Prior to 1921, the name Lena Clarke was all but unknown in Orlando. She was the postmistress of West Palm Beach, Florida, who became a sensation overnight when she was accused of robbery and murder.
On Aug. 1, 1921, Clarke lured former post office employee Fred Miltimore to Room 87 of the San Juan Hotel on Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando. Miltimore had worked under the former postmaster, John Paul Clarke, Lena’s brother.
Miltimore chose to leave his position because of John Paul’s relentless pranks; the postmaster was known for consistently hiding snakes throughout the office to startle his employees. Following Miltimore’s departure, he moved his family to Jacksonville before returning in 1920 as the proprietor of the West Palm Beach News Agency…