New-York tribune., 1899-12-24
TRIES MURDER IN A CROWD
ACTOR ATTEMPTS TO KILL HIS WIFE
AND CHILD.
THEN COMMITS SUICIDE IN FRONT OF THE
FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL-THINK
HE WAS INSANE
HE WAS INSANE.


HE WAS INSANE.
Willis Clark forty-two years old variety
actor OF No. As West Twenty y-fourth-st.. tried
to Kill his wife and little child and then COM
mtted suicide in front Of the Fifth Avenue
Hotel yesterday afternoon at o'clock, when
that busiest Of thoroughfares was the most
crowded He fired four shots one at his little
girl. two at his wife. and then placed the muzzle
Of the revolver in his mouth and fired. The
street at the time was congested with people
The affair caused the greatest excitement
Men and women scattered. The tragic and SEN
satonal deed occurred in front Of the Second
National Bank. which is in the Fifth Avenue
Hotel building. This was ten feet from Twenty
thiri-st, and right in front Of one Of the Dewey
columns
Clark, his wife and little girl were walking
north in F.fth-ave. Clark was on the inside
his wife next to him. and the little girl had hold
Of her mothers hand. The crowd so dense
that the trio were sandwched in between a
column Of women and men in front and be-
hind
Clark called the attention OF his wife 10 one
Of the Dewey columns. The woman turned her
head. Then suddenly Clark pulled revolver
from his pocket, and aiming at his wife. fired
two shots. HI fired another at the child. but the
pushing. 1ostling. screaming throng pushed his
arm, and the shot went up. Two OF the bullets
passed through his wife's hat. The crowd
scattered in all directions. Clark had a clear
space then for himself
KILLED HIMSELF DELIBERATELY
He placed the muzzle Of the revolver delib-
erately in his mouth and fired. He fell with a
scream. amid pandemonium Of shrieks.
Policeman Schlotman OF the West Thirtieth-
ST. station, who is stationed at Twenty-thirdst.
end Fifth-ave., heard shots and saw the COM
motion He made a drive through the panic
stricken crowd. and reached Clark just he
fell. Thinking that the alive. he sat
On him and wrested the revolver from his hand.
Then he saw ne was dead Suddenly Captain
Price, Of the Tenderon station. appeared. He
spoke a few words with Policeman Schlotman.
felt Of the mans wrist and said he dead.
Captain Price then ordered another policeman
to send for ambulance from the New-Hork
Hospital. This done al once
Captain Price turned TO the woman who all
this time seemed dazed. BY degrees she recov-
cred her consciousness and began to cry. The
ambulance surgeon bent over the man. looked
up and whispered to the policeman.
He's dead isn't he?" asked some one in the
crowd. and Policeman Schlotman nodded. Cap
tain Price placed Mrs. Clark and her little girl
in a cab and had them taken to the West Thr-
tleth-st station. The body Of the man was also
taken there.
The excitement and the scamperng Of the
crowd at the time Of the tragedy were indescrio-
able. Terrified people narrowly escaped being
run over by cabs No one. so far as known, was
hurt or hit by any of the shots fred at wife and
THE wIFE's STORY.
After the woman and the child had reached
the West Thirtieth-st station, they were taken
into the private Office Of Captain Price Mrs
Clark is about thirty years old. Her name is
Kate. and her little girl is ten years old and
named Dollie Mrs. Clark told the following
story:
Twelve years ago | married 70 my hus-
band willis Clark, in Cincinnati. My home is
in Kenton Ohio and my people live there now
NV husband was a comedian and song writer
Up 10 five months ago he was constantly EN-
Moved He was a member OF the company OF
sam T Jack and when his playhouse was closed
nv husband lost his situation. Failing TO get
work in this city. he went to Chicago thlnN
this was about five months ago.
on December 10 my husband returned from
Chicago He came TO the place where We were
boarding and had been there but few days
rben Mrs Hoeree asked him for the 5000 he
owed TO her Ny husband said that he did not
have the money. and promised to pay as soon
a he should get IL. MIS-. fotItt lH'Il 'iHtI'N
him 10 leave the house. Ny husband went 10
Bodies at Twenty -fourth-st. and Sixth-ave
This morning my husband sent letter 10 me
to meet him at BODIES. saving ne had importaht
things 10 tell me- At 80 o'clock this afternoon
7 reached BODIES. He asked me 10 take short
walk with him. ! consented. He was moody
and talked but little. When opposite the fl1th
Avenue Hotel he called my attention 10 some
thing. and without warning pulled revolver
and hlaZed away.
I think my husband is insane He has often
I ~ h~r.
Of Kenton who has some kind of an office. once
told him that II he threatened my life again
he would come 70 New-York and do him harn.
Even his mother told me before we were married
that I would have trouble with hrn as MS nllhd
was affected.
To give YOU some idea of what he Is capable
Of Yesterday a Gerry Society man came 70 the
house 10 take my child from me-. My husband
cent him there After the agent had investi-
gated the case ne refused 70 take the child.
KNOWN AMONG VAUDEVILLE ACTORS.
Clark for many years had spent the most ~
his time writing jokes for minstrel men and
comedians. II is known that many Of the
well known monologists have been furnished
with Jokes by him Four months ago Clark got
ont a periodical called Willis Clarks Joke
Book" He published it monthly for two months,
and then decided to issue it quarterly. The
book. II is said gained little circulation among
vaudeville actors Clark was we'll known among
this class Of theatrical people
When the news Of the tragedy was taken to
Mrs. Hoeree by a reporter she said that Mrs.
clark and her daughter Dolly had left the house
IN the morning Her last words were Good
by | know he will surely Kill US she told
Of Clark's financial condition Tor the last SIX
months. and thought that this was the cause
Of the tragedy.
4 VENEZUELAN GENERAL KILLED.