Milford chronicle., 1956-02-10
Lewes Woman Admits
Big Embezzlernent
(Continued from drst pagel


The statement follows:
"I'he commissioners Of the town
Of Lewes and the BOARD Of Public
Works regret to announce that It
has discovered a former employee,
Sara Joseph AlbertsOn Phillips, OF
the Board OF Public Works, has
converted to her own use sums Of
money belonging to the board. AS
a result Of q continuing investiga-
ton and negotiation by the account
ant and attorneys for the board, il
is expected a large portion, II not
All, Of the amount takens will be
recovered by the board from the
bonding companies.
"As a further result Of the in
cident a modern bookkeeping and
accounting system has been estab-
lished in the Board Of Public Works
which is expected to prevent any
.similar occurrence in the future"
When Mrs. Phillips was ques-
toned she admitted the embezzle-
ment and signed the judgment
notes, Mr.. Russell said. A bonding
company has agreed to pay the
board S25,000 for the three-yeaT
period ending in 1852 during which
they bonded her The board expects
shat. the bonding company that had
bonded her for the earlier period
win also pay, but the audit for
that period has not been completed,
he said
The news first began to leak out
in Lewes on Monday Of this week
and Is rocking the town. Mrs. Phil
lips has always been regarded as
highly respected citizen of the town
and has been prominent in various
organizations. She was employed
as a clerk in the Board Of Public
Works for about 10 years, prior to
1852
Citizens expressed great surprise
because Mrs. Phillips has always
lived quietly, owns no car and does
not dress fiashily. She owns a mod
est home. just where the money
could have gone remains a mystery
According to D. H. C. Littleton
a member of the board the board
had known about the missing
funds for some time and had beer
working on it. Only recently they
discovered the money had been
misappropriated during Mrs. Phil
lips employment in the office
Native Of LeWes
Mrs. Phillips was born and rails
ed in Lewes, the daughter of
Coast Guard captain. She was first
married to Benjamin s. AlbertsOn,
Jr., during the time she was EN-
Dloyed by the Board of Public
Works. Mr. AlbertsOn died April
.2S, 1851. In the latter part of 1852
Mrs. AlbertsOn resigned her Job in
the town office and went to Florid3
where she was married to the Rev
Joseph @. Phillips, a former rector
Of st. Peters Episcopal Church,
Lewes.
Mrs. Phillips returned alone last
year to LeyFes where she owned a
home at 112 West Fourth Street.
She sought further employment; (;
first with the Rollins ElectrOnics
plant at Lewes, and more recently
with the Graves Block Company
or LleWes, a position which she now
holds.
The attorneys for the Board Of
Public Works are the law firm Of
Samuel r. Russell Of Georgetown.
The specific amount was not con-
tanned in the official statement
issued Monday evening Of this
week by the board, but is reported
to be about $4,000.
Mrs. Phillips has one. son. Sgt.
B. s. AlbertsOn, II, with the U. S.
Army at Fort Totten, N. Y, and
a grandson, B. S. Albertson. ",
born on January IA Of this year.
Members Of the Board of Public
Works are: Arthur H. Morris, pres
ident; joseph L. Marshall, president
of the Lewesr Trust Company; DR..
Gilbert NJ. Wiltbank, LeWes den
tist; Daniel H. G. Iittleton; and
Cornelius G. Marshall. The boards
secretary is Bayard Coulter.