The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-07-01
A CHASTITY FIND,
Corpse Of Unknown Suicide Found
South of Kimban.
Thought to be Body of Clark the
Hutchinson County Murderer.

l
While out iii search Of a lost hog, Dav.
lid Freeland made q horrible discovery
Saturday evening, just at dusk, In Bulls
lgrove, eleven miles south and east OF
Kimball. The old gentleman had a dog
with him, and 1t was owing to the fuss
made by the dog that he was induced to
enter the thicket. thinking perhaps that
the hog was in there. Peering through
the thick mass of underground he saw a
mans hat, and little closer inyesttga.
tion revealed a sight Uncle Dave will
not soon forget. Partly propped against
q tree was the body of a man and in a
horrible state Of decomposition. This,
together with the stencil which came
from the find, almost oyerpowered the
old gentleman and he got away from the
spot as quickly as possible and made
known his CHASTITY discovery.
Coroner Adams was i'll and in his stead
early next morning Justice Maynard
went to tile scene with several men and
so far as they wera able to do SO with the
body In the condition 1t was, held an in
quest. The verdict was suicide. Lying
in the lap of the unknown, with the butt
between the legs and the muzzle point
ing slightly upward was big Colts .45
and through the top OF the head "a great
hole was bored which must have brought
instantaneous death. On the body was
also found another revolver of .3S caliber
and between four and five hundred cart
ridges and some empty shells. The
cartridges were mostly contained in a
saddle bag and in belt around the
waist Of the dead man. All the belong
ings were new, including a fine deer's
foot knife, and bore the marks O. a we'll
known Chicago supply house. Between
twenty and twenty-five dollars in money
were found in his pockets. but not a
scrap Of paper or other property to reveal
his identity. A grave was made after
the inquest and the remains buried on
the spot, without casket, sliroud, or cere-
mony, and in SO doing, David Freeland,
as undertaken, found silver watch.
II is the general belief that the body
was that Of Stephen Clark, the Hutchin-
son county murderer, for whom there
has been standing reward Of $500 by
the state since he shot his wife and
daughter near belmont on the 9th Of
June. Clark has been closely pursued
ever since and was last seen minus his
horse, on which he took flight, about ten
days ago at the Missouri, which 1t is sup
posed he was trying to cross and get out
of the country. The description and
photographs OF the man tally with the
appearance OF the body found as noar as
could be expected with the remains in
the condition they were. Tho sheriff Of
Hutchinson county, A. H. DAVIS, had out
circular descriptions Of Clark with a
photograph, one Of which was left here
with B. +. Ochsner by a travelling man.
The circular describes Clark as man
s feet II inches high, "A years Of age and
weighing about 200 pounds. The find
ing Of SO much ammunition, together
with the firearms on the body discover
ed in the grove, with the fact that 1t was
known throughout this part OF the coun-
try that the man Clark whom officers
| and posses wore in search OF was heavily
armed and with abundant supply Of am.
munition, at once suggested the idea
that the body was that Of the murderer
and fugitive, which subsequent facts
have but confirmed. The suppOsition is
that Clark left the river country and was
working his way north, and becoming
discouraged at the difficulties of escape,
and perhaps remorse, took his own life.
The man whom dozens Of men have
been chasing for the past two weeks or
more was known to be CT desperate
| character, and the orders were to take
him, dead or alive. At the time of the
shooting which made him fugitive up:
en- the face of the earth, and with a fear
OF all men, be was not living with his
wife. owing to domestic difficulties, bn,
| his daughter was keeping house for him
i On-the day mentioned in the foregoing
he followed his wife to a neighbors and
shot her and not being satisfied witt
this, turned and shot his daughter also
The daughter fingered week or ter
z days and died; the mother is not expect
ed to recover. II the body found by Un
Gle David Freeland is really that of Clarl
he met the fate he deserved, the death o
a dog and the burial otone.
LATER Since tho foregoing was place.
in type, there arrived here Wednesda,
night, Sheriff Davis, DR.. G. D. Fox, State
: Attorney Dimmock and Attorney Hooper
all of Hutchinson county. Dr.. Fox wa
Clark's family physician. They came t
identify the body OF Clark. If it is raall
his, which in fact they are certain Q
Z since arriving aud gaining full particu
9 lars. At this writing Thursday morn
! ing there is some hitch between th
. authorities here and the Hutchinso
I county officials over allowing the bod
y to be exhumed without guarantee {
I the expense to which this county ha
g 4 ec -