The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-10-11
THf B. A. CLARK CASE
Several Important Pieces of Evidence
Indicating that His Death Was Acci-
denta1-TheOries That May BE Com
-

/ Consdera bic new evidence has been
developed in addition To what was
stated by the Reformer last week in sup.
port of the claim that the death of the
| late b. A. Clark was accidental and
| therefore that his family is entitled
| To the $4,000 accident insurance
which he carried. The fail on High
street that was briefly mentioned then,
was very serious affair for man Of
| his age. Mr.. Clark who had star ed
before o'clock in the morning, stopped
at +. \. Wells where he unloaded sey
cral bags of potatoes, carrying them up
the steps and into the cellar. Return
ing he got up on his express wagon and
went to thr front end Of it after a bag,
and had carried il about half way back
to the rear of the wagon when his horse
started suddenly and powerfully. and as
it seemed. twitching the wagon out
from under him like lightning. threw
him and the bag out from the rear in
to the ditch and up against the front
steps. He struck on his left side with
a bag under him. c. Il. Briggs who
was passing saw il all. and states ii as
above. He asked Mr.. Clark ii he was
hurt much and the latter hesitated Il
little as he said he thought not.
f. +. Stockwell was the third man
To arrive on the scene when the body
was discovered ON Ames hill. and he
says he saw the marks plainly where
the wheels of the wagon passed over
Mr. Clark's head across the mouth.
either striking or pushing back
two teeth and SO of course over
the back side of the head where
the etfuson of blood was found at the
base of the brain. Another witness
early on the scene. also confirms this
statement.
The load in the wagon weighed be
tween 1900 and 2000 lbs. and it passed
over him diagonally. the front wheel
over his face and the rear across his
breast. Why isn't it reasonable to sup
pose that such load striking and pas
sing over the head should cause the
blood etfusion that was found by break
ing an artery:
Or. again. wouldn't such an accident
as that on High street considering his
age. being followed by another accident
as there evidently was of some kind
and in some way, at the scene of his
death, be likely to bring on an apoplep
tic attack that wouldn't have occurred
but for them? These are evidently the
theories that will be followed by the
estate in prosecuting its claim.
The body as found was lying with |
the head lowest down SO that there |
was flow of blood to the head, giving |
the face suffused appearance. Might |
that not account for the excessiveness
)f the blood effusion. supposing even |
A small blood vessel to have been bro
ken TO allow its escape: 1t may even |
be claimed that the appea rance of
ipoplexy itself was post mortem, that |
blood vessels. somewhat weakened,
So rapidly after death as
% let out the blood.
The fight in the case will cen
er very largely about the soft
ming at the base of the brain dis
,losed by the autopsy, whether it
vas a post mortem development. AS
nay be possible considering the time
hat elapsed before the autopsy. or
whether il was an indication of dis
,ased condition. But even the latter
-iew may in certain spects strengthen
he claim for insurance. because it
nay with plausibility be argued that
I rendered him all the more suscep-
iple 10 the shock and blows he met
hat day. when perhaps they would