Morning journal and courier., 1883-09-04
Outraged and Murdered.


 scarcely gone by since the celebrated Brush murder case, which is yet fresh in the minds of the public, and to-day's horror, though bloodIess, promises to rival the unsolved Brush murder case. This morning just as the sun was rising. two young lads, Masters Charles Roberts and Preston Aspell, were driving COWS to pasture and boy like, jump ed upon stone wall, when they were hor- rified at beholding a ghastIy sight. Before them lay the remains of Q once beautlfaI woman. She was lying upon her back with the blood slowly oozing from her mouth. 1t
 was the first time either of the boys had seen dead body and they both threw up their hands and started on run to the home of Mir. Ebert o. Curtis, short dis tanoe of Upon arriving at MT. Curtis' home they rushed in pale and breathless and
 exclaimed s'Oh Mir. Curtis, come out quick,
 woman is lying on the ground covered with
 blood" MT. Curtis together with Anson h.
 Dart, immediately proceeded to where the
 body lay. There they were almost instantly
 joined by MT. Ephraim and Alfred Wakelee.
 They jumped over the fence and there dis
 covered that the body was that of Rose
 Clark, the daughter of their neighbor, Cap
 tain Nathan w. Clark, who is now away from
 home uponRa trip to then eastern coast ot
 Massachusetts. As soon as possible werd was
 sent to Dr. E. D. Mooney, medical examiner
 of Stratford, who immediately proceeded to
 the scene of the tragedy. Upon his arrival
 he ordered the body removed to the house
 of her parents 8 few rods above, where 1t
 remained till Deputy Coroner J. A. Joyce ar-
 rived from Bridgeport, who ordered 1t re-
 moved to the residence of Dr. B. D. Mooney.
 There the inquest was held, which disclosed the fact that the beautiful victim had been
 outraged, and that she had engaged in des-
 perate struggle with her sssailant was also
 plainly evidenced. The scene of the murder
 was on the main road short distance south
 of the residence of MT. P. H. Hodges and less than a quarter of
 mile from the home of the deceased and about mile and half from the post office The place is known as HarVeys Farms. The deceased, as stated, was the oldest daughter of Captain Nathan w. Clark.
 He is 8 well known fisherman of Stratford. She was about twenty six years old. A mum
 Der of years ago she was married to Norman c. Ambler of Old Farms, one of the suburbs of. TrumbulI. from whom she obtained di-
 vorce about year ago. By him she had one child, daughter now about three years old,
 who lives with it's grandmother Amb!er Tn Stratford. Since Mir. Ambler's desertion of his wife. She had been keeping company with MT. William Lewis, son of Philip Lewis, and they were to have been married th1s fau
 In fact he was building 8 house which they expected to occupy as soon as the wedding trip was over. She had formerly worked at
 Warmers corset factory in Bridgeport. She
 was in the habit of going from her fathers s down to the village to meet young Lewis, and it was her custom to return alone, as her affianced was obliged to rise very early in the morning and set out for Birmingham, and she did not wish him to go that distance at a late hour She was strong, young and active and knew no fear though the road was a lonely one. Last evening, as was her cus- tom, she left home at six o'clock, spent the evening at the house of the parents of her betrothed and started on her return home about nine or half-past. This was the last that was seen of her alive by any or her friends She had got very near home when she was overborne by one or more ruffians who probably knew of her customary walk and there outrageously assaulted
 Whether she was choked to death before or after the outrage was committed will prob ably never be. known. Add to this that at the time the murder probably occurred there
 were heavy banks of clouds and thaadee shower was just coming up and it would seem as if everything ngconspired to work for the poor girls death. When found the body was in a meadow about three feet from the stone wall fence, the latter being about three and One- half or four feet high. She was laid flat on her back parallel with the fence with her head to the north. The head was partly turned to one side, the arms were straight down by her sides with the hands partially under the hips. The lower limbs were apart and the clothes pulled up to her waist and badly torn and soi1ed. Her parasol was closed and found about four feet be- yond her head and her bonnet was slightly pushed back and under her. There were evi. dences of severe struggle about her per- son. A ring had been torn from one ear and a thumb nail was nearly torn out of it's sock ct and there were blood stains on her cloth ing. Upon her neck were marks of violence and the imprint of mans hand was plainly seen where she had been choked. She was also frothing at the mouth with bloody foam. There were rumors of her screams being heard in the vicinity, but we could trace them to no foundation. Dr. Mooney picked up few loose papers and part of an envel- ope, which are the only clue that has been yet discovered to the perpetrators of the deed. As stated before, the body was removed to the residence of Dr. E. D. Mooney, where at 12 o'clock an autopsy was conducted by him and Dr. w. B. Coggswell also of Stratford, but nothing different from what has already been related was ascertained. From the time the body came into the hands of Dep uty Coroner Joyce pains were taken to keep it from public view as much as possible. At an early hour Constable McEwen summoned the following jury: Stephen D. Smith Tohort T., HIorko ooo T,.I Raarde ley, William H. Curtis. William Nash and Claudius B. Curtis, who after viewing the body with Deputy Coroner Joyce, of Bridge port, proceeded to hold an inquest with closed doors, not even reporters admitted. They one or two witnesses, when they ad- iourned to o'clock this (Tuesday) morning. Undertaken W. F. Bishop took charge of the body and removed it to his office in Bridge port, where he embalmed it. The excite ment in Stratford is intense, and the Select men have offered reward of $500 for the of the murderer. This re- ward, though small, is the full extent of the
 law. How, when or by whom the deed was done is at present enshrouded in mystery. Boston White, who for many years lived in Oronoque, the negro who figured In the Brush murder case, is strongly suspected of having had a hand in this. He is a thick set man and was seen by Mir. Jack Powell and Henry Booth
 in the vicinity of Long Brook m an 1ns0x1- sated condition about 10 o'clock Sunday evening, He made remark as he passed that he might not go home if it rained. He was then going down town. This evening he was all dressed up in his fashionable suit and took the 7:46 train for Bridgeport. A lew nights ago a colored female servant of one of Stratford's leading citizens was seen put in the yard with Boston, who was pull ng her and trying to urge her to go with 1inn. She appealed to passer by for help md since then she has been afraid to go out ,f the house. When told to day that s'Bos on" was suspected she tainted away.
 To night Captain Clark's family are com- ,letely prostrated and young Lewis, her was completely overcome ghen the news was broken O him upon his return from Birmingham, 10 alarm was felt at her home last night be- 1 ause she did not return, as it was supposed hat she remained with her intended's fam Iy, as she had occasionally done. Miss Clark was we'll disposed young lady, pleas mt in address, and was what might be called 1
 handsome young woman. As she was laid i ut upon the surgeons table her face had 1 ost all trace of it's beauty, and one of fear 1 Eas depicted upon 1t, showing that she must l ave suffered great agony. MT. Clark was l elegaphed for at New London, where he is | with his vessel. He had only started of last ! eeek, taking his son with him. The blow will 1 2 sS. .~4-N 'kH- |