The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-04
CLARK SMITH TRAGEDY.
Funeral Services Oyer the Remains Of
Miss Clarke at Evanston.
The Coroner Holds an Inquest over the
Body of the Murderer and Suicide
No New Facts Elected.

CHICAGO, April BIN the Northwest
ern university chapel at Evanston this
afternoon funeral services were said over
the remains of Miss Effie Clark of Spo-
kane, Wash, murdered Saturday night
by her discarded lover, e. Ross Smith of
Portland, Or, who then committed sui
eide. The services began at 2 pm, Presi-
dent Henry Wade Rogers otficiated. This
forenoon the casket was placed in the
cqapel and covered with floral offerings
sent in by the young girls friends. A
large bank of easter lilies rested at the
head OF the casket, lunches of violets
were scattered here and there and many
friends of the deceased availed themselves
of the opportunity to see the dead girl
before the funeral services. At II o. clock
the casket was opened at the rooms and
made public to the friends. AT l O'Clock
they we're taken to the chapel, Follow
ing the hearse rode the pail bearers and
the university. The pail bearers were G.
FL. Fahs, chaplain of the Freshman class;
and these other classmen, ii. Il. Merwln,
B. B. Bell, j M. Eldrldge, r. l.. Shep-
pard, Harry Fisher.
The chapel was crowded with students
and town people, and outside the build
ing the grounds contained crowds OF curl
osity seekers whom the dramatic tragedy
had attracted. During the forenoon the
house in front of which the shooting &C.
Cured was an object of interest, and the
friends of Miss Clark, who called to pay
the last visit, were compelled to pass
through crowd OF spectators. Miss
Clark's body will leave Evanston on a
late afternoon train and be brought direct
to Chicago, accompanied by a short pro-
cession OF friends and pail bearers, when
the casket will be transferred TO the Union
Pacific station and sent westward on tn ::
10:30 D. m. train. In the hurry OF ar
engagements, the formalities necessary
under the law before the body could be
removed were almost forgotten. 1t was
not until this morning that a certificate
was obtained from the coroner allowing
the removal.
| The coroner reached Evanston shortly
after 10 O'Clock and went directly to the
undertaking rooms where Ross Smith g
body lies. Most of the morning was spent
in making preliminary arrangements and
the work Of securing jury.
! The inquest was held this afternoon,
and the facts elected were as already told
in these dispatches. Among his personal
effects found on him was the following
letter to his mother: 81 am nearly mad
with suffering and l hardly know what |
am doing. / am bearly able to move about
today. My sorrow is more than | can
stand. l have asked help from him on
high, but as usual l got the opposite OF
that for which prayed. The only hope
have OF receiving comfort is to get such
control of my emotions that I can keep
thoughts from entering my mind. AS
the hours go by and the days pass feel
that l am growing weaker under the aw-
full strain.
CT wrote in my last letter that Mr..
Clark had only succeeded in separating
Effie and me for matter of time, and
that | still had her affections. But now
| that is gone, natural result from the
position in which Mr.. Clark s actions and
demand have placed US. l went out to
see her this week, for the first time since
she received her fathers cruel letter, and
she told me she could no longer give me
the affection that had been mine during
the last five years. asked her why her
love had been withdrawn and she said
| Father told me l must give you up, and
can love you no more, as must do his
will. Oh, God, | am thankful my sor-
row at this time can come but once In q
lifetime. feel that the climax OF my life
is reached and my doom closed. How
sweet would have been my sorrow II
| had only followed her to the grave.
J.D. Wood, Smith room mate, testi-
fed: 81 noticed that he had been nerv-
Gus and excitable for sometime. Satur-
day morning his condition was worse.
He seemed unable to keep his mind on
any thing, and would take up a paper OF
book for a moment, then throw it down.
He spoke of his affection for Miss Clark
and the sorrow which had come to him
on that account. Almost all Saturday
morning he spent in holding his head in
| hic hands veeninp He had her letter
telling him of Mr.. Clark's decision and
other letters from Miss Clark. During
the morning he threw them all into the
furnace. While they were burning and
for an hour afterwards Smith stood
weeping in front of the furnace"