The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-07-20
WIDOW OF YEGG
DEFIES THE POLiCE-SHE pos
SESSES $4,000 BURIED
LOOT.

New Orleans, July 20.-After days
Of grilling at the hands Of the New
Orleans police, Mrs. Charles Craven,
or Mrs. Charles Prator. daughter OF
a former governor and widow of an
expert craftsman who was killed
while pulling off a job" has been
released. She s~teadfastly refused to
reveal the hiding place of $4,000 in
money and $4,000 in diamonds
which she says is concealed in the
outskirts of Savannah, Ga. The
money was obtained by the bandit
husband Of the girl widow in a series
of clever robberies which baf1ed the
police of Dixie.
The pretty widow Of the famous
yegg has had an adventurous career.
with her bandit husband who posed
as a millionaire while robbing his
rich companions, she was received by
the best of society. She is the daugh-
ter of the late Ex-Governor MacCor-
kle of West Virginia, and her early
training in society enabled her to
play the role of a millionaiTe's wife.
You can torture me, kill me, but
III never reveal the hiding place of
/ the lAtblICy anu JGWCtGs 0dIh AhF Slt
when she was arrested. Il know
where the money is that Charlie OBJ
tanned by blowing express airs and
safes, and robbing pOstofices and
banks, before he was killed in Flor
ida, FIVE months ago, but he gave il
to me, and I'm not going to let go
of it,"
Papers in the trunks of Mrs. Cra-
ven indicate that she is a stepdaugh-
ter of the late Ex-Governor MacCor-
kle of West Virginia. A society news
item, clipped from a Dallas paper of
three months ago. stated that she
was visiting the parents of her late
husband, who had been killed in a
railroad wreck i'm Florida" Other
clippings show that she and her hus-
band had been feted by society in
several cities.
She smilingly added that her hus-
band had posed as a millionaire al
Palm Beach hotels, and robbed many
Iguests of thousands of dollars.
Mrs. Craven said that her hus.
bands real name was Charles Lee
IPrator, and that his parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. j. b. Prator, are living in Dial.
Has. A Dallas society clipping reads
Mrs. Charles Lee Prator of Jack.
lsonyille. Fla, is visiting Mr.. and Mrs
IL. b. Prator here. Mrs. Prator for
merly was Miss Eva MacCorkle Of
West Virginia, daughter of ex-Gov
Iernor MacCorkle. Her husband wa!
Irecently killed in a railroad wreck il
FLORIDA"
DO you think that would Civ,
Iup that little fortune after my hus
band risked and gave up his life in
securing it," said the young woman
mot much; / still revere Charlie
memory, and believe that | am en-
titled to the treasure, after he wa
killed while robbing a postofice Il
Igiye me money to live a life of ease
Yes. the money and diamonds ar
part of the loot my husband secure,
4 with his revolver, and by his abilit,
to crack safes. But /. nevertheless
believe that | am entitled to it, jus
the same. The treasure is now hid
) den in Savannah, but it never will b
discovered. They may kill me, bu
= they never will know where it is.
h They think they will be able t
trail me to the hiding place of tn
. treasure when they get me back i
Savannah. but they are fools fo
thinking SO. | am somewhat of a de
!. ~tective myself, and can go and com
from the hiding place with perfeC
security"
Mrs. Craven also is known as Ev
Slack MacCorkle. She ran away froI
a convent in Ontario some years age
! She says she was put there by he
I stepfather, who, she says. was a fol
{ mer governor of West Virginia. Sh
declares she met Craven in Norfoll
: Va, a little more than a year agt
and that they had been married onl
m about eight months when he wa
p killed.
W Mrs. Craven laughed when she Ell
r tered into a recital of her life stor.
"One never would think that
r spent thirteen years of my life in
"a Catholic convent, would one?" 81
~ paused, to see what effect this woul
rs have on her auditors. Nevertheless
Is ii lis true. / was born in Toront
Is Canada, and when a small girl n
father died and | was placed in
,e convent at Hamilton, Ont. My mot
he er hen moved to Charleston, w. Va
/, where she is now"
-O-