Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-09

Varfck street. But Clarkson had disap-
peared. His wife promptly acknowledged
that he had come home late on the after
noon Of the 18th, had hurriedly changed
his clothes and gone out. She had not seen
him or heard Of him since. But she strenu-
ously denied that he had committed a
crime. and refused to be Influenced by any
OF the damaging circumstances.
Here the affair threatened to end, as so
many others Of its kind have ended. in idle
curiosity, police inefficiency and ultimate
forgetfulness. But on the 23d Clarkson was
Ssr IN hiding in Troy He
ana then 1T became known to the public
That the police had found in the rooms of
mrs Clarkson in Varick street a small
French revolver with five chambers one of
which was empty, and the bullets of this
pistol correspondent in size with the one
taken from the body Of Mr.. Prineveau.
CHAPTER ii.
At this stage of the affair I was called
into 1t. oddly enough. received a note
from that eminent lawyer, John Greve.
with whom 1 had studied, asking me to
call and see Mrs. Prineveau at her 9th
avenue home. He had taken the liberty,
ne SAD, OF recommending me in a matter
tnat would perhaps be of great service to
me- Perplexed as was at this, knowing
that John Greve was Mrs. Prineveau's
lawyer and did not need associate
counsel, l nevertheless called promptly up
on the lady.
l found her to be a very handsome wo-
man with great dignity of person, a charm
ing self-possession and all the evidences
OF refined and estimable character.
This unfortunate affair" she said. has
perpiexed me In more ways than one That
wretched man, Clarkson, as you doubtless
Know, is In custody and is now here. The
circumstances appear to leave little doubt
OF his guilt. But he has wife and two
children. Their AFFECT misery is made all
the more acute by the wife's belief in her
husbands I Innocence; 1t is very dread
responsibility which justice imposes on me,
Of hanging that helpless wretch without
giving him show for his life. He is not
able to employ counsel, and 1 am at the
best only woman. 1 propose to pay you
10 try and do the best you can for him.
and, of course, do not wish anything said
about 1t. l took the advice of Mr.. Greve.
entitled to good counsel and advised me to
employ you. 1t seems in such foregone
conclusion q small concession to give him
the benefit of the law. At all events it
will relieve me from the reproach of hav-
Ing been Influenced entirely by vindictive
feeling
do not now remember all that was said
at this interview, but l recall that l was
consciously affected by the woman's SYM
pathy for a man that she saw had little
or no chance for his life, and who wanted
to soften her own share in the prosecution
by not permitting him to say he had no
chance to prove his innocence.
I promised her to go and see the accused
man and to send her my decision as soon
thereafter as was possible.
This interview was on the 25th. On the
26th I went to see Clarkson in his cell at
the city prison. I found a woman In the
warden's Office who had also come to see
him. 1t proved to be his wife. She was
such picture of abject misery that she
arrested my attention. She must have been
very beautiful girl. although now she
was at least twenty-five and suffering had
drawn its lines across her white face. L
could see that she was made of the finest
material, was in fact one of those delicate
sensitive. emotional natures that shrink
from the world, but are capable of the
greatest sacrifices and measureless hero
ism when a crisis comes. She was wretch
eddy clad from the biting spring weather,
and she stood with her face turned toward
the wall. but through all her shabby in
tegumentS there was proclamation of
natural symmetry and even of character.
When the warden told me who she was, I
went to her and made myself and my mis-