The herald., 1898-11-13
CLARK'S LAST CHANCE
OF SAVING HIMSELF FROM THE
LAWS VENGEANCE
HIS FATHER TAKES ACTION
And swears to the Complaint-The
Condemned Boys Version OF the
San Fernando Tragedy

Joe Hunter was arrested last hisn' "
Deputy constable Dave Martin, on war
rant charging him with murder. wing
Hing Hay, the Chinese laundryman lor
whose murder Harry Clark was tired and
convicted a couple of weeks ago, is hunter
alleged victim. The arrest OF Hunter Is a
move on the part of the defense to Try 10
ave the young man from sentence Tor the
ca,re AZ Judge Smith is to pass sentence
touorrcw The complaint was sworn to
bv the BOYS father, B. F. II. Clark, ana tne
defense claim to have discovered new evi-
dence, which will prove that Hunter not
Clark. committed the crime. This conten-
+,on on the part of the boys father is based
on Clark's statement that Hunter confessed
tbe crime to him. Evidence which is SAID
to corroborate the claim of Carks lnno-
cencs and throw the onus on Hunter, mas
been found bv the friends of the boy, at
least so they claim.
At the trial of Clark the prosecution went
upou the theory that the Chinese had been
murdered about o'clock in the afternoon
of MAY 3lst. 1t was proved that the muir
dered man had driven up to Hunters place
on the San Fernando road, about four miles
from this city. Clark was there at the time,
and saws that the Chinaman asked him Tor
the money which Hunter owed him for the
clothes. amounting to s3.S5. Clark gave him
60 and said he would have to see Hunter
about the balance due him. Clark testified
that the Chinese had then gone away. NO
body was found to prove this statement,
and as the body of the murdered Chinese
was found under the Hunter house, with the
face mutilated by shotgun, the statement
was not believed. In proving that Clark had
murdered the Chinese the prosecution dis
covered evidence that he had borrowed
shotgun from Samuel Hunter and then pro-
cured some loaded SHELLS from Penland, a
neighbor. Harry was heard to shoot several
times in the yard, and, in fact, Aureian LIE
Page, shepherd boy, saw Harry shoot the
gun. Hunter testified that he had been very
intoxicated that day and said that he did
not return to his house until o'clock or
later. Harry had told him that the China
man had been to the place for the wash
money and had gone away. Hunter went to
bed, but was aroused by the arrival of a
party OF visitors.
The body was finally discovered hidden
underneath the house, and at the autopsy
a quantity of shot exactly the size of that in
the shells borrowed from Penland by
Clark was found. The young man was CON
victed of murder in the second degree.
Throughout the trial Clark maintained q
composure which was remarkable, and
claimed to know nothing whatever about
the murder or the disposition OF the body.
He even testified, and was corroborated,
that at the time the murder is supposed to
have been committed he was absent il the
vicinity of Glendale, some miles away from
the Hunter house.
Since the trial Clark has consulted with
his father frequently, and the latter has no
doubt induced Clark to make his present
claim in regard to the case. According TO
Clark, Hunter killed the Chinaman. The
attorneys Tor Clark claim that Clark testi-
fled incorrectly regarding the time he re-
turned to the house, and instead OF reach
ing there after s o'clock at night, as he
claimed, it was in reality 1880 when he went
there. Joe Hunter arrived at the same time.
and not an hour later, as he testified. The
Chinaman was waiting and he spoke to Hun
ter about payment Tor his wash bill Clark
claims that he was not present when this
conversation took place, but in any event.
Hunter, who was drunk, became angry with
the Chlnaman and in a quarrel shot the lat
ter twice in the face with the shotgun
Harry came in soon after He claims he was
in the vicinity and saw what Joe had done
Hunter told HIM the circumstances of the
tragedy and asked Harry not TO tell any
thing about the crime, to which the boy as
sented.
Clark claims that he took no part in the
disposition of the body. and after Ietitia
Alice and the others left the house, he went
away, for he was sick and could not bear to
be in the house as long as the Chinamau's
dead body lay there. Regarding the cir
cumstances which corroborate the claims
about Hunter being at the house before he
claimed, the Clark faction contend that they
have secured new witnesses who will testi-
fy that Joe did arrive there at the time they
state, and furthermore that he was far from
being SO intoxicated as he said OH the wit
ness stand. The reason for Clark's not
testifyng against Hunter is said to be be
cause Harry promised Hunter TO keep mum,
and as Clark felt sure he would come out of
the trouble all right, he did not realize the
necessity OF making the charge against his
companion.
Fullerton Fragments
FULLERTON, Nov. 12-Arthur Edwards