Episode 123 Lena Clarke The Murdering Postmistress

Southern Mysteries Podcast

Shannon Ballard

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 918 Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2023

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1920 Lena Clarke made history when she became the first woman to be named postmaster of West Palm Beach, Florida. Within a year, she gained notoriety as “the murdering postmistress when she stood trial for killing her lover to cover up an embezzlement scheme. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.comFacebook: Southern Mysteries PodcastTwitter: @southernpod_Instagram: @shannonballard_Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Florida history: The story of West Palm Beach’s murderous postmistress. The Palm Beach Post. Accessed January 30, 2023. https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2022/01/09/lena-clarke-mysterious-murderous-postmistress-west-palm-beach/9084494002/ Going Postal, 1920s Style – The Strange Case of Lena Clarke. Palm Beach Past. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://palmbeachpast.org/2021/07/going-postal-1920s-style-the-strange-case-of-lena-clarke/ The Murdering Postal Woman, Lena Clarke, 1921. Historical Crime Detective. Accessed February 2, 2023. https://www.historicalcrimedetective.com/the-murdering-postal-woman-lena-clarke-1921/ Lena Marietta Thankful Clarke. Find A Grave. Accessed February 3, 2023. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23950611/lena-marietta_thankful-clarke Theft of $32,000 Solved by Lena Clarke but Murder of Miltimore is still a mystery. The Orlando Sentinel. Accessed February 3, 2023. https://www.newspapers.com/image/313585521/?terms=lena%20clarke&match=1 The Life of Lena Clarke In Her Own Pen. The Miami Herald. Accessed February 3, 2023. https://www.newspapers.com/image/616088404/?terms=lena%20clarke&match=1 Lena Clarke Murder Trial. The MIami Herald. Accessed February 3, 2023. https://www.newspapers.com/image/616088368/?terms=lena%20clarke&match=1 Postmistress Called Insane Freed of Murder. The New York Daily News. Accessed February 3, 2023. https://www.newspapers.com/image/410910479/?terms=lena%20clarke&match=1 Episode Music St. Francis by by Josh Lippi & The Overtimers. Licensed under Creative Commons; Theme Song “Dark & Troubled” by Pantherburn. Special thanks to Phillip St Ours for permission for use

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Shannon Ballard.
0:01.6	I want to say thanks to my newest patrons
0:04.0	who have helped make this episode possible.
0:06.5	Brandy from Lancaster, Kentucky,
0:08.9	Becca from Plano, Texas,
0:11.1	Deborah from Topeka, Kansas. Lee from Willow Spring, North Carolina,
0:16.0	and Gail, Jim, Sandy, Nancy, Kylie Lewis, Brandy, Amanda, and Brittany all listening and supporting from mysterious locations.
0:28.0	Appreciate your support so much and appreciate the support of all of my patrons of Southern Mysteries. They get access to our show
0:36.0	Archive which is three seasons that you can't hear anywhere else along with
0:41.4	previously released patron exclusive podcast, including the new audacious
0:47.6	podcast for patrons in 2023.
0:51.2	You can learn all about supporting this independent podcast and as a thanks start
0:55.5	listing to all of that content now when you check out Southern Mysteries on
0:59.4	Patreon just look up Patreon.com and southern mysteries.
1:04.0	In 1920, Lena Clark made history
1:10.0	in 1920, Lena Clark made history when she became the first woman named Postmaster of West Palm Beach, Florida.
1:19.0	Within a year, she gained notoriety as a murdering postmistress accused of killing her
1:26.0	lover to cover up an embezzlement scheme. Welcome to Southern Mysteries, exploring history and mysteries of the American South.
1:36.5	I'm your host, Shannon Ballard.
1:39.2	This is the story of Lena Clark, the murdering postmistress.
1:48.0	Lena Marietta, thankful Clark,
1:50.8	was born in 1886.
	...

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