The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-11-30

Daring and Goodness That Have seldom
Been Equaled-Hanged at Last For MUIR
der-The Refined and PiOus Woman Who
Mourned Him.
There lived in this city until few
years ago, and may be living here still,
a frail, careworn little woman whose
life had been linked with one Of the
most unhappy and yet most interesting
romances in the annals of this centu-
rvs crime. She was the wife Of John
Clark, one Of the most remarkable GRIM
inals of his time. Although thorough
ly respectable, well educated and high
minded woman and devout member Of
the church, she lived with him for
! years, tried her best to reform him,
sought to protect him from the officers
who were ever ON his trail and was
faithful to him to the end
Clark was the son Of prosperous
business man in Rochester. When he
was a boy, he figured In all sorts Of
wild escapades, was arrested several
times for small offenses and had devel-
oped into professional crook before he
was 30 years old. One of his most nota-
BILE traits was his love Of display. He
was small and slender, with clean cut
features and black, curling hair. He al
ways wore a silk hat a low cut vest,
white kid gloves and small, pointed
shoes that pinched his tiny feet He al
so wore several large diamonds on his
fingers and shirt front When he was
still very young, but long after his rep
utation had made him a terror to the
town, he eloped with his cousin, a
beautiful young girl, carefully reared.
1t was short honeymoon. The authori-
ties were too hot on his trail to allow
him to prolong his stay with his wife,
so, leaving her with friends, he set out
again on his travels. From that time
until his death his visits to his wife
were far apart and uncertain. He was
too busy carrying out his bold plans for
robbery to stay long in the town.
Jailer John Cawthra of Rochester,
who knew Clark well and was present
when he was hanged in that town, in
conversation recalled the desperate.
CLARK was the nerviest man ever
knew" said the old jailer. when he
was on one Of his visits in Rochester, he
was walking one day through the ar
cade, right in the center Of the town.
1t was crowded with people, and they
all knew who he was With his gay
clothes and handsome face he was very
conspicuous He was walking with a
girl-he was a great man for the girls
and he was twirling a cigarette in his
mouth A big, strapping man passed
them, looked back into the girls face
and smiled. That angered Clark. With
out moments hesitation he drew a re-
volver from his pocket and fired. The
bullet knocked off two of the mans fin
gers. Clark wiped the revolver with his
handkerchief, put it back in his pocket,
and, telling the girl to wait moment,
stopped to relight his cigarette. He was
as cool as if nothing had happened, and
you can bet there was no one around
there who dared touch him. They knew
he was John Clark and that he wouldn't
hesitate to fire again on the slightest
provocation.
"Olark made a great deal of money
from his robberies. He took something
like $50, 900 out of Mexico, most of it
from bank He was arrested in one Of
the southern states and lodged in jail,
but he escaped before he had been there
day. Later he was caught in this city
and locked up in the Tombs How he
got out no one knows to this day. There
were charges enough against him at the
time to send him to prison for the rest
Of his life. There are those who knew
Clark well who say he made at least
500, 900 by robbing houses and banks.
He was, in my opinion, the most skill
full burglar of his time. we'll remem.
Der one night when business man Of
Rochester was robbed by him The
mans house was ON East avenue, the
best street of the town. Clark discov-
cred that he kept good sized roll Of
bank notes in his clothes all the time.
The man was in the habit of sitting up
far into the night, and when Clark APP
peared on the scene to enter the house
he discovered the owner in a dressing
gown, with his back to the window,
reading. This discovery, however, did
not discourage Clark. He went away
and came back with a long stick, to
which were fastened string and hook.
Suddenly the man inside looked up to
see his trousers, with his roll Of bills in
them, going swiftly through the air and
out Of the window. He must have
thought they were bewitched, for he
could not see for the moment the string
and the stick. AS soon as he had recov-
cred his self possession he ran out to
look for the thief, but it was no use.
CLARK was far away by that time
CLARK was cornered In Rochester at
last. He had just returned from one of
his long tours of burglary through the
country. He was seen coming out of
the house where mis- wife lived, and two
or three policemen went in pursuit Of
him. When they cornered him in an
alley, he turned and shot one of them
dead.
"All the time he was in Jail await
ing the execution of his sentence to be
hanged his wife was a daily visitor.
She is still handsome woman, with an
air of refinement and good breeding
about her He was the coolest man
ever saw ON the scaffold. He walked up
the steps smoking a cigarette and smil-
ing as if he enjoyed himself. Just wait
till finish this smoke and I'm ready"
he remarked They let him finish it
His death broke his poor wife's
heart. saw her two or three years aft
erward, and she was wrinkled and old.
and the gray was beginning to come in
to her hair. She drifted to this city,
and perhaps she is here yet. New
York Sun.