The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-08-08
ROBBED NEEDY PREACHERS
WILLARD S. ALLEN CONTESTS
 HIMSELF AN ABSCONDER.
Admits That as Treasurer of Preachers
 Aid Society of the N.w England con- ference He Stole s75, 900 Makes Com fsssion in Letter to Pastor-1Ioncy
 Lost in Speculation.

Boston. Aug. willard S. Allen, treasurer of the Preachers Aid society of the New England conference of the Methodist Episcopal church. is a self confessed absonder to the amount of more than $75,000 of the society's funds. In a letter from Montreal to his pastor Rev. George H. Spencer of the Saratoga street Methodist church ill East Boston, dated last Tuesday, MT. Allen confessed his crime and asked that his family and the police be advised of the matter. The matter has been placed in the hands of Chief Watts, who has wired the police of the principal cities of the United States. and steps will be taken toward the apprehension of the fugitive.
 Rev. MT. Spencer was in Vermont on his vacation when he received the letter. Mir. Allen had been treasurer of the society for twelve years without pay and clerk of the East Boston district court for twenty-nine years. For six teen years he was a prominent member | of the school committee of Boston. l He left home last Saturday without announcing his destination and the I first news of his whereabouts was con- tained in his letter to the East Boston. pastor. MT. Allen stated that he lost the money in speculation.
 l MT. Allen for more than forty years lh had been prominent in the legal circles and political and social life of East Bos- 4 ton. He was an intimate friend of Gov ernor John L. Bates, and the latter's father, Rev l.. B. Bates. He is sixty I two years of age.
 l Twenty-Five years ago he joined the corporation known as the Preachers \ Aid society, the object of which is to Ilend assistance to infirm and aged min- listers of the denomination.
 I Tn 1891 he was elected treasurer of the I organization. His accounts have been laudited each year and securities making up the permanent fund have been exam am lined. The report was duly received and \ audited before the March conference. I It was not until year ago that 2 lsliitable bond as treasurer was advo- lcated by some members of the society, as an ordinary business measure, and a
 vote passed last May required that the bond be given When in July the bond had not been deposited, inquiry was made. MT. Allen promised to give the matter his immediate attention and to jsee that all bonds of the society were lofficially recorded. Until the receipt of
 MT. Aliens confession 1t was supposed I that this had been done.
 | Upon the receipt of the letter the rnill- fhG society of its contents and notified MT, lAllens family. An examination of the -l vault where the securities were kept Ishowed that it was empty, with the ex- lception of shares valued at about $2,S0O and systematic investigation convinc- led the officers that MT. Allen for years lhad been speculating with the funds ot the society,
 When MT. Allen was elected treasurer the permanent fund of the society
 amounted to nearly $39,000. Since that time it had grown to SIP, 709,77. at the time of the last conference in March.
 It is believed that MT. Allen left home lsaturday immediately after the ad.
 journment of the court in East Boston
 and completing his days work, started for Montreal, where he wrote the latter
 confessing the crime. This letter Was
 mailed on Sunday. 4 5 Chief Watts was informed of the af flair Thursday evening and immediatel!
 sent out pictures, an accurate descrip . tion of Allen and the facts of the crim' to the police throughout he world.
 Upon learning of the letter officers Q lthe society placed the matter in th'
 hands of Weed & Weed, attorneys. Tn
 actual amount of MT. Aliens peculatioi
 lis $75,3O9.77, according to the statemen . lof this firm. The corporation has II