Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-03-14
STATE AFFAIRS.

Err AND RUNS AwAY-A SHORTAGE OF AT
LEAST $4,000 IN HIS ACCOUNTS.
bennington has been in state of excite
ment since Monday over the fact that it's
postmaster, Thomas j. Tiffany, who had held
the office for 10 or ~ years, had been proved
defaulter and had grabbed 5000 from the
Office and fled. Some days ago TifTany's
bondsmen, e, W. and w. H. Bradford, mott
fed the department that they would not long
or be responsible, and asked for a release.
On Monday noon Mr.. Basselt, a post Office
inspector, arrived in Bennington and pro-
ceeding directly to the post office informed
MIR. Tiffany that he had come to look over
the affairs of the office. Mr.. Tiffany remain
cd a short time in the office after the arrival
of the official. On going out he said it was
his dinner hour and he would return soon.
The inspector awaited his coming until about
half.past four, when he sent to Mr.. Tiffany's
house to inquire for him, where it was learn
ed that he had left home about one o'clock,
going Immediately to livery stable where
he hired horse and sleigh to take him to
Hoosick, since which time he has not been
directly heard from, though he has been
traced to Gardner, Mass. His friends at first
claimed that he had only gone for funds to
make good his deficiency. It is said that he
took about 5000 in cash from the safe in the
bAAASS NhSh NC lcAh nj HULL huu luhl lub lD-
vestigation up to Tuesday evening showed
that he was about $1,000 short on his postal
note account. The total amount of his short
age is placed indefinitely by the dispatches
at several thousand dollars" The inspec-
tor found mutilated letters in the safe and
registered letters months old that had not
been delivered. The crookedness in the Of
fee extends back over several years. In 1879
A. P. Childs made complaints against the
management of the office, claiming that
money had been lost and letters tempered
with, but Inspector Bigelow made so-called
investigation and exonerated Tiffany. Last
August the charges were renewed and a case
was finally made up and sent to the Post
master General. The fact that Tiffanys
bondsmen had asked to DO released shows
that there was local dstrust Of him He was
prominent man in the affairs of the town
and was known as a genial, whole hearted
good fellow. His downfall il attributed to
too much whiskey, He was clerk and treas
urer of the village school district, and the
fact that he has taken with him the order
book of the board of trustees gives rise to
fears that he has stolen school funds also
L. B. Lamson, post Office inspector, who has
been ordered to Bennington by the depart
ment telegraphed yesterday that he had
placed Tiifany's son under arrest and that
the young man had owned up to having ia.
ken money from the mails.
Chester voted $4,000 for a soldiers mon
ument last week.
"A Burlington liquor seller was fined $500,
with 30 days imprisonment, last week
Ono depositor has refused the dividend
now being paid by Receiver Rich of the
st. Adams Trust company, demanding all or
nothing.
1t is said that George Jones, publisher
of the New York Times, is to build a country
house in his native town of Poultney the
present season.
Rev. j. r. Bartlett has bought the Mont
pelier Christian Messenger, of which he has
for several years been the editor.
Miss Betsey Foot of Sudbury aged 70,
persisted in the storm of Thursday, the 9Th
She had been to Brandon on an errand, and
had got back almost home when she appar-
emily got bewildered in the storm and, sitting
down, froze to death.
-MiddleburY people have said so much
about DR.. Judd of Middebury being the in
ventor Of saving marble by sand and water
with toothless strips of iron that Prof. Seeley
has shown them that the old Romans did that
very thing and that it was done at West
Stockbridge, Mass, in 1902 and at New Mil
ford, Ct, in 1900.
A sister of Gen. W. W. Henry, U. S. Mar
shall for Vermont, died at her home in King
ston, N. c., on the 9th inst She had lived
in the south since 1854.
While Silas @. Parkhill Of Cornwall was
Telling tree in a swamp it suddenly swayed
around, striking another tree close by. One
of the splinters flew, hitting him in the face
just below the eye, penetrating the flesh and
removing the eye. A surgeon succeeded in
removing the splinter, which was about the
size of his little finger, and replaced the eye.
Hon. Jonas N. Smith, for many years
prominent in Addison county, died on the
9Th inst, aged 10. He was twice a member
OF the legislature and was twice elected as
sistant judge of the county court. His last
enterprise was the building Of the Grand
View mountain house in Addison, where he
died.
Hon. Franklin Waite, a native of Wind
sor county, who has been judge of the New
York court of common pleas, member OF the
Wisconsin senate, and judge Of the sixth
Minnesota circuit, died on the 4th inst. at
Mankato, Mimi, aged IL.
The central and northern parts of the
state had the worst snow storm of the season
on Sunday and Monday-the amount ranging
from one to two feet 1t was accompanied
by high winds which blocked railroad trains
and closed the highways in all directions.
-Leut-Gov. Pingree will deliver the Me
mortal day address at Burlington.
The term at the medical college at Bur
lington opens with 154 students-a larger
number than on any opening day in the his
tory of the college.
"A Bennington despatch of the 18th says (;
To-day the water has been higher than for
ten years. The heavy rain of yesterday and
last night started the snow on the mountains.
Several bridges have been washed away, and
cellars are filed with water