The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-24
CASHIER SKIPS WITH ACCOUNTS
 S2O,OOO SHORT
Treasurer of Connecticut Trolley Go. ElOpes With Prominent New Haven Girl-Par.
 entS Are Heart
 Broken

New Haven, July 24-Nefther his own parents. who live in East Haven, nor the family of Miss Alice Merwin, of 6s Whalley avenue, with whom he is supposed to have eloped have received any news, according to their state nnents. of the wherea bouts of Ralph E. Keech. the missing cashier for the Connecticut company, whose accounts, it was reported yesterday, were be- neved to be in the neighborhood of SIS, 900 short. No word has been re- ceived by either family as to the whereabouts of the couple, although they disappeared on July 12. Keech' s mother, when seen last night, was quite heart broken by the affair but expressed confidence in her sons in tegrity and a belief that the supposed shortage would be found to be a mis- take.
 Keech was bonded for $2O, 900 with the Fidelity Guarantee & Indemnity company of Baltimore, Md. W. H. Morris, an adjustor for that company, arrived here yesterday and inmedi- ateIy started an investigation of the reported shortages. The Connecticut company will not lose anything if the accounts are short, as the bonding company will have to make the short age good. The matter has not yet been turned oyer to the local police
 Keech's parents, who live on Page street East Haven, did not even know that he had left the city until they read a story in the newspapers about his supposed e1opement with Miss Merwtn They have heard nothing from him. Keech lived at home only part of the time, having an apartment near the center of the city. He had been connected with the trolley com pany for about ten years. He was cashier of the whole Connecticut com pany system and received a salary of s1 800 a year.
 while the report of the shortages seems to be generally accepted by railroad officials, there appears to be some element of doubt in the matter. The books apparently are straight enough, but the cash does not corre- spond- According to the report cir cuIated last night, no evidence of an attempt to ''juggIe'' the books to cover the alleged shortages was discovered.
 The first evidence of possible short ages was found on Tuesday and Trea- surer A, s. May of the New Haven road was Immediately notified He and Auditor Trvflle A. May went over the books yesterday and discovered .he claimed shorta geS, which are said 0 go only back over tAe past year Keech is alleged to have cashed checks sent in for rents and leases from various holdings of the road and failed to turn in the money. although the checks were duly recorded.
 Keech had the reputation of being a generous spender and very fond of automobile riding. His friends thought that he was getting large enough sal ary to warrant these expenditures, but they do not believe he could have spent $15,oOO in addition to his salary
 Keech had been friendly with Miss Merwin for several years and it was understood by their friends for sew eraI weeks before their supposed eIopement that they were engaged to be married, although the engagement had not been announced Miss Mer- wins family was left as completely in the dark over the disappearance of the pair as were Keech's parents. Druggist Harry Merwin, brother of Miss MerWin, said last night that he had absolutely no idea of his sister 5 whereabouts.
 When Keech got through work at the Connecticut company's office on the night of the 18th Saturday. he left a note which read: Am going out of town to get married. Will be back Tuesday, The railroad officials took his sudden departure as some thing of joke, and there was no suspicion until Tuesday, when the first evidence of the alleged shortages was discovered.