at our Tower Hill Branch on the 22nd April 1938 as a joint account in the names of William Bryan and his wife, Nellie Annie Beatrice Bryan, the authority being given for either party to effect withdrawals. 

Mrs Bryan has been certified and is now in a Mental Institution, and Messrs Reynolds & Co, Solicitors, acting for the husband, state that he is applying to be appointed Receiver of his wife's property, and that in the meantime he wished the account to be transferred to Solihull Branch and to ascertain up to what amount he could make withdrawals from the account himself, until such time as his appointment is made. 

Messrs Reynolds & Co were informed that it would be unwise to transfer the account until the appointment of Receiver had been made, unless there was real hardship to Mr Bryan, in which case an application for withdrawal might be considered. 

Messrs Reynolds & Co now state that Mr Bryan is very anxious to obtain part of the money as he is unfortunately out of employment and has had to make certain payments to the Public Assistance Authorities. He is also being pressed to pay arrears owing to the West Bromwich Building Society on a house owned by his wife and mortgaged by her to that Society. He is at present living with a relative but will be quite unable to make payments unless he can effect a withdrawal from the amount standing to the credit of the joint account, which is £54. 8. 1d. 

The Regulation governing withdrawals from joint accounts is quite clear, and in the ordinary way either Mr or Mrs Bryan could operate the account, but the fact that one of them has become of unsound mind, in my judgement, alters the position. The Regulations governing payments from accounts of persons of unsound mind stipulates that such may be made by the committee of the estate of such person, but also gives power to the Committee of Management, when it is proved to their satisfaction that it is just and expedient so to do, to direct payments from monies standing in the name of a depositor, or any part thereof, to any person they judge proper to receive the same. It is therefore suggested that, subject to the Town Clerk seeing no objection, Mr Bryan may be regarded as a proper person to receive up to one half of the amount standing to the credit of the account pending his appointment as a committee of the estate or Receiver, and the Committee is recommended to give directions accordingly.

J P Hilton.

December 14th 1940.

On the  17th June 1940 our Small Heath Branch Manager reported that a person purporting to be the depositor called at the Bank and reported the loss of his pass book. He completed the usual form and the signatures thereon agreed with the specimen held by the Bank. He said the balance in his account was £40. 

The Manager subsequently inspected the account and found it had been closed by a payment of £20 on the 12th June, and £20. 2. 3d. on the 14th June. Miss Hastings (cashier) who made the first payment did not notice anything in the demeanour of the supposed depositor to cause her to question the payment and thought the signature given reasonably compared with the specimen. Miss Andrews (cashier) dealt with the second payment, but omitted to notice that a large sum had been withdrawn two days previously. She, likewise, did not notice anything to arouse suspicion. 

I examined these receipts and came to the conclusion that neither receipt ought to have been accepted, and that the person who had made the withdrawals was not the depositor. The depositor lives at a lodging house, and Mr Parsonage (making investigations on my instructions) found that a man going under the name of Reginald Robertson had been living in the same house but had left, and that the depositor suspected him of stealing his pass book and making the withdrawals. The whereabouts of this man were not definitely known, but the landlady was able to give a description of the man and thought he was still in Aston or Nechells. She also said the Police wanted Robertson on some other offences. 

I placed the matter in the hands of the Police, who arrested the suspected man, whose real name is Reginald William Henry Robinson. The two lady cashiers were asked to identify him and without hesitation did so. Robinson was charged at Victoria Courts on the 2nd August with obtaining £5. 13. 8d. from Chamberlain and Hookham; £3. 2. 3d. from Joseph Lucas Ltd, and eleven other charges, in addition to the Bank withdrawals. He pleaded guilty to all the charges and was remanded to appear at Quarter Sessions. He appeared at the Sessions on the 7th October and was sentenced to three years' Borstal imprisonment. 

The amount involved (£40. 2. 3d.) will have to be made good to the depositor. Forgeries are not covered by insurance. 

J P Hilton. 

The loss of the above pass book was reported on the 8th instant. On being informed that the balance standing to the credit of the accounts was £168. 1. 4d, the depositor repudiated the last withdrawal, viz, a sum of £20 on the 19th October last. All earlier withdrawals were, however, confirmed by her, although the signature on certain receipts did not satisfactorily compare with the specimen in the Bank's records.

It was then ascertained that when Mrs H J Keyte, the depositor, who suffered from rheumatism, required money, she had, for some time, been in the habit of arranging for her daughter-in-law, Edith Mary Keyte, who resides at the same address, to accompany her to the Bank and sign the receipts for her. Mrs H J Keyte has now offered to give correct receipts for the amounts so received by her.

Mrs H J Keyte is unable to give any assistance in identifying the person who made the withdrawal in question. Edith Mary Keyte, however, cannot be interviewed as she is confined to bed, but her husband discountenances any suggestion that she is associated in any way with the disputed withdrawal from his mother's account.

In the circumstances, the Chairman agreed for the matter to be placed in the hands of the Police.

15th November 1948.

The above-named depositor, aged 15 years, notified Yardley Branch on the 4th November that he had lost his pass book and identity card.

On the 5th November an attempt was made to withdraw the sum of £8. 0. 0. from the account by a boy aged about 14 years, who presented the pass book, identity card, and a completed receipt form.

On being questioned, this boy stated that his name was Brian Davies, of 181 Castle Road, Weoley Castle, a pupil of Waverley Road Grammar School; and that he had found the pass book and identity card whilst cycling in Solihull. The Police, who were informed, tool the boy to Hay Mills Police Station for further questioning.

I have since been notified by the Police that the boy's true name is Philip Owen Fiet, of 223 Castle Road, Weoley Castle; that he appeared before the Juvenile Court on the 10th instant, and was placed on probation for a period of twelve months, and was ordered to pay fifteen shillings costs.

15th November 1948.