Evening journal., 1921-08-13
Postmisfress Story ofNuvder, RobberyPuasle Police

~ y
search is being made here for "a
second man. on whom police base
their hopes Of being able to clear
up the tangle of amazing exploits
that surround Miss Lena Clarke,
West Palm Beach postmistress.
Miss Clarke is under arrest here.
charged with the murder Of Fred
Mntimore. restaurant owner, and
with the theft Of $4,000 from the
West Palm Beach postofiice.
officials who have questioned her,
and who have on several occasions.
listened to confessions that she
made. only to repudiate them a short
time later. believe she may be try
ing to piece together a story that
viii hold water. in order TO shield a
second man In the case.
Many angles Of the evidence. they
say. point to the existence OF this
second man.
Developments Fast.
This is the history of the case in
a nutshell;
on July 2e. It was learned that
$50. 600 had been taken from a reg
istered mail sack at the West Palm
Beach postofhce.
on August /. Miss Clarke ap-
peared at the Orlando police station,
asking officials to go to room in
= the san Juan hotel. where she said
she had drugEed a man implicated
in the robbery. and locked him up
until she could get police help
Police found Miltmore lying dead
A. on the door OF the room. killed by
revolved bullet A gun was on the
floor nearby. together with two
money bags. slashed and empty.
Taes on the bags showed they were
sent by the First National Bank OF
West Palm Beach to the Federal
Reserve Bank at Atlanta, and that
one had contained $4,000 and the
',other $4,000.
~ Chief Confronts Her.
When this news was phoned TO
Chief Vestai. he confronted Miss
Clarke.
~Dadn't you kin Miltimore. Miss
Clarke ?" he asked.
NO. I didn't" she replied.
Again he put tho question. and
Miss Clark hesitated.
yes. I killed him." the chief says
she then replied.
3 Later the chief. In a public state
ment. gave this version Of the affair.
as he said Ms Clarke bad told It TO
him
-. In 1918. while she was assistant
= postmaster at West Palm heach,
therp was a faS.eee shortage dis
covered IN the Office. Miss Clarke
eald that although she never was
able ta get any proof. she suspected
Nilumcre. Beth she and Milumore
short time later. we're candidates
for postmaster and during their can
afdaoiVs sa0.oee more in cancelled
money orders disappeared. This,
100. she said she believed Miiimorc
was responsible for, seeking to dis
credit her candidacy.
- The tss. 600 theft. she explained.
was for the purpose Of covering up
'efha earlnr shortages She told me
she brought the money sacks and
&<T9S over to the hotel room and
sent for Mtitimore. to prove to him
that In her desperation, she had
taken the money involved e
atrniEhten up the old accounts Sh'
said uhe tried to get him to sign
styskement regarding tho Garlic
Shortage and that no rofusod."
Her Memory Fails.
Although she once had told polic
that she shot Milumore, Mis-
CLARKE told Chief Vestal on thi
second occasion. that II she sho
Aim. she didn't remember H.
she said he had worried day and
niKht over the shortage in hei
Office and that It was difficult for her
to recall just what did happen" the
chief said. she told me that she had
purchased an auto and had recently
taken oct $50 900 insurance policy.
intending to drive the auto over a
bridge somewhere and kin herself.
The Insurance money. she figured.
would square her accounts"
The following day Chief Vestal
questioned the woman and said she
told him that in a dream the night
before. the hotel room scene had
come back 70 her, and that she wal
sure he would md some OF the miss
ing money in the bath room OF hei
hotel room
Money Is Found
Search revealed s725 an water
soaked bills hidden under the fioa
10 the fush tank. The fact that thi
fusher haE been in use during IN
three days between the murder an
the discovery OF the bills. strength
ems police belief that they wer
planted" afterward by the secon
man
This man. they say. might easil
have slipped into the room and sh'
Niltlmore after Miss Clarke ha
drugged him and gone for the polio
Mss Clarke also later directed of
Ncials TO a bureau in her boardir
@house room where they found S57G
more in bills.
But there is no trace OF more ths
SIS, 900 that is still missing.
SOL - ga. .--.o., -. a.