Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-02-09

an accomplished gentleman, devoted
only to his profession and his home
circle, which to him was the hottest
place of earth, and j. Wilkes Booth,
when temporarily visiting Philadel.
phia, made his home with Clarke. On
the morning of the 18th of April, 1865,
while Clarke was shaving himself he
was shocked by a terrible scream
from his wife, who had the morning
paper brought up to her before she
left her bed. When Clarke rushed to
his wife and inquired the cause of her
disturbance she pointed to the terrible
headlines in the paper announcing
that J. wilkes Booth had murdered
the President. Language could not
define the terrible blow to Clarke and
his wife. She was not in vigorous
health, and while vainly trying to
calm her hysterical agony. United
States Marshal knocked for admit
lance, placed a guard about the house
and permitted none to enter or leave
It. Clarke was notified that he and
his wife were under arrest for com.
plicity in the murder of Lincoln. The
officer knew Clarke well and knew
that he was entirely guiltless of any
knowledge OF the murderous purposes
of his erratic brother-n.law, but the
whole nation was shocked and every
possible source of information relating
to the conspiracy was seized by the
omnipotent power Of the Government.
The house was carefully searched,
and, Of course, nothing found to indi.
cate that the murder had been consid.
cred there. Clarke was taken as
prisoner to Washington committed to
the old capital prison, but no charge
was made against him. and when the
case was finally unraveled and the
guilty parties discovered, he was Civ.
en- his freedom without conditions, and
thereby publicly acquitted of all par.
ticipation in, or knowledge of. the
crime Of Booth. Mrs. Clarke was held
for some time as captive in her own
house. where a few weeks after the
liberation OF her husband, Creston
Clarke, the present distinguished dra.
matte artist, well known throughout
the land. was born.
Clarke's high hopes of a long and
successful dramatic career in this
country were suddenly ended. and he
went to London with his family. He
never severed his relations with his
old friends here, and evidently had
great pride in the country that he felt
he could visit only as a stranger. |
remember him calling at my house
one morning when he was filling an
engagement in this country some III.
teen or eighteen years ago, and he
left with me his check for $500 as a
contribution for a popular celebration
OF the Fourth of July, then a few days
distant 1t was easy to see that he
was broken.hearted, and II was hard
for him to say that his wife had not
visited her home country because of
her infrm health and great sufferings
during sea voyage, but between the
lines could be well understood the
fact that Mrs Clarke never could en-
terrain the idea of visiting the United
States, where the crime OF her broth.
er would be on every tongue. Clarke
won fame and fortune abroad, and al.
ways had large investments in this
country, but his life was ever over.
Swallowed in the terrible clouu of sor-
row that hung like a pail over him
and his household.
CrestOn Clarke grew up as a boy in
London entirely ignorant of the crime
that attached to his family until one
day when 10 years OF age, while play.
ing with some American boys in Lon.
don, one of them asked him whether
he was related to the Booth who HAD
murdered Lincoln. The boy was
dumbfoundcd, and Immediately ran
home and asked his mother what IT |
meant. With tears in her eyes, she |
simply answered.: ASK your father"
lie did so, and then for the first time .
learned the story that had brought .
consuming and ineffaceable sorrow to'I
his parents. Mrs. Clarke lived only AZ |
the altar of her home and family. ard
was personally unknown in London.
save to very few trusted friends.
She died broken-hearted and welcom.
ed the grave as giving the peace that
life refused. A few years ago Clarke
followed her to the long home for
which both had sighed through many
years.
Another sad life was a most pathet. |
lc echo OF the assassination of Lincoln
Tor more than quarter of century.
On the night of the l4th of April, Ed |
win Booth, brother of j. Wilkes Booth, |
played to a crowded house in Boston
III the character of Sir Edward Nor. |
inner and the next morning when he
read the terrible announcement Of the
assassination of incoI, a., ,,,... ...... I