1941-04-23 — Page 25

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til 420 is withdrawn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-