The herald., 1898-11-03
CLARK IS GUILTY
VERDICT is MURDER IN THE
SECOND DEGREE
JURY OUT four HOURS
ELEVEN MEN COMMENDED FUR
THE DEATH PENALTY
DISTRESS OF CLARK'S MOTHER
Closing Incidents in the Trial Of Him
Who Is Held to Have Killed
Wong Sing Hay

The Jury engaged in the trial of Harry
v. Clark, on the charge OF numbering W ong
Sing Hay, the Chinese laundryman, at lrop-
leo, on the night OF May 81 last, brought IN
a verdict of murder i'll the second degree, the
statutory penalty for which is imprisonment
for not less than ten years. Clark will ap-
pear for sentence next Monday.
When court opened yesterday for the CON
clusion of the argument tor the state there
was smaller number OF spectators in at
as Deputy District Attorney McComas re
sumed his plea the vacant seats filled rapidly,
and standing room was soon all that re-
manned for late comers. Inside the bar sat
the defendant, calm, and in his usual place,
beside Mr.. Allen, one of his attorneys. At
his left hand was Mrs. Clark, his mother,
and just beyond her sat the father, who has
appeared all through the trial to realize
more fully than any one else on his son )
side of the case the damaging character of
the evidence adduced by the prosecution
and the weakness of the defense.
defendant, Miss Letitia Alice in close prox-
unity to the young man with whose name
her own has been unpleasantly associated !;
Mrs. Mabel Noyes, the Chicago woman. who
has been making a hero of the defendant on
the presumption of his innocence, and the
rest of those whose faces have become IA
miliar during the progress of the trial.
Clear and conclusive was the closing plea
of Mr.. McComas. With searching care he
examined all the evidence in the case, going
rapidly over the testimony of the witnesses
on both sides, and exposing in all its essen
tial features the hollowness Of the defense.
His summary consisted of keen analysis
of the theories to be adduced from the evil
dence, coupled with a scathing arraignment
of the defendant of whose guilt there has
really been no room for doubt since testi-
mony was closed.
al o,,oh oho,y,
was so strong that it came within hairs
breadth of resulting in verdict of murder
In the first degree, eleven jurors holding out
for the inhiction of the death penalty from
IL :32 a. M, when they went to their room
for deliberation, till $3.50 p. M, the hour
dict, one Of their number persisting in the
determination that Harry Clark should not
be hung for a crime of which all believed
him to be guilty.
Mr.. McComas consumed more than an
hour in closing, and the instructions were
then read to the jury by Judge Smith. These
were moderate in tone, certainly not unfair
to the defendant, and it may be said that
the court has been eminently liberal in its
rulings during the progress of the trial
Bailiff Marsh was sworn to ia Ike charge of
the jury. After remaining out for nearly an
hour, the jurors were taken to dinner, re-
turning shortly after | p. m.
At 3:O4 p. m. knock was heard, and the
bailiff was informed that the jury would
like to examine the map of the Hunter
premises and vicinity, which had been used
during the trial. This not having been reg
Judge Smith sent back word that the exam
ination of the map could not then be allowed
Twenty-six minutes later the second knock
was heard, and the defendant having been
brought in from the Jail, the verdict was
announced.
1 II L IL
ant and his friends was evident They had
hoped against hope for some more favorable
result of the trial, if not actually TO- acquit-
tai. Their hopes were not well grounded
and they clustered about in grief. and with
tears, to attest to their sympathy for the
stricken father and mother in the hour of
their great affliction. Mrs. Clark's distress
was pitiful, as she bowed her head on the
table in front of her and gave way to her
emotions. Harry Clark bent over her to
comfort her, being apparently the most com
posed person i'll the circle: and his father,
with blood, shot eyes, added his entreates.
Turning to her son, Mrs. Clark kissed him
as the tears flowed down her cheeks, and
Miss Alec fearful and distressed. en-
braced him
Judge Smith announced Monday as the
time for passing sentence, and the defend
ant was removed by Deputy Sheriff Davis.
The audience quickly dispersed, the gen
being that the punishment which must be
visited upon the condemned man was Just
All were glad that he had escaped the gal
lows, though agreeing, for the most part
that under the instructions of the court a
verdict of murder in the first degree would
have been justifable. They felt that the
crime had been deliberate, cold-blooded, and
without excuse.
Either Harry Clark was guilty of murder
in the first degree. or innocent. The evi-
dence did not admit for moment pre-
sumption of innocence. Yet the prevailing
sentiment was well expressed by one man.
who said: "under a strict Interpretation of
the law, he is guilty of murder in the first
degree, and deserves to he hung: but. Judged
solely according to mems conscences. per
haps imprisonment will prove a more salts
factory punishment"
Clark himself on the way back to the iail
expressed himself freely. He said he
thought the verdict was most unjust. in view
of the evidence 1t is not believed. however.
that he will care to risk conviction in the
first degree by appealing his case, or asking
for a new trial