The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-12-23
MARRIED HIS DAUGHTER
England Startled BY a Shock
ing Revelation.
TO BE AIRED IN A DIVORCE COURT

Alfred Clark, q Wealthy Society Man
Made His nlegitimate Child His Wife
He Posed AS Her Guardian-Ths Discov.
cry Nearly Drives the Unhappy Cir
1Iad-Friends Take Up Her Cause.
LONDON, Dec. 23-Polite society is just
now discussing with bated breath one o.
the mort shocking scandals OF the many
that have sullied its history. The scan.
dal will soon occupy the attention Of the
divorce court in the form Of petition
for the notification of marriage which
was presented on Dec. IA by The
Rev Edward A. Chichester, Vicar ol
Dorking, Surrey, on behalf Of a most un-
happy girl.
The scandal had its origin in 1874, wher
Aline Marianne de Hoghton, the unmar.
ried daughter Of Sir Henry de Hoghton,
Baronet, head of an ancient and noble
family, was delivered in Milan, Italy, OF
a female child, the father of which was
Alfred Aurelius Clark, wealthy man,
who moves in the highest society and
whose name figures in the Court Di.
rectory. Clark refused to marry his
victim.
The birth Of the child was kept secret
and the mother returned TO society, no
body being the wiser as to her shame.
She married in January, 1870, an Irish
gentleman of good family named Fitz-
gerald. She spent the greater part of her
time until her death, few years ago, on
the Continent. Her betrayer, meanwhile
had married. There is every reason TO
believe that the mother heavily lowered
hatts 4 af O. fl
disputed at any rate, that Clark posed
before the world as the girls guardian,
Ev cry care was taken with the girls edu-
cation, which until five years ago was re-
ceived mainly in France and Italy.
In 1887 Clark brought his illegitimate
daughter from French nuunery to Little
Hampton, where they lived as guardian
and ward. No pains or expense were
spared in perfectlng the young girl OF Ii
in various accomplishments. French and
Italian she spoke naturally and perfectly,
and special teacheres were engaged Tor
music ae tlgl,sh, the supposed guardian
taking I. l,eaA md faJherly interest in her
progress.
This lie, with occasional trips to neigh
boring places and short school term at
Clever near Windsor, continued until
1890, when the guardians wife died.
Some months afterward he proposed mar
riage to his supposed ward and actual
daughter, and was accepted.
The marriage took place in London,
and father and daughter thenceforward
lived together as man and wife. In
March, 1892, the girl, then only 10 years
of age, gave birth to baby boy and in
July following the unhappy child-mother
discovered that her guardian was not only
her husband, but also her own father
and father of her infant.
The awful discovery nearly deprived
her OF reason. She was practically friend
less. The fact Of the marriage had been
kept secret. Clark's own two legiti-
mate daughters, with whom he resided in
a charming mansion in Kensington, knew
nothing OF it, and he and his daughter
wife had lived in another house.
Every effort was made by Clark to coerce
the girl into remaining with him, but she
resolutely refused, and finally obtained
the shelter of a family, some members OF
which had assisted in her education.
These people, after grave consideration,
placed the matter before the Rev. MIR.
Chichester, a gentleman well-known for
his beneyolence and probity, and he took
the girls cause into his hands
1t is believed that Clark relies upon
the difficulty that exists Of proving that
he was other than the guardian of the
girl, as the birth of the child in Milan in
1874, was, for obvious reasons, kept abso-
lutely secret, and adequate legal proof OF
the fact will in consequence be very hard
TO obtain.
Clark is in London now, although there
were rumors that he had fled the country.