The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15

Do00lGr DOy VINO tThNollo0 WIN IeWolTY IN tho
neIghborhood disappeared, report said that
Housemnn and Daniel Clarke had muir
dercd him. That may or may not have
been; but certain 1t is that about this
time Houseman and Clarke had hit on a very
much more profitable form of enterprise than
numbering n peddlcr boy for a few trumpery
provincial trinkcts. Tho new scheme was no
rough and ready highway murder, such as
might spring from tho brain Of the fax-dresser
or tho shoemaker; 1t was n subtle and ingenious
fraud. and argues tho presence OF q superior in
teilect in tho councils Of tho criminals. This
was the scheme: Clarke had married n wife who
was possessed OF q fortune of 1900; the money
remained for tho present In the hands Of her rela-
tives, who seem to have been unwilling to give
1t up until they we're satisfied that Clarke was a
man Of some substance, and not an impecuni-
Gus person who would spend his wife's fortune
as soon as she got 1t. Clarke and bis advisers
saw In this reluctance OF the relatives to part
with tho fortune n means OF securing not only
the 1900. but q substantial sum Of money In
addition to 1t. On tho strength OF his wife's
roputed fortune on the one hand, and to impress
the reluctant relatives on the other with an idea
of his substance. Clarke was to order from
various tradosmen plato, linen, jewelry.
watches. rings, and other articles. On the
strength OF these extensive purchases, which
would argue substantial means. the relatives
would part with the money. As soon as Clarke
had the money and the unpaid goods on his
hands. he was TO disappear with his share Of the
f SSSHsy; issvl TEe ss sa ffst Of II tho Inc h fr%Sd % vi III t iNa.
attach to Clarke alone. who would be safe away,
while his aGcomPlices would wait a convenient
plan. excellent in itself, is only Imperfect as re-.
CARDS Clarke. who Is condemned thereby to a
home rejoicing. However. he appears to have
been weak enough to accept It, and to have been
prepared to say good.by to knaresborough for
Such WAS the main PLOT but there was an
called for an even greater sacrifice and q more
compendious farewell. AS soon as the fraud
was ACCOMPLISHED, the booty in .Clarke's hands.
in the rascality, of Knaresborough, were to muir.
der the shoemaker and share among two instead
articles. The disappearance Of Clarke and his
property would favor with the public the idea
that he had absconded, and SO divert suspicion
His murderers ! Richard Houseman and Eu-
gene Aram !! For 1t was the s~choolmaster who
had joined the haN-drcsser and the shoemaker
Houseman. was to remove Daniel Clarke out Of
manner II is impossible to say-the stu.
dious recluse had driftcd into an ALI
Hneo with With the muEdoTous,locking shop
GENTLY intimate with him to engage in the
darkest of his designs. Aram had made Clarke's
acquaintance In his love of botany: Clarke was
a skilled florist, and he and Aram spent many
delightful hours in soaring away cats from the
have been that Aram learned something of his
companions projects. and was perhaps through
him introduced to Housenan. Himself under the
stress of financial difficulties. he saw in the rude
designs of these rascals a means OF relieving his
own embarrassments, and. in the perfection of
an intelligent plan. built up murder on robbery.
is progressive and declines from right. step BY
every ever, ' sens sse of ali tfSisG moral q obligation EIiG9lttE Is pe lpit sna
Thus spake Eugene Aram, in his own defence,
are hidden from us; suddenly, to our infinite
amazement. the callous murderer emerges from
the pensive seclusion of the student.
Aram has not, however, left us without any
apology. After his conviction and sentence, he
told the Clergyman who visited him that he
an intrigue with his wife. and that at the time
he, considered he was doing right. Either Aram
death, deliberately biackening his wife's char.
acter to Justify his own conduct. He can only
r be Judged is . in this 6 e i Gu It While local
Clarke and Mrs; Aram. it f. moi, silent on the
unfeeling indifference with which she was
treated by her hnsband-an indifference which
makes his sensitivencss as to her moral conduct
rather fantastic. The Ge%nIemqn's Maoa=ine Of
conduct toward her as inhunan. The murder OF
Clarke, too. Is surrounded by circumstances
act Of rettribution on the part Of a wronged
husband. His devoted a~pologist says that
all his children but one took after their
mother. and that consequently Aram never
considered them as bis own-a rather severe
conclusion. Vanity. II ii does not cause crime.
surer extinguisher OF remorse. II, in his early
treatment of his wife. Aram's vanity of birth
and talent made him shun her in the public
place. and asperse his children for their likeness
to their mother, may not the same ~presumptuous
vanity that wrote on the eve of his execution the
lines:
Calm and composed my soul her journey tates,
No guilt that troubles and no heart that aches.
have prompted him to preserve his reputation
among men by v%ilifying. the reputation Of a
woman whom to the very last he treated with
dislike and contempt
The best apology offered on Aram's behalf
Houseman, eXclaims: "How much greater the
4 mPtsthSls to w Murder nnd to q. z man .Hi,d Iike ArS ram; win
wretch like Houseman, who could carry all his
family under Rhero his hat !" (%slluding to the large
wife.
Houscman. and Aram had. in pursuance Of their
Plan aMn procured 3ror the goods, plate, linen. and
ing day Clarke was to quit Knaresborough with
his share. But. before doing SO. the spoil had
Houseman invited Clarke to come with them
to st. Roberts cave, outside Knuresborough.
secrecy. About q o'clock on the evening Of
the 7th. AraIn came home and told his wife
70 light a good fire in The room upstairs. He
2 in the morning with Clarke and Housemsn.
Something had happened to Houseman's wig,
49, 1880 $50 va VA Z" hIll u IIo LII
tie about "Dicky's" head. They did not stop
long, Clarke was inpatient to be gone. 1T viii
soon be mornings; we must get off" he said. The
three men went out, and Mrs. Aram saw that
Clarke carried a sack on his back.
At 4 o'clock-two hours after-Houseman and
Aram returned. but this time without Clarke.
They came upstairs to the room whore the fire
Clarke, to which Aram replied by telling her to
go to bed. She refused, and the two mon. who
seemed to be very anxious TO have the fire to
themselves, were obliged TO go downstairs and
light another. Filled with misgiving, Mrs,
Aram listened from above: she could only
hear vague sounds. 1t was well she could not
hear too clearly, or she might have caught
the words in which Houseman suggest.
for safety's sake.a suggestion which Aram
did not take up. AT 7 O'Clock the two men went
out. As soon MS they had gone Mrs. Aram came
downstairs and closely examined the fireplace.
There were only ashes in the CRATE then; but on
thednnghiIl outside she found some burned wear.
Dicky to- tic round his head, now bloodstained.
She could not help concluding from this that
she expressed this natural misRiying to Dicky
he was surprised and could not imagine what
she meant, She was right all the same. Be
tween = and 1 o'clock on tho morning OF the 9Th
OF February, l7l5, Daniel Clarke Ind been mur.