The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-17
HIS BANK-ROBBER CLIENT.
SAID TO HAVE LURED LAWYER
CLARK TO 4 house TO ROB HIM.

a story of Assault, Drugs. Rlaed PocEets-Tss
Lawyer Cries E. Police y, ana ..FIrci ., Ous
or the window and the Police Como nun.
Ming and Arrest 10th client and Pal.
Robert 8. Clark Of the law firm OF Scott q
Clark, with offices In the American Tract Soci-
city Building, 100 Nassau strort, reported TO the
police last night that no had been lurod into @
house in East Eighteenth street that evening
and beaten and robbed. This was his story:
Some time ago his firm defended Leon Graves,
u bank robbOr who was wanted In Ogden, Utah,
and who was arrested here, against extraditfon.
After a legal fight they procured the discharge
OF Graves. After the firm had secured his dis
charge from custody Graves continued TO visit
their office and he had several talks with Mr..
Clark.
In the course OF their conversations no learned
that Mr.. Clark wanted to buy u piano. AftoR
Mr.. Clark had expressed this wish several times,
Graves told him he was lodging in the house 40
237 East Eighteenth street. Graves told Mr..
Clark that there were two pianos in tho house.
One of them, Graves said, was In his room on
the third floor and the other was in the parlor.
Graves told Mr.. Clark that he thought one OF
the pianos might be bought cheap, and
he invited Mr.. Clark to come up and
look at II. 1t was agreed that Mr..
Clark should 20 to the house last night. Mr..
Clark did so. and at Gravcs's solicitation ho
made the visit late. because Graves said he had
business which would detain him during the
evening.
Mr.. Clark reached the house shortly before IL
o'clock. and as had been agreed met Graves on
the sidewalk in front. They entered the house
together. and Mr.. Clark preceded Graves up the
stairs. They went to Grayes's room. Graves
stepped forward, and putting his arm over Mr..
Clark's shoulder pushed the door open. The room
was dark. Mr.. Clark stepped in. As he crossed
the threshold n man who had been hiding be-
hind the door casing in the shadow of the room
stepped forward and struck him across
the head with a stick Of solder a foot
and a half long and an inch wide and
a half inch thick. The blow dazed Mr.. Clark.
He sank to the floor half conscious. Graves and
the man who had struck him picked him up and
carried him to a bed. They threw him on it.
Then one OF them picked up a pillow and put 10
across Mr.. Clark's face.
The latter was only semi-conscious, but he
knew enough to consider the best way Of escap-
ing and feigned to be senselcss. He lay perfectly
still and his two assailants withdrew a little and
whispered together. Then one of them drew o
bottle from his pocket and they approached the
bed.
The other took the pillow off Mr.. Clark's face,
and the man with the bottle tried to pour ihs
contents down his throat. Mr.. Clark closed his
teeth tight and forced his tongue against the
back of them. so that the liquid, instead Of en-
tering his mouth. ran of on his cheek. The rob
bers, he thinks, did not notice this.
As soon as they had emptied the bottle thoy
began to rifle Mr.. Clark's pockets. They took
Sl45.25 out Of ono of his pockets and q gold
watch with q chain out of another. They also
took a diamond ring from one Of hie fingers.
he had they stepped away from the bed and
whispered together again., BY this timo Mr..
The pillow they had put over his head after
giving the dose OF poison to him had slipped
away and he saw that he was lying face toward
the windows or the house. His assailants APP
parently thought there was no danger of his
moyina. SO they paid no attention.
He jumped from the bed and in one leap gained
out and Yelled Police and Fireia
and he made so much noise that three police
m nmi b 1sara R1" co nney % ali Of H the Tw ena sssnsi
street station. and Mr.. Clark's cries brought
them to the house on the run. The two uni:
banged together against the front door. 1t
yielded to their weight and they ran upstairs.
They had answered Mr.. Clark's cries so quickly
They were found in the room with their victim.
va Az. b TeT nsm taken 81 A to the RF ShGeon station anti said i iSas
he lived at the house in Eighteenth street. The
other man said he was John p. Ryan, and he re-
fused TO give an address. He was ~ years old
Clark had a bad bruise on top Of mis- head and
his face is badly burned by whatever they tried
to make him swallow.
The money and watch which Mr.. Clark
claimed rs his were found on the other men.
They refused to make any statement.
Mr.. Clark notified his partner. who took him
to his home, at 10 Shepard avenue, Brooklyn
and was was able able H to tell II his ~ st story ryt only IN q discon:
nec.ed way. The house in which the robbery
occurred is a lodging house. II Is quiet, and SO
far as the police have ever known Is entirely
reSDectable.