Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-09-20
5etistellaneons &eadimg.
A NEW ENGLAND TRAGEDY.

A NEW ENGLAND TRAGEDY.
THE STRANGE AND TERRIBLE FATE OF
ROSE 4MBLER.
Connecticut is becoming noted for myste
rious tragedies of which young women have
been the victims. The Mary Stannard and
| Jennie Cramer cases are instances fresh IN
the public mind. Butt fate of Rose Clark
Amber, who met her strange and awful
death little more than two weeks ago at
Stratford, Conn.,, bids fair to engross larger
share of public interest and curiosity than
either the Stannard or the Cramer case.
A COSY cottage about mile northwest of
the New York and New Haven Railroad
bridge across the Housatonic River was the
home of Rose Clark Amber Capt. Nathan
Clark, her father, has lived here about three
years. He is the father of nine children.
The girls are remarkable for their beauty,
and the boys are sober, industrious and re-
spectacle. The children received COM
mon school education. The girls were neat
and tidy in dress and lady-like in depOrt-
ment They were good hOuse-keepers, nat
urally Industrious, and not given to gad-
ding. One of them is employed in the STRAIT
ford postofice, over mile and half from
home. The father is fisherman. He owns
a smack and he usually cruises off Montauk
Point and up Vineyard Sound. He is a
clever, and hard working man, and is high
ly esteemed by his neighbors.
Rose grew up beautiful girl. She had
blue eyes, faultless features, a delicate COM
plexion, and dark brown hair. Her voice
was musical and her manners were very en-
gaging. Over four years ago she married
Norman Amber. When he married Rose
he was a happy-go-lucky fellow, given to
occasional sprees, but with neither the tastes
nor the inclinations of silent drinker.
Sturdy and well-knit, he boasted Of his
physical prowess, and contracted assocla-
tions that were injurious to him. He fire.
quented the saloon of prize fighter in
Bridgeport, and seemed to have pugilistic
aspirations. He was neither i'll favored nor
had he a bad disposition, but he was weak
and easily influenced by his associates.
Such was the man who married Rose. They
lived in large white house about half way
between the Stratford depot and Roses
home. Norman raised vegetables, which
were marketed at Bridgeport and adjacent
cities by William Lewis. Lewis was good
salesman. He had a convivial disposition
and drank freely, but withal saved money.
He lived with Norman and Rose. The
husband was not particularly attentive to
his wife. Lewis split wood, brought water,
and did odd chores about the house in Nor
mans absence. For months the wife SEEM
ed devoted to her husband. Then daugh-
ter was born. Its birth had no perceptible
effect on the father. He registered around
as usual, leaving Lewis to do the chores.
Occasionally Lewis rode out with Mrs. Am
bier. The neghbors began to talk, and
Norman's jealous: arose. a quarrel be-
tween the two men ensued. Lewis lett the
house, threw up his situation, and went to
his mothers residence, in what is known as
the Lisle Curtis mansion. Not long after
ward Rose left her husbands house and re-
turned to her father. She left her baby
with Normans mother, and it is said that
from that day to this she has never visited
it, and apparently has not taken the least
interest in it's welfare. She went to work
in Warmers corset factory, at Bridgeport,
returning home every night. Stratford de-
pot was over mile and Il half from her ia
theirs house. She usually covered the dls-
tance in forty minutes.
Despite his dissipated habits Norman
seems to have tenderly loved his wife. He
hated Lewis and accused him of being the
author Of all his misfOrtuneS. Instead OF
being sObered by the desertiOn of his wife,
his destination increased. One day he was
surprised by Constable Dufour, who served
upon him a summons to answer the petition
of his wife for divorce on the ground of
brutal treatment. He was infurated, say
ing that Lewis was at the bottom OF the
whole business, and that LeWiss money
was being used in the effort to obtain the
divorce He swore that whatever happen
ed Lewis should never marry her. He
made no answer to the summons, and in
due time the divorce was granted and
Rose was again free woman. Norman
went from bad to worse. He was left alone
with his little daughter and his widowed
mother. His SpreeS were prOtracted, ana
they gave his mother much sorrow.
A year ago Constable DufOur was called
! from his bed by NOrmans brother, who
said: "Norman. wants you right away"
Dufour went to the house and asked Nor
mans mother whether he was in. Nor.
man shouted: "Here am in the bedroom"
At first the constable thought that ne
had the delirium tremens "What's the
the matter with you" he asked.
81 want YOU to arrest me and put me in
| the State prison." he replied. 81 amt
safe to be around here. I've been robbing
my mother"
Constable Dufour told him that he had no
| poWe er to arrest him without Il warrant,
and that q warrant could not be obtained
| WithOuta complaint. The mother refused to
ask for one, saying that she didn't want to
disgrace the family. Norman urged the
constable to take him out of the village,
! and Mr.. Dufour finally hitched his horse to
a wagon and drove him to Trumbull
Church, ten miles from StratfOrd. On the
| way Norman repeatedly asserted that 1T
| would be unsafe for Lewis and himself to
remain in the same township with Rose.
At Trumbull Church, Dufour placed him
on the cars. From that day to this Norman
| Amber has never been seen in Stratt0rd.
| Clapboard Hill is an elevation in STRAIT
ford, nearly half mile north Of the rail
road depot. The Lisle Curtis mansion
stands on this hill at the junction of four
roads. It is here that William Lewis
lived after his quarrel with Amber. He
worked for Charles Peck, a market gard
ener of Stratford. Peck gave him $40 Il
week to drive a market wagon from STRAIT
ford to Birmingham, a large manufacturing
village ten miles away. Lewis is a good
salesman, and he fairly earned his money.
He arose between and 3 o'clock every
morning, walked down to Peck's house,
| three-uuarters of a mile away, harnessed
his team, and drove to Birmingham, where
he usually arrived about S. a. NJ. He re-
turned to Stratford between 10 and IL
o'clock in the morning.
From the day that she left her husbands
house Rose Amber seemed infatuated with
Lewis. After her divorce was granted she
openly visited him at the Lisle Curtis man
sion. 1t was fully two miles from her
fathers house. The visits were usually
paid in the evening, Rose returning home
after dark. Lewis never accompanied her
| In CHI