The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-08-22
A HORRIBLE CRIME.
Startling Developments Relative to the Lagrange
Tragedy.

Chicago, August 1S-Another murder mystery
is agtating the people here. In the town Of La
grange, quiet little suburban village on the Chi
oago Burlington q Quincy railroad, about twelve
miles from Chicago, q murder has been commit
ted which rivals in cold blooded atrocity the
crimes of the great city in whose shadow it al
most lies.
One Of the wellto.do residents Of that place was
Mr.. Alviro B. Clark, with his family, wife and
three children, the Oldest q boy Of eleven years.
Mr.. Clark was regarded as a man of thrifty hab
It's, a sober, hard working man and good
citizen.
At the inquest the following was elected About
nine o'clock in the evening, an unusual disturb.
ance was heard In the barn near by. It occurred
to Mrs CLARK that, perhaps, some of the horses
bad broken loose, and she called to her husband
and told him that he had better go out and tie
them up again. Mr.. Clark had already dlvested
himself of some of his clothing but he started at
once for the barn, The night was cloudy and the
moon totally obscured. furnished no light Mr.,
Clark was compelled to gTOpe his way across the
yard from the house. Scarcely two minutes after
the departure Of Mr.. Clark, the family was
amazed by the ringing report of a revolver. Mrs,
Clark eprang out of bed and listened. An instant
OF awful silence and then q scream,
An instant afterwards her straining ears detect
ed the sound Of shufling footsteps in the kitchen
and the means Of her husband who sank upon
the stairway covered with blood, lifeless corpse.
About two hundred and fifty yards from the
Clark residence lives Mr.. Love, He was in his
parlOr reading his paper when his ears were as
sailed with sharp report of pistol-a strange
sound in place whose nights only noises are the
croak OF frogs and the Chirp of crickets. He went
out doors and observed light at Mr., Clarke
house, but heard no further sound OF unusual
character for several minutes, Then he heard the
SCREAMS OF WOMAN
Not far away. Going up the road short distance
he saw woman who had thrown herself by the
roadside and was weeping violently. He lifted
her to her feetand assisted her to his house. where
as she had been unable to speak, he first disCoV.
cred that 1t was Mrs. Clark. When she had some
what composed herself, she told Mr.. Love that her
husband had shot himself. On the way to the
scene Of the tragedy she said furthermore that
during the day she and her husband had had a
dispute about money matters. When the house
was reached Mr.. Love asked where Mr. Clark was
lying. Mrs Clark replied that he had fallen upon
the front stairs. She procured light then, and
with Mr., Love went to her wounded husbands
assistance He lay four or five steps from the
foot of the stairs, with his feet toward the floor
and with his head and shoulders thrown against
the banisters. His shirt Was saturated with blood
and his face was cOlOrless. Mr.. Love attempted
10 raise him. thinking ne had not received fatal
wound, but the limp and heavy form sank out of
his grasp. There was no stir of limb or muscle
There were no more moans. Eosigns of life were
apparent. Mr.. Love went for the village Decor
Mrs. Clark went back to her frightened children,
clustered together In the chamber. The doctor
pronounced the man dead.
The news of the tragedy was borne immediate
ly to the most immediate neighbors, and very
soon the house was visited by number who had
known the deceased as a neighbor and friend.-
The corpse, which presented ghastly and sick
ening spectacle, was lifted from the stairs and
placed upon lounge in the parlor.
Some further interesting facts were developed
at the inquest The facts involve hired man
named Joseph 81. Peters, who had worked for the
Clarks about two years. He lives In Chicago.
Some of Mrs. Clarks neighbors noticed that when
she came into the city she left tie cars near his
place Of residence. st. Peters was arrested in
Chicago A pawn ticket was found on him for a
pistol and several pictures of Mrs. Clark were
found in his trunk, and the evidence all go to
show that it was cruelty planned between Mrs.
Clark and himself to murder the husband.