Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-08
IN SPECULATION.
A Good East Boston Methodist
on Wrong Track.
He Confesses to Have Stolen Over
$4,000 in Money. 49,.
Requests His Minister to Notify People
of Theft!

last Tuesday. from Montreal, to the
pastor of his church in East Boston,
willard S. Allen, treasurer of the
Prea chers Aid Society of the New
England Conference of the M. E.
church. confessed that he was a de-
faulter to the amount of more than
$4,000 of the society's funds.
Mr.. Allen has been treasurer of the
society for IL years, and clerk of the
East Boston district court for ~ years,
and for Is years was prominent mem
Der of the school committee of Boston.
He left home about week ago, With
out announcing his destination. and the
first heard of him was the letter to the
East Boston clergyman.
Mr.. Allen said that he had lost the
money in speculation. He requested
the minister to notify the members OF
the Allen family and the officers or the
society of his confession.
For more than 40 years Mr.. Allen
has been prominent citizen of East
Boston, In Methodist church affairs,
as a lawyer and in political and social
life he has been prominent. In 1891, he
was elected treasurer of the Preachers
Alu oUclely VI tilC 4NC" i<iiS 'eNi' NOAAASh
ence, the object of which is to aid the
sick, infirm and aged ministers of the
denomination.
Year after year his reports were pre-
scented to the conference and he was
reelected annually. When Mr.. Allen
became treasurer, the permanent fund
of the society amounted to nearlyS39,-
000 During his treasurership the fund
grew until it amounted to $72, 709.T at
the time of the last annual conference
in March of this year.
In addition to the income from the
permanent fund the Society receives
and distributes among it's beneficieries,
something over $4,000 annually, which
in a large part is raised by voluntary
contributions of the churches Off the
conference.
About a year ago, anRffort was made
by some members of the society to
have Mr.. Allen give a suitable bond as
treasurer This was advocated, it is
said, not because of any suspicion of
Mr.. Aliens integrity, but because it
was deemed a matter of ordinary bust
ness prudence, in view of the amount
of the societys funds. Mr.. Allen had
step being taken, but at meeting of
the trustees it was voted, last May. to
require bond. In July, it appeared
that the bond had not been deposited
and inquiry was made. Mr.. Allen
promised to attend to the matter at
once. 1t was supposed that he had
done so until the letter from Mr.. Allen
was received by the clergyman who, at
the time, was on q vacation in YER
mont.
On receiving the letter, the minister
at once advised the officers of the So
ciety of the contents. He also notified
Mr. Aliens family, as requested.
When the society's officers received the
news they at once visited the vault where
the securities were supposed to be kept.
The box was empty with the exception
of certain shares of stock amounting in
value to about $3.50.
The officers then began a systematic in
vestigation and the result convinced them
that Mr.. Allen for a number of years had
systematically speculated with the funds
of the society
1t appeared that since the March con-
ference about $4,000 had been received from
Contributions anu OtncT SouTctS VI WHICH
apparently about $4,000 had been legiti
mately expended. The balance was not
Accounted for.
The officers are of the opinion that AL
len procured temporary securities to be
used at the time of the annual auditing
of his accounts. 1t is thought that the
recent move to require bond of him and
the registering and consequent closer in
spection of the securities of the society
and possibly the recent heavy losses in
the stock market brought Mr.. Allen to a
crisis which convinced him that further
concealment of his dishonesty was impos-
sble.
The matter has been placed in the hands
of Chief Inspector Watts. who has wired
the principal cities of the union asking
| for Aliens arrest. Photographs and cir
culars will follow this message broad
cast as soon as they can be DreDared