New-York tribune., 1891-03-01
THE ORIGINAL EUGENE ARAM.
HE BEGAN LIFE As AN USHER AND WAS TEACH
ING SCHOOL WHEN ARRESTED.

HE BEGAN LIFE As AN USHER AND WAS TEACH
ING SCHOOL WHEN ARRESTED.
While nearly every schooboy in the land has read or
.ccitcd Tom Hoods poem The Dream OF Eugene Aram
aud Bulwcr's novel Of the same utc Is well known
amoue hcir elders few a.c acquainted w4th tio la'I
perhaps that Eus NC Aram wa, real parsonage ana
the most famous murderer OF his time lie was exc
cutcd on tic 9th cf August 1859. and Bulwer, in an
unpublished preface 10 his novel, said that 1t vas
founded upon ~ very remarkable murder by a very
remarkable man. half century ago. In short upon
tie story Of Eugene Aram.'
The crime for which Aram suffered. - company with
his own strange history, combined 10 make his trial
while ii lasted the r",suing sensation Of England. enc
OF hi, ancestor, had been High sheriff Of Yorkshire in
the reign OF King Edward III. bat the family having
been gradually reduced. Aram'5 father vas almost
paupcr. The SON however. was sent to school near
Rlppon where lie became expert In writing ana aEIth
metic and then went TO London a me chants clerk.
After two years In that city lie was seized WIN uc
smallpox, recovered and went back to Yorkshire i"r
the Improvement Of hls health. There he secured ''
situation OF usher IN public school bat OWING TO MS
limit a cducatIon received only sc1nt salary. lis
will va, iudorltabc aud his memory phenomenal 50
oyo,ing all his leisure lime - l1rl study. lie AT last
bccame an excellent Greek and Latin scholar In l'Jl
he gave up u,hcrinG. and WAS engaged as ste"Au "
an estate belonging to Mr. Norton. oil kuafcsbofo"s'
While in this position he acquired tho'ough Aho"i'
edge OF the Hebrew language. anu cohU@'c" "'''
riaeo which resulted most unhapplly.
Among AranI's aoquanlanccs at knsresborough was
shoemaker named Daniel Clarke. who married soon
,nor Ar,n and Immediately spread It story among lis
friends that Mrs Clarke would soon receive large
fortune which she Lad inherited. Aram and fellow
conspirator, Richard Ilouseman. decided to VcuI"lEc
ihe .lmu'c minded shoemaker, ana persuaded MN 70
make . display of his own money with view to"a"
u,urc,slng hi, wfc's supposedly rich relations Clarke
.ftoJ Nd min
sau,cs Among other things he borrowed and bo"Sut
r crc4lt a large quantity Of silver plate, with Jewels
yyache, and rug~. telling the people from whom h'
nrhasel thee articles that he was acting as the agent
lor a Loudon firm. lie suddenly disappeared in Feb
mary. I715 and it supposed that he had gone 10
I ,,dou 10 dispose ot his prte AMI lcWclry.
,rnm and lIou,cman had been keeping an eye on
,rc, goods and finally agreed to murder Clarke and
.t,r, tho Lootv With this end in view they induced
,h shoemaker 70 take a walk with them through the
ne,ds outside Of Knarcsboroush or the night of
r,,rIary T. l14J. At a small distance from the town
IN stretch Of open ground was a grotto known as
=, Eolert', cave aud when IL was reached Aram ana
rr. crossed the hedge and went toward 1t together.
rIouscran testified az the trial that when they were
within few yards Of II he hram strike Clarke
sevcra times. telling him TO the ground As soon as
ma was extinct In the shoemaker the murdercrs went
IN hi, house. found the treasure and divided H. House
man burying his half In lis garden year alter
vawd
h, share to London, disposed Of 1t and became an
usher again NJ academy In Pccadlliy.
During tie next twelve years he driitcd from
school 70 school, teaching the higher branches and in
duIcng in his leisure In his fondncss for the study OF
foreign languages. lie learned French and acquired
Arabic. with several other Eastern dialects. Admiral
rurncy who went 10 school at an establishment where
Aram was usher subsequent to his crimo said That
Aram was generally liked by the boys and that he
,nen used 10 discourse TO them about murder IN
hchlv pecular fashion As he ceased 10 write To ms
Yorkshire friends. II Thought that he was dead
In 1888 a man who digging for limcstoncs near
s. Roberts cave found the bones Of human body.
II was conjccturcd that they were the remains OF
clarke and that he had been murdered.
IJolseman having been In company with Clarke
shortly before his disappearance. was arrested on Sis
nlclou and locked mp In York Castle, where he was
severely questioned after looking at the bones cN-
humcd by the limestone digger. lie denied that the
homes were those OF Clarke but pointed ont the spot
,rberc they were buried. The skull found with them
ry,s fractured and was entered an important piece
~ evidence at the trial. Officers went tho trail Of
Aram and found him at the town of Lynn. in Norfolk,
where a warrant was secured for him. he was ar
re- ted while tcncnng his class taken to York Castle
and imprisoned with llouscnaI. Al the Lent aSsizes
following, the public proscct0rs were not ready To 20
an and Aram remanded TIL the summer term wien
he MA, brouSla 10 trial. Aram wrote his own de-
fence which he read In court, and Judge Noel who
nresded a tho trial, remarked tat II was one Oi the
mast ingenious pieces OF REASONING tlhl ma ever
f,Ilcn under his notice There are on record perhaps
few more able and convincing addresses To court and
Jury from crimnpl than Arams. ana It almost won
for him an immediate acquittal. The public belief In
his Innocence strong and would have remained so.
dc,pto the adverse verdict. lad he not made full
Confession In "A letter TO his attending clergyman.
This letter was written when Aram had determined
IN cheat the rope bv committing snlcde, and was
mel'Ilrlmaic Composition When lie finished 1t lie
emf nj, left arm above the elbow and near tho wrist
vsjh "A rp1Or. but missed the artery. Precautions 70
nrcvcnt condemned criminals from doing away with
Themselves were not taken in those days. the death
watch was not strictly kept and many murderer
eluded the langman and went into the future by q
route ~ his choosing
kram used M, razor on the night before hi, execu-
on and when the officers went 10 his cell thcy found
him almost dead through loss OF blood surgeon
et,nped the bleeding, and Aram was taken 10 the
rows In fainting condition. where although he was
ncrfectly sensible he too weak 70 JOIN IN the snort
religious exercises which preceded the al OF inc drop