New Britain herald., 1921-08-05
CONFESSIONS SHOW
GIRLS DOUBLE LIFE.
Florida PostmistreSS Admits
Murder and Robbery

Coming quickly after her confession
yestsrday Of the $4,000 West Palm
1leAeh Post once robbery, the an
nounc>ment by Chief Of Police vestAl
IN Orlando that Lena Clarke, post
mistress here. had confessed the
murder Of r. A. Ailtmore. who
was found shot TO death In her ho-
tel room on Monday. has stunned this
community. where the self confessed
murderer and robber has held the po-
sition OF most highly esteemed
young woman.
Takes Of Double Life.
Publication OF the robbery confess
their faith Ia the woman and with the
one thought Of Andtng the man In the
case who had prompted her to such
. dsed. Tho murder confession has
forced = reluctant admission OF an
astonishing tale Of double life; the
leader In church activities and the
daughter Of . retired clergyman. on
the one hand, ana, On the other. =
woman who has suddenly been re-
veAled ~ . figure in might life'' who
spent money lavishly and who had
many dubious relations.
For seventeen years In the Post
Once. with tho leading business mon
signing, the petition that made her
pnstmistress. her honesty and intes-
rtty we're never questioned. Postal
Inspectors, however, say they have
Lever doubted her guilt Of tho rob-
teny and offered her lenieney, but she
countsred them With the statement
that she had q master mind" refused
70 nAnit her guilt and. appearing to
act - ''superwo1nan," tried to out
wit them. She is known - IN ex-
pert IN card tricks and fortune telling
ny the cards, with which for many
years she amused her friends.
She was the local poet and told the
inspectors that she wrote her poetry
in the dark on Z typewriter by the
touch system.
She was caught more and more in
the naeshes Of the evidence that was
being wovau around her And>she final
~ hed to Orlando, where the confess
sion Of murder was made. Word that
she had been held by the authorities
there on Q charge Of murder brought
from here scores Of kilograms offering
sympathy. reiterAting faith In her In
nocenee and offering financial assist.
ance IN her legal Aght.
Her father, the Rev. r. r. Clarke, is
So years old, and her mother. promt-
| iient In tho w. G. T. u, is nearly AZ
| old. Despite their age. they are in
tent upon going to their daughter in
tho Orange county jail. Close friends
are trying to disguads the aged couple
| tn the fear that tho Journey might be
tco strenuous for them. Their daugh~
| ter, has eontri6uted literally to their
support and also has brought UP a
niece IA Jacksonville.
The Postal Inspectors here have
continued checking her accounts in
the post of11cs and the short4ge has
Jumped from the $4,000 announced
last nieht to $4,000 this afternoon.
In her room 1t the home Of her par
tnts this morning, post once money
orders totA1lins $1.417.2s were found
BY the inspectors. All OF these bore
tho paid stamp Of July 50. Yesterday
the sam OF $500 VS. found in 4
studio" which she had rented 1T the
home Of ]. =. Chambers, 323 South
Poinsetta street
/ The phase Of the murder confess
sion that has astonishsd people here
the snost IL the declaration that she
shot Mfltmore. = former postal ON
| pleye, because he would not take the
blame for the robbery. Miltncxe,
after leaving his post once job, ran
4 : news stand in the lobby OF the
building.
| 80 far there have been no other
arrests. As far - can be learned,
no word has been received Of ]. E..
Chambers, in whose car she made