Education Student Accused of Theft

Police yesterday arrested a first year Education student and charged that he had stolen $1,500 of University checks in the last two months.

The 13 checks were taken from the University mail and cashed at the Cambridge Trust Company. The student, Albert C. Knaus, has worked for the M ail Service as a carrier since the beginning of the term.

Cambridge police held Knaus on $5000 bail. He denied any knowledge of the theft and appears this morning in District Court.

"This is the first time any theft has been charged against a student employed through this office." John W. Holt, director of the Employment Office, which placed Knaus in his job, said last night. The office has existed is some form for over 100 years.

Signature Forged

Knaus is one of 20 students working at the University Post Office. On November 20 the office began to miss checks, sent through the Mail Service to University employees and offices. The checks were cashed with forged endorsements, at the Cambridge Trust Company.

By last week, police had narrowed the suspects down to two men--Knans and the other student who delivered mail to the Law School Yard. Both were called in for questioning. According to police, Knaus immediately asked whether he had been arrested.

The police said no.

"In that case," Knaus allegedly replied, "good-day, gentlemen."

Soon after, the other suspect quit his job; then another chock was passed two days ago. Three officers arrested Knaus at his Mt. Vernon Street home yesterday afternoon. A Cambridge Trust teller identified him as the forger.

"A Swell Guy"

Knaus' attractive 21-year-old wife also insisted he was innocent at the Central Square precinct last night. Neighbors said he was " a swell guy" and were sure there was some mistake.

Robert J. Schaefer, director of the program for the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching, in which Knaus is enrolled, described him as friendly but with very little poise. Schaefor said that Knaus had told him he found it difficult to adjust to the change from small-town Marietta College, in Ohieo, where he spent four years as an undergraduate, to the big university and the large city.

Voteran of two and a half years in the Marine Corps, including duty in the Pacific, and married for over a year, Knans attended Summer School last summer to lighten h is academic load for the rest of the year, Schaefer said.

He has been doing "adequate" work in his courses. Schaefer said, studying to teach English at the secondary school or junior college level.

Knaus requested a scholarship in his admission application. It was not granted, but he did not renew his request.

He had a good record at Marietta in scholarship and extra-curricular activities, Schaefer said, and had good recommendations concerning both his academic career and his personality