St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-25
A sCoUNDRELLY DEED.
A Postmaster Who Aided a Nefari-
Gus Business.


A case that occupied the attention of
Judge Nelson, presiding at session of
the United States court yesterday, was
one seldom brought to public notice in
a detailed form. The defendant was
Lorenzo J. Clark, prominent farmer
and miller of Wiscoy, MINI. Since 1879
Clark has been a constant source of
annoyance and trouble to the pOStoffice
department. Under number of aliases
he has successfully evaded the law
which applied to his peculiar mode Of
enhancing his financial store, and has
been carrying on, in the midst and as the
head of a family, what proved to be
work of the most vulgar description.
Clark, whose mind will probably
exercise itself within the four
dingy walls of the penitentiary for an
uncomfortable term of years, is man
about fifty-three years of age, very tall
beard, which partly hides the crnging
expression of his red face. He claims
| to be Vermonter-whO came to Mime
sofa early in 1873. The business he has
been carrying on through the mails has
| been that of compiling filthy and OBJ
scene verse, pictures and photographs,
| whose description is wholly unfit for
publication. He was materially aided
! in his career by the postmaster at
| Shade, Pa, j. A. Shade, who, it is
| now learned, effected the establishment
| of that Office and himself as its master
| for the furtherance of tine schemes in
which Clark and himself were inter-
| ested. Clark, aside from running a
| small grist mill, also provided himself
| with printing press and outfit, where
with he would print his vile compost
| tons of verse and mail them to Shade,
| through whose office and that at WiScOy
| the matter would reach the public for
distribution. Shade, on the other
| hand, was a photographer, and would
| photograph objects and scenes which,
| could they be described, would prOba-
| bly, arouse degree
| OF RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION
| against the two sinful old buffers who
| have been spreading such demoralizing
| Influences right and left. Shade
| would mail the matter to Clark, who
would dispose of it under an assumed
| name and to good advantage. For ten
| wears these two monsters have been in
! truding their foul and fetid matter into
| the hands and notice of people of all
| sorts, until, 10y mishap in the carriage
| of the advance pamphlets, which were
sent as feelers, notice was sent
| to Postoffice Inspector MaXfield.
of the Chicago, st. Louis and
| Cincinnati district, that Clark was
| probably INDUCING in the work which
he was formerly warned to desist from.
Through an ingenious procedure on the
part of Inspector Maxfeld, Clark was
entrapped and arrested last June, as
was also Shade. Clark was brought to
st. Paul, and a true bill found against
him. He was then released on bonds to
appear at this term of the United States
| district court, tried and Yesterday found
| guilty as charged in the indictment
| Shade is in Pennsylvania awaiting
trial, and will be summary dealt with
also. Clark says his wife died two
months ago, and takes his bereavement
very hard. He has also four small chill
dren, whom he left in care of friend
at Wiscoy. He appears wholly uncon'
cerned about his case, and says he never
offered any of his stuff for sale, but that
he only INDUCED in it for his own pleas.
| ure. The offensei is punishable by a fine