THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 23, 1941
GANG CHIEF NO CAR BEAUTY
ONE EVER SEES
HUNTED
A MYSTERY MAN, who is employing youths to rob the Post Office Savings Bank without any of them knowing his name or what he looks like, is being hunted by Post Office detectives under Detective-Sergeant Aitken.
The detectives know how his racket is worked: by an ingenious but simple method of forgery. They know who originated the scheme a Canadian air- man who was sentenced last month.
They know some of the' gang: three youths were sentenced at the Old Bai- ley and other arrests have been made.
But who is the Big Shot in the background" Is he a known ert- munal or someone the world re- pects? "He" ught be Ve
KOMMUN
a
All that is known is that he for the) has sufficient capital to da- ance large numbers of youths with
and with intial "expenses'
thi new shillings needed for each tra
work the fraud.
The gang
work in groups of three an agent,
a forger, and a withdrawer mainly in districts of]
London's East End
They are set up together back rooms and remain unpreten tious in their dress though each has been earning £3 a day.
The Racket
The agent opens at different post offices at least two Savings Bank accounts every day, with deposits of 5. In one he deposits a second sum, say 2s.
The forger then defaches the stamped side of the book with two entries and fixes it in the book with one. This is book shows a 55. entry with an official stamps then a blank line with an offietal
tamp.
On that blank hue the Iorger fills in a deposit of £20.
The withdrawer then goes from one post office to another making £3 on demand” withdrawals un-
til 420 is withdrawn
The spoils
are split among
the three, and a substantial pro- portion is act aside for the Bla Shot.
What method the Big Shot em- ploys of (a) recruiting his gang. and (b) collecting his "cut" has not yet been revealed.
But the lure of easy money has been bringing recruits in fast.
Returned To Scene
BIRTHDAY
PRESENT
FOR HITLER
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
U.S.PLAN
OF AID
TO CHINA
The agreement under which the United States will loan China US.$50,- 000,000 to support and stabilise China's currency is expected to be signed this morning in Washing- ton at the Treasury.
What action
is likely
tu be
Mr Morgenthau will sign for the United States and Mr. T. V. Soong on behalf of China.
The negotiations. which have time. been proceeding for some "North America's an-'it is understood, were completed swer to Hitler's birthday| a few days ago. celebration," was how taken under the United States | Mr.
King, Loan to China of another $50.- Canadian Premier, des- 600.000 for the purchase of war cribed the results of his conference with President Roosevelt.
Mackenzie
materials is at present unknown
Lease-Lend Aid
But it is expected that this Mr. King also announced that will not be utilised as China President and Mrs. Roosevelt had will probably be getting all the help which can be sent to her promised to visit Ottawa early
under the terms of the Lend- next month.
Lease Act
Mr. King referred to the state- ment that Canada and the United States will exchange war mater- ial and co-ordinate their defence efforts to speed hemisphere de- fence and aid Britain.
He described the agreement as "mobilisation of the resources of the Continent to defeat Hitler."' International News Service.
SIT-DOWN
STRIKE
While details on what America is likely to du for China are still unknown, there is reason to be- hit ve that the authorities in Washington are concentrating on four
things: firstly, getting into China aircraft both bombers and lighters, secondly, heavier artillery than China is now using thirdly raw materials to keep going the Chinese arsenals turning out small ams, shells, grenades, ele. fetthly, supplying trucks to in- crease the capacity of the Burma Road. Reuter.
GIVES £75, NO NAME
201
(SPECIAL TO CHINA MAIL") Hundreds of workers employed.
Commercial by the
Press 201
sit-down A girl walked into the secre- Shanghai, attempted a hunger strike on the
premises|tary's office at St. Thomas's Hus- yesterday but were later ejected!pital, London, and pushed an en- by the Police.
velope into the bands of an official.
£1 notes.
It is understood that the work-It contained £75 in ers presented demands and be-; The girl would not leave her gan the strike yesterday when name, but a note inside the en- please informed that no reply had yet velcro stated: “Will you
head accept this money as
Qur, the
from hospital
grateful patient of some years ago."
been received from the
in
Hong
The youths sentenced were Al- fred Philip Ponman. 20-years-old | uffice Army deserter (three years' Bor- Own Correspondent. stal), 18-years-old Reginald Fre- derick Dawson (three years' Bor- stal), and Frederick Samuel Sin- dall, aged 26 (18) months' impri- sonment).
Ponman was the withdrawer. and he made the mistake of e- lurning to the scene of his crime.
A smart girl Post Office worker recognised the book he presenter! as one that had appeared there twice before.
She kept him talking while the police were called.
\ U.S. MAY
GET
TORNADOES
Kong.
WATCH-GLASS
gift
{1
SAVED MR.
WILLKIE FROM "DISASTER"
A WATCH GLASS and a hall porter
-
10
saved
Mr. Wendell Willkie from "disaster." He was speak-