The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-03-02
REPORT NORTHFIELD
TOWN FUNDS SHORT
Alleged Shortage of $4,000 - Woman
Assistant Is Missing-Audit of
Books In Progress.

N0RTHFIELD Mass. March 2.-Per-
siStent rumorS throughout the town over
period of several weeks to the effect that
there was shortage in the accounts of
Town Treasurer Warren J. Wright to an
amount reputed to be about 100000
gained credence Yesterday when State De
tectiye Joseph Y. Daley of northampton
and DEPUTY Sheriff Arthur Nj. HaSkins
of Greenfield came here and We're i'm con-
ference with the town treasurer. Mr..
Wright stated last night in response to
request for Il statement on the matter
that he was not vet ready to make any
statement.
When asked whether it was true that
Miss Elizabeth keuuey, a young woman
who has been employed by him in the
joint capacity of houSckeeper and office
assistant, had left the town OH Feb. II
without leaving an address hc said I:
Guess that's true
II has been known here that T. H.
Fenton and II. r. Dine of the state
auditors office have been working on the
town treasurer'S books for some time. Mr.
Feuton stated last night that he and Mr..
Dine have been working here auditing the
town accounts for Il period of about two
weeks. but said that he could make no
statement further than that as such in
formation must come from his office in
Boston.
State Detective Daley. when questioned
relative to his activities here yesterday.
said: In company with Deputy Sheriff
HaskinS of Greenfield | was i'm confer
encc yesterday with Town Treasurer War
ren ]. Wright relative to an alleged short
age in the town accounts Further than
that ] have nothing to say,
II. III. Doolittle. chairman of the select
men. said last night that he was not yet
ready to make any statement relative TO
the shortage. When questioned further
ha qfi1 har lFr1 hsa
came out ut the regular town meeting on
Feb. q he felt that the condition of the
books was such that aH auditing of the
town accounts was warranted and that
be bad asked that auditors b. sent from
Boston
lie said that be understood that Miss
kenney. who had been employed as a
houSckccper for Town Treasurer Wright
and his brother and who worked in the
office Of the town treasurer. had left the
town and that her present whcrea bouts
were unknown. He said he believed that
she had been working for Mr. Wright for
about 10 years. He felt that ii. was on
Feb II or - that she left Northiield. and
in reply TO Il question aS to whether the
state auditors had questioned her relative
TO the shortage in the accounts before she
left the town, he said that he believed
they had.
When asked if he knew what her reply
~ INC inquiries OF the state auditors Nau
been he said: II am not sure. but | be-
licve that she admitted that Il shortage
on the cash account, which. however. did
not appear ou the town report. was due
to her work.
When Chairman Doolittle was further
/ questioned as to whether any word had
been received from Miss Kenncy since she
left the town. ne said: Il believe she telc-
phoned here from town not far distant
on Wednesday night of last week" In
response to an inquiry as to whom she
called mp. he said; Il think she talked
with the state auditors
| He replied in response to another in
quiry that he did not know what she had
! said to the state auditors over the telc-
phone. Miss Kenney. who is about so
I years of age. formerly lived in AShficId
/ and WAS graduated "a a nurse in Boston
| Town Treasurer Wright has held that
office for 81 years and is a man of excel
! lent reputation in the community