The New York herald., 1869-11-13
TIE LATE IGWA TRAGEDY.

49, A1AA hVWA l1AVEUIe
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Mystery Surrounding the Murder OF the Three
ChiIdrcA-The Mether's Insnnity-Her Per.
sonal History and Present Condition.
The Chicago Eueafno Journal publishes the follow.
ing additional facts bearing on the recent horror In
the town OF Eden, Iowa.
At the house OF Clark the parents OF the MISS
ing woman ana some lew riends-tne former suffer-
Ing tne greatest agony OF spirit the latter trying 10
eoothe the angulsh-when the missing woman sud-
denly walked In ana asked Tor her baby. Where dad
she come from -Four days had now elapsed since
the slaughter. Tho country had been searched with
the closest care Two hundred men had been strain
ing eyes and muscles IN the search without any
result. she certainly had not been far away. Her
clothes were not soLed In the least NO marks OF
violence were found on her person. Where had she
beenY In the morning close examination OF the
straw stack, which the writer had before examined,
and which PROBABLY 800 men mad searched, and into
winch IRON rods had been run, disclosed the hiding
place OF the woman. Still there Ia a mystery sur
rounding the affair. The woman Is crazy now. she
Calls or her Daoy ana says, "He will Kali 1.-The said
he would p' she was ravenously hungry when sue
came into the house, eating everything she could
lay her hands on IL Is altogether likely that she did
the deed aud secreted herself But thar conclusion
has some strong evidence TO overcome. Why should
she XIII the dog' Besides II she killed IT before the
chiuren were murdered, She must have walked
from her Woodpie, south OF the house, TO The dog,
west of the house and Killed IL or II alter the muir
der OF the children she must have carried the axe
OUT Killed tue dog and then carried 1t back and LAID
In on the bed. And wny did sne make her prepara-
tons Tor breakfast Would she have done TINS II
sne was insaneS And so there are many thugs that
look very improbable bat still are possible. II sue
regains ner mind the truth may be ascertained. Ii
there Is q sane dend that has committed the deed it
IL TO be hoped that he Will oe brought TO justice.
correspondent OF tho Davenport (Iowa) Demo-
crat, writing from sauk Centre, Iowa, November 7,
SAYS -. -.-rss>-.-..--..-
The excitement continues unabated aud the mys-
terry as impenetrabe as ever. Since the return OF
the mother, although IL Is thought than prob
able that she committed The threefold murder while
"a state OF ravng lunacy ana the slaughter or the
house dog, Which would naturally follow her, seems
TO corroborate this OPINION nothing definite DO
agreed upon -Four hundred men nave been scour
Ing the country for miles, but have discovered moth
Ing TO aH0rd clue. piece OF shawl was dis
covered on fence near the house, ana IT was
thought she scaled the fence at that poInt but it has
been since ascerainel this rin belongs TO the
shawl OF . neighbor and that Mrs. Clark had mono
when she left.
man named Jacob Blink lives about half mile
from the clark residence. lie had some trouble
with his own wife not very many months ago, when
they separated. Site removed to Cnicago, ootained
divorce anu aiso secured possession OF The iarm.
Tnls sac had rented TO CLARK, VINO is now living
on It,
Blink attempted to obtain possession OF 1t and
tried 70 drlye or the renter. Failing In dong he
threatened to kill Clark when lie had an opportunity.
III IL nov believed he has murdered the Clarns--
mother ana children. THIS belief Is heightened by
the fact that Blink has not been the mouse
the tragedy was known, nor does ne manifest any
interest In the afair. Three hundred and nifty were
out In line yesterday, marching aDDnt nye rods
apart searching for any traces OF the woman, but
Blink did not 90 near them. He has ten acre corn
leu, WHICH Hdu Dtcn paftty examined Wheu our
fofmants lett there. lie manifested q great deal
Of opposition to their going over his held, saying it
would break down the corn, irampis Lhe field and
! heard neignbor state that Mrs. Clark was
afraid as death OF Jake Bunk, and would run from
him II she saw him hall u mile away.n
The personal history OF Mrs. Clark IS as follows:-
In 1865, In MISSOURI, she married Albert Clark
much against the wishes Of her parents, they look
Ing upon Albert rs o poor farmer, who could not
give their daughter the comforts she had been raised
to expect.
Children, the Oldest, Charley, being four years OF
age; the second, Frankly, two years. and the baby,
JOY Nora Velnla, but three months old In giving
birth to the last mentioned child Mrs. Clark suffered
considerably, ana since Lnen sne has been troubled
with frequent fts OF depression and dependency.
Much crcumstantial evidence points 20 her as the
guilty party, and aimoS. every person sad unhes-
tatingly that she was the murderess. Az soon as
possible squire Webber held an inquest over Tie
three dead bodies, and the verdict was that the
children came to their death by an axe In the hands
or their mother, Mrs. Mary Clark.
When, on Friday night, Mrs. Clark came into the
room where the two men sat watching 1t WAS no.
ticed that there was blood on her left arm. Her
friends, however, explain this fact by saying she
had been presented with piece OF fresh beef by tha
woman whom she had been visiting, and that she
more than likely carried the same home on ner arn.
Evidently she mad not far irom the house. Her
shoes wero clean, her dress had not been torn,
though II was covered with straw and chat. TO
every one 10 is matter OF surprise how she could
have hidden herself SO securely.
Since her return she has spoken but very lttle
but was heard TO say "Llsten, listen Do you hear
tnatY Do you hear that dog He's not barking. He's
howlng.n
Evidently in her insanity she imaglnes herself In
great danger. she fears some man. she sad: -
Hush, Charley, don't wake Franky; that mans
coming" Another time she sald:-.l must get up
and dress for his coming" At another, .Theres
that man again. Once during the night while the
two men were watching her, they having placed q
wet clotn on her head. 1t slipped down over her
eyes. instantly she sprang up IN the bed, and at
the top OF her voice shouted Are you gong to blind
me, too and then tie mea oh, my poor children l'
Before leaving looked tie apartment where the
awful deed was perpcsrated The house was small
log one, weatherDoarded on the outside, with three
rooms Oh the ground door and two rooms In the loft
above. The room where the murder was committed
is quite plainly furnished. There chars stoye
cupboard. clothes press, table, three barrels, q
bench, one trunk, and large bed with trundle-
bed underneath. On the walls hung lookinggiass,
DoQksfeif, clock aud picture OF the Virgin Mary
holding the sacred heart.