Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-02-22
hlisfellaneolls.
From the Romance of the II
SKETCH OF EUGENE ARAM.


In the year 1853, man digging fer limestone,
near place called St. Roberts Cave, in the
parish of Knaresborough, county of York,
found the bones of human body. Suspecting
these to be the remains of some one who had
been murdered, he gave information of his dis
covery i'm the town of Knaresborough, where
the people, thrown into great excitement by the
intelligence, endeavored to recollect if any one
had of late years been missed from that neigh
borhood. 1t was remembered by particular
individual, that one Daniel Clarke, a shoe
maker, had disappeared about thirteen years
before, and had never been heard Of. On fur
ther inqniry, it was ascertained that he had dis
appeared under circumstances which occasioned
a suspicion of his having acted fraudlently He
had borrowed a considerable quantity of plate,
under pretence of being commissioned to collect
that article for expectation. Being then just
married, he had also borrowed some articles Of
household furniture and wearning apparel, for
the purpose, as he pretended, of giving an en-
tertainment to bis friends. After his disap-
pearance, two persons, named Houseman and
Aram, were suspected of having aided him
in the fraud. Their houses were searched,
and some Of the miscellaneous articles found,
but no plate, which it was then supposed that
Clarke must have made off with and thus the
matter ended. 1t was now recollected that the
wife Of Aram, who was subsequently, deserted
by him, had said to some one, that she knew
what would peril the life of her husband and
some other persons. An inquest being held
upon the skeleton, all these circumstances were
brought forward as evidence.
To this inquest the coroner summoned Rich
ard Housemen, one of the individuals suspected
at the time Of having assisted Clarke in his
fraud This man entered the room in a state of
great agitation, and with strong marks of fear
in his countenance and voice. Taking up one
of the bones, he used the remarkable expression,
g This is no more Dan. Clarke's bone than it is
mine;" which convinced the jury that he knew
something more about the matter lie was ul-
timately prevailed on to acknowledge that he
was privy to the murder of Clarke, and that
his bones were buried in st. Roberts Cave, not
far from the place where those now before the
jury had been found. On search being made
the bones were found exactly in the place and
posture which he described He stated the
actual murderer to be his former friend Eugene
Aram, who now acted as usher in the school o
Lynn, in Norfolk. A warrant was immediate
ly sent off for the apprehension of Aram, who
was found peacefully engaged in his ordinar,
business. The profession of this man, his ma
ture age, and the reputation which he bore fol
great learning, conspired to render his appre
hension as murderer matter of the creates
! surprise to tho inhabitants of the place wher
! he lived. He at first denied he had ever beel
at Knaresborough, or knew Daniel Clarke but
r on the introduction of person at that town
: he saw fit to acknowledge his former resdenc
0 in il.
0 Eugene Aram was native Of Yorkshire, an
connected by birth with some of the families o
s gentry in that county The circumstances Q
0 his parents are not stated but he appears t
= have entered life in the character of poo
y scholar. Having adopted the business of teach
!, ing, he devoted himself to the acquisition 9
. knowledge with IN ardor equalling that of tn
a most distinguished scholars. After acting a
# an usher in various situations, he had settle
# in 1874 at Knaresborough, where, eleven yeal
: after, he committed the crime for which he wa
o now apprehsnded. By an early and imprudor