The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-04-24
Robbed the Government.

A story of base heartlessness is revealed
by the arrest in Trenton, of John Media
witt and his young wife. charged with
cashing postal notes, which were stolen
from the KensIngton sub-post Office in
Philadelphia McDavitt had cruelty mar
ried Miss Lillian NJ. Praul, daughter of a
well known and estimable resident of
Edgewater Park, after entering into a
cold blooded arrangement with Edward
d. Schlenk, the clerk at the sub-station,
who disappeared on March II last.
Schlenk carried away about $500 in cash
and nearly $500 worth of postal notes,
signed in blank and all ready for punch
ing. No trace of Schlenk's whereabouts
was learned until Thursday last, when
McDavitt's capture was effected.
| McDavitt, who had formerly been en-
ployed as a travelling salesman for silk
house in Philadelphia was arrested under
the name of John Martin. at Trenton,
together with his bride of less than
week, charged with being in completely
with Schlenk. He lies in Jail at Trenton
unable to secure the $1,000 bail demanded
! for his appearance at Court His wife is
at liberty, for he had enough courage to
say that she was wholly innocent, and
her friends had little difficulty in secur-
ing her release.
The story, so far as it has been unTav-
eled by the Post Office Inspectors, and
from statements made by Mrs. McDavitt,
shows that she was made the victim of a
devilish conspiracy which might have
made her appear as deep in the crime as
the two men who plotted against her.
| McDavitt has been paying attention to
Miss Praul for long time, and they we're
engaged to be married. Schlenk knew
this, and when he met McDavitt at a
small town in Virginia shortly after his
fight, he proposed that McDayitt marry
the girl, and that they use her in realiz-
ing on the stolen notes.
McDavitt agreed, and the pair came
| North at once to put their scheme into
execution. The wedding ceremony was
performed, and the bridal couple left,
ostensibly for a wedding tour. AS mat
| ter of fact, the tour consisted of trips
from town to town in New Jersey for the
purpose of getting cash for postal notes.
They were successful at the post Offices in
burlington, Bordentown, Trenton and
Princeton, the young wife presenting the
notes and receiving the money in each
case. When she visited the post office at
Pennington, however, she fell into the
meshes of the law. Postmaster Chatter
of that place, examined the numbers of
/
redemption, and, finding that they we're
those Of some of the notes stolen by
Schlenk, he had her taken into custody
and notified Postal Inspector Moore by
wire. Inspector Moore Immediately
went to Pennington. and took Mrs. Nc
Davitt to Trenton, where he arrested her
husband.
The couple were registered at the Bar
low Hotel, in Trenton, as John Martin
and wife; and the officers believe that
Schlenk. who is known under the aliases
of Ed Worthington, Scott and Taggart,
was in Trenton with the McDavitts, but
that he got wind of what was going on
and left in time to avoid capture. In
spector Moore and the Trenton police,
however say they are close on his trail
and are confident that he will be arrested
very soon.
Mrs. McDavitt passed IN all II notes
aggregating about $50. Besides the notes
Schlenk stole $500 in cash. The young
woman declares emphatically that she
had no knowledge of the purpose for
which she was being used, and that she
acted without any criminal intent what
ever.