Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-01-17
DIR. F. D. CLARKE ARRESTED
A Former Resident of Audraln
County, With his Son, in
Trouble at st. Louis.

Many readers of this paper will
remember DIR. Franklin d. Clarke,
who formerly lived in this county
on 4 fine farm southeastof Mexico.
DR.. Clarke moved to St. Louis from
here, and in that city he began the
extensive publication OF Clarke's
"Gulde to Marriage" a treatise on
private diseases-their causes and
treatment. The doctor met with
| wonderful success IN his new bust
ness and it was only a short time
| until he had established branch
offices i'll Cincinnati, Chicago and
Detroit. Chicago was finally made
the principal office, and Il son was
placed in charge of the st. Louis
branch. During all this time he
has been advertising his different
pamphlets and publications he has
done a thriving business, and a Il
result he is to-day worth well up
into the thousands of dollars and
owns much valuable property,
both in St. Louis and in other
cities of the country, besides a fine
stable OF blooded horses.
For several weeks the postal au-
thorities have been quietly work
ing up a case against the doctor for
sending obscene matter through
the mails, but so quietly hadit been
done, that when United States
Deputy Marshals W. W. Nall and
Charles McCune went to the office
of Drs. Clarke, ut Sll Locust
street. St. Louis, Wednesday after
noon, and announced to them that
they had warrants for their arrest,
it was as a thunderbolt from a clear
sky. Neither made any objections
to accompanying the officers to the
Custom House, though both pro-
tested that there could be nothing
made from the charges.
Section 1893 of the Revised
Statutes, as amended by Congress
last September, provides that any
person who shall send an obscene
book, pamphlet or other publica.
ton, or shall cause the same to be
sent through the United States
mail, or shall knowingly deposit
the same in the post-olfice or mai,
boxes, shall be deemed guilty Of /;
felony, and "shall for each anC
every offence be fined upon convic,
ton not more than $1,000, or i'm,
prisoned at hard labor not more
than five years, or both, at the dis
, cretion of the court" They waiv.
ed preliminary examination, anC
were bound over for appearance a
the District Court on the 10Th inst.
in the sum of $4,000 in each case
They were allowed to go out &C
companied by officers to procure
bondsmen, but, owing to the alb
sence of one or two gentlemen from
the city, they could not procur,
outside bail. DR.. Clarke is, how
ever, a wealthy man, and he mad
affidavit that he was the owner 0
the European Hotel, at 81 Locus
street, St. Louis, where his Office i
t located, a three-story brick block
valued at fully $4,000, and hi
personal recognizance was accept
: ed in his own case, and his bone
for $4,000 in the case of his sol
and both were released from
! custody. The elder DR.. Clark
, left at once for Chicago.
DR.. Clarke, the elder, stated tina
he did not fear in the least the con
, sequences of the arrest. Said he
p The case is not founded on tn
character of the literature in tn
least. Anyone with common
sense would readily see, by look
ing at the publications in question
that there was nothing in any c
them that could possibly be con
strued as coming within the mean
ing of the statute. The prosecu
ton is due to the efforts of the L
linois State Board of Health, VIII
have been carrying On this prose
r cution through Post-office Inspee
tor McAfee. McAfee has also bee:
O. working up a case, founded On tn
same charge, in Cincinnati"