Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-11
PRANK WAS COSTLY
Letters to Girl Get Soldier in
Jail on Murder Charge.
TOOK NAME OF CRIMINAL
Freedom Follows Failure to Identify
Him as Man Who Slew
Deputy Sheriff.

PORT TOWNSEND. Wash. April IL
Charles Postlethwate, a private In the
oath Company, Coast Artillery Corps. sta
toned at Fort Flagler. in the Puget
Sound district, was arrested three months
ago on an order issued by the Secretary
of War and placed in solitary conf1ne-
ment in the guardhouse.
Previous to his arrest Postlethwaite had
been known only as a popular and peace
able member Of the company. For some
time it was thought by his comrades that
he was in detention because of some
Slight misdemeanor, but it has leaked out
that he was believed to be a man much
wanted and suspected of murder. with
reward of $4,000 offered for his cap
ture.
The arrest was made on complaint OF
detective agency to the Secretary of
War that Charles Postlethwaite was none
other than one Ezra Revis, formerly OF
Mulberry Grove. Bond county, ILL.,, who
had drifted west and after reckless
career had been taken in custody for
completely in burglary in Oklahoma.
While taking exercise in the prison yard
at Boise City, Okla, Revis managed to
overpower the guard and get possession
| of his gun. with which he afterward
| shot down Deputy Sheriff Milligap and
made his escape.
tectives to vigor. Detectives went to Null
| berry Grove. and there found that before
going west Ezra Revis had Lecn In love
with Sylvia Blankenship, and that the
young lady was corresponding with
mysterious stranger on the northwestern
outpost of civilization whose name she
had refused to divulge. Finally the de-
tectives were able to secure NUMBER OF
letters, all written at Fort Flagler and
bearing the signature Ezra Revis. The
officers felt so sure that they had landed
their prize that they carried their evil
dence to Washington and secured an Or
| der for investigation.
Officers Believed in Him.
| At Fort Flagler army officers were loath
| to believe that so fine a young soldier
as Postlethwaite was a murderer, and
demanded a searching investigation. Pos
| tlethwaite was confronted with the let
tiers and at once admitted having written
them, but maintained he had signed them
| with an assumed name.
! The soldier admitted that he did not
| know the girl personally, but had obtain
ed her name and address from a fellow
soldier. As life at frontier army posts
| is anything but diverting, Postlethwaite
| said he had thought to break his lonelt-
| ness by opening correspondence with
| the girl. His comrade told him to go
u,
| likely to answer a letter from a stranger.
| Then the two men thought out the
scheme which so nearly brought Postle-
thwaite to the gallows.
III tell her I'm an old friend, but Will
sign no name" said the young man. And
make her guess who you are" suggested
his comrade. Tell her Postlethwaite Is
only your soldier name.
| In due time came a reply from Sylvia
Blankenship. "Of course, / know who
you are she replied. You are my old
sweetheart, Ezra Revis." The funloving
soldier lost no time In innocently accept
ing the suggested name. replying that
| he was her old-time sweetheart, and
| thereafter signed his letters Ezra.
| The military authorities found that the
soldier who had furnished Sylvia Blank
| enship's name told practically the same
story as Postlethwaite, and that other
soldiers In the barracks knew of the ro-
mantle fiction Postlethwaite was carrying
on through his correspondence.
Failed to Identify Him.
Meanwhile the army officers had ar
ranged for the Identification Of the pris-
oner as Ezra Revis A man who had
known the escaped murderer was brought
from Oklahoma. Postlethwaite was lined
up with nine other men and the man from
Oklahoma was told to find Ezra Revis.
After searching each face he could not
| identify one man as the outlaw. The
delegation was reduced man by man un-
til only Postlethwaite remained, and the
man from the south declared positively
that he was not the man and bore no
| resemblance to Revis.
The testimony was forwarded to Wash
ington, and the War Department, after
reviewing 1t carefully. could find no proof
that the young soldier was the guilty man
| and his release was ordered.
The detectives, disapp ointed in not re-
ceiving the princely reward offered for
Revis, left the vicinity. but returned in
ten days and declared that they had
secured additional evidence that would
show the soldier to be their man. Again
they secured an order for his arrest from
Washington. The entire testimony was
gone over. but nothing additional was
submitted that could convince the de-
partment Of the mans guilt. Charles
Postlethwafte is again free man, has
been restored to all the rights and privf-
leges Of a United States soldier and per-
forms guard and other military duties
along with the Oldest and most trusted