Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-09-16

ancicnt Celtic. While engaged,
apparently, in such honorable
undertakings, he found time,
February 8, ,1744, with the help
OF a confederate, Richard IIou-
seman, to murder Daniel Clark,
Il shoemaker, and concealed his
body. Lis motive, as Aram
alleged after his trial, was re-
Fvenge on his wife's par
amour, but it was IN evidence
that he got from this crime the
whole Of Clark's wife's dowry,
to the amount of $160. In fact, i,
Aram looks, when viewed in lls|
most candid light, 10 have been
one of the most hpocritical and
CoLD-BLooDED WILLIAMS
IOf ability who sometimes ap-
pear to disgrace humanity.
Fourteen years after the murder,
a peasant, digging stones for II
lime-kiln in the neighborbood,
found human skeleton twofeet
below ground, with the frame so
well kept together as to enable
it to be seen that the body had
been bent and buried double. As
Clark had never been seen alive
since 1744, and as Aram's wife
had formerly thrown out dark
hints that he had been murdered,
public suspicion was aroused
and an inquest was held upon
the bones. AT this inquest she
was summoned, and appeared
and testified that she thought
Clark was murdered by Aram
and Houseman. When brought
before the Coroner, Houseman
was in great confusion, ,trembled,
changed color and faltered in
speech under examination. The
Coroner desired him to take up
one of the bones before him,
thinking to see what further
results would follow. Taking
up one of the bones, he said:
"rhis is no more Dan Clark's
bone than it is mine." These
words Were so pronounced as
to convince those present, not
that Houscman believed Clark
was alive, but that he knew very
we'll where his bones lay. Of
the reader will read Houseman's
words aloud, with Il strong en-
phasis on the word this, he will
see little what they might be
made to mean). After some e.
vasion he finally
BROKE DOWN AND CONFESSED
That Aram and he had mur-
dered Clark, and, though these
were not his bones, they might
be found where they were bur-
led at dead Of night, in St. Rob-
ert's Cave, near where the other
bones were found, adding that
Clark's head lay to the right in
the turn at the entrance to the
cave. Upon search, skeleton
was found exactly as described.
Aram himself was arrested
while acting as usher Of a school
at Lynn, in Norfolk. Upon tri-
al Houseman was used as Kings
witness. Aram defended him
self in written speech full of
tact and antiquarian lore, in
which, with skill beyond most
lawyers, he probed into the
weak points Of the circumstan-
tial evidence against him, urg-
ing the great uncertainty of its
being Clark's body, since st.
Roberts Cave had been a place
of hermits, who very likely ac-
cording to custom, had been
buried there. He was convict
ed, and afterward confessed his
crime. Failing in an attempt
at suicide with a razor, he was
nursed back to life sufficiently
to be hanged, and his body was
sent 10 rot in chains at Knares-
borough, near the scene of his
crime. So perished one of the
most learned criminals of the
world.
Crimes comes and sometimes
may strike very close TO any
one of us. 1t is, above all, nec-
nssary that punishment also
should be made swift aud sure.
This result is reached by the
careful and scientific study of
especially OH its cir
side. Upon a wide
view of the history of crime in
his world, it may be safely said
hat punishment, though slow,
; sure, and of justice, what the
I'D Greeks said of God, that be
comes with leaden feet, but
strikes with All iron hand.
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