Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-03
SHORTAGE IN ACCOUNTS.
Unions Town Treasurer Said to De in
T1oubie.

Rockland, Me-, May 2.-The Rock
land Star says:
The town CT Union is much agitc ted
over the alleged discovery that her
treasurer. Ardenis Siur.an. has, it is
said recently confessed TO being 5000
snort in his accounts. 1t was after the
selectmen in repeated unsuccessful de-
mands for his books, sent Constable
o. n. Butler for them, that he IS said
to have made this admission. The Sc
lectfncn have been gong over tie
books since they obtained them AMI
w to Saturday night they had found
Il shortage of $1,000, It is alleged, and
they are not through with their exami-
ration yet, and tn. belief i'm Union is
that this amount will he increased.
A special town meeting has been
called for Wednesday to determine
what action shall be taken in regard
to former Treasurer Shuman, for {,
few days ago he was deposed from
office by vote Of the selectmen and O..
Y. Eutlcr is temporary treasurer.
Shuman, who is Il Democrat, has
served eight consecutive years as
town treasurer and one year previ-
ouSly. He is also chairman Of the
school committee and has also, the
sele"tmen alleged, as shown by eXami-
nation of accounts. manipulated school
funds. He also misapplied the State
and county tax funds, they allege, aS
shown by the inquiry now III progress
by them.
Another feature of the case which is
stirring the prosperous farming COM
munity of Union is that Shunan has
not been under bonds since 1902. The
usual bond is $4,000. Last year he was
repeatedly asked to furnish the bonds
but he is said to have put the sclectmcn
Off from time to time until the matter
Of bonds was allowed to sumber and
the taxpayers We're seemingly ignorant
that their town treasurer was not
financially guaranteed in the conduct
Of his office.
To the pcrcisttncy Of Fred Z. Bur-
kett. first selectman, in demanding Of
Shuman the bonds to cover his office Of
treasurer to which he was again elect
81 last March, is due, it is said, the dis
oovery of the alleged shortage in his
ed by the republicans to the board.
Sclectman Rurkett said yesterday:
Yes. the story concerning Shuman I'M
fortunately appears to be true. We are
not yet done with the treasurer's books.
No doubt the figures will grow larger
They usually do in such cases.
An unfortunate feature for the town
is that Mr. Shuman is mot now under
bonds usually given by town treasurers.
The bond was about $4,000. Mr.. Shu-
man served as treasurer eight years
consecutively and had served in the
same capacity one year previously. I'm
Ill last year he had given bonds. / be-
lieve. and it was his repeated failure OF
promises TO furnish them this year on
request OF the selectmen that aroused
2. slight suspicion that he had q reason
for not doing SO. From month to month
he put of the Selectmen until finally
tie matter was forgotten.
The annual town report distributed
in March showed by the treasurer's &C
count that only a balance of s207 was
due from his account which he eX-
planned in Il way.
TO the request that he should fur
nish bonds he gave the same reply in
effect that ne would shortly do SO. Then
the board of selectmen demanded that
he produce his books. This was last
week. He refused to do so and at q
meeting of the board it was decided to
procure them by force of law and we
sent Constable o. N. Butler after them.
I'VE then deposed him from office and
put in o. n. Butler as temporary treas
urer. When we began to examine his
books it appeared that he had manipu-
lared the county. State and tax money
and school funds. The town report
seemed to show that he had paid the
county tax for 1902. but investigation
showed that he had done so only in
part.
'Since March taxpayers had been
paving money into the treasurers Of
flee for one thing and another. The
money of the free High school fund.
which should have passed through the
selectmen's hands, was received by him
first"
Mr.. Shuman it is said. has but little
property of his own. He is n wheel
wright by trade and has lived in Union
many years. He has always been re-
gardcd as n steady going citizen and
his recollection to the office of town
treasurer year after year indicates that
his fellow townsmen considered him n
model citizen and strictly honest. He Is
about So years old and has no family
except his wife.
County Treasurer ID. NJ. Murphy said.
yesterday: THE county tax against
the town of Union for the years 1923
amounts to $l151.6S. OF the tax of 1902.
which amounted to s617O3. Treasurer
Shuman had paid $422.65. leaving to-
tai of uncollected taxes against Union
Of $729.12. When I assumed te office Of
county treasurer ! was Informed that
Union had been dilatory in settling her
country tax account for some time