The Saint Paul globe., 1904-01-25
.CHARcESf)RMERV|FE
WITH(INcEND|ARISM
Wealthy Omaha Man Believes
She Is Responsible for the
Burnfnd of His Mills.

, woman suspected of being responsible
for the burning of the Model flour mills
in that city on the night of Dec. 81, is
believed to be somewhere in St Paul,
and yesterday John C. Clark, one of the
proprietors of the Model mills, came to
ST. Paul to assist in the search for. the
woman.
The Model mills were owned and
operated by Rufus l.. Clark, John G.
Clark, and their father, M. L. Clark,
one of the wealthiest families in Oma-
ha- On New Years eve the mill was
burned, the loss being about 100000.
An investigation into the origin of the
fire made by the C1arks led to the dis
covery of persons who had seen a
woman in the vicinity of the mill short
ly. before, and Immediately after. the
fire broke out, and the finding of bot
tie which had contained kerosene con-
firmed the suspicion that the mill had
been fired by an incendiary.
Other persons were found who stated
that the Hill, woman,., who is the di-
vorced wife of Rufus H. Clark, had Of
fefed them money TO burnSthe mill, and
others stated that the woman had
made threats that she would get even"
with her former husband by burning
the mill if it took her twenty years to
do so.
After thorough investigation of the
matter the Clarks were led to believe
that the woman was implicated and
the police of all the cities in the Middle
West were asked to keep lookout for
her. On Friday, the Clarks received in
formation which led them to think the
woman wasf in St. Paul, and j. c..
Clark, the youngest brother, came to
the city, arriving yesterday morning.
When seen at the Merchants hotel last
night Mr.. Clark admitted that he was
here in search of his former sister-in-
law, but declined to say whether or not
he had secured any trace of her.
The burning of.the Model mills and
the subsequent suspicion cast upon the
former wife of one of the proprietors
caused profound sensation in Omaha.
The Clarks are wealthy and prominent
in Omaha society, and the woman who
is now charged with the crime was
much seen in society before her di-
verce, which was the society scandal Of
the year in the Nebraska metropolis.
A paltry .alimony is said to. be the
cause for the young womanS alleged
act in burning the mill. She sued for
$4,000, and when the decree of the
court was announced, awarding her
but $1,000, she swore vengeance. The
wealth and influence of the entire Clark
family is said to have been arrayed
against her in her efforts to secure
what her attorneys declared was rea-
sonable alimony.
atead 1xro,,,
and pretty. She is the daughter of
wealthy parents at Webster City, Iowa,
and was married to Rufus l.. Clark at
Davis City, Iowa, Jan. 9, 1890, the mar
riage being a secret one. At the time
of her marriage Miss Minnow Hill was
but sixteen years old, and the marriage
was not looked upon favorably by
Clark'S parents, who were at that time
the wealthiest people in Southern Iowa.
Five years ago the Clark families
located in Omaha, where they con-
structed the Model mills, the largest in
the city, Rufus Clark and his wife did
not get along well together, and the
husbands brother and father did not
receive the wife into their homes. Re-
gardless of this fact the woman, with
her strong personality, gained a place
in Omaha society, and the disappear
ance OF her husband two years ago
with a woman of the town, followed by
his arrest and Indictment, gave the
people of Omaha the first revelation of
the dark side of the domestic life of
the couple.
Detectives employed by Mrs. Clark
disclosed the fact that her husband
had been leading a dual life. Out in
the fashionable residence district of
the city, where Clark and his wife re-
sided, he maintained a home in keep
ing with the faristocratic neighborhood.
But Clark found little pleasure in the
company of ihfs wife. For months he
would leave in the morning and not
return untiISlate' at night. His abb
Sence was explained to his wife by the
statement that the mill was running
day and night and that he had not
time to comet home to his meals. Final
ly the wife's suspicious were aroused,
and she paid a visit to the mill, which
she found dark. She returned home
and waited fon her husband, who re-
turned homo late at night with the
same old story that the mill had been
running late. The husband was ap-
prised of the fact that his wife had
been to the mill, and the next day he
Disappeared from Omaha
Husband and Mistress Disappear.
1t, was then that the wife learned
that her husband had been maintain-
ing home in the down-to town district
of the, city, where. he spent, the even
ings she had supposed him to be at
the mill. The woman whom Clark had
established in the downtown house
disappeared from Omaha at the same
time that Clark did, and the police
We're notified. >, g-k
Clark and the woman with whom he
disappeared travelled from one city to
another. with the police of the country
looking for them. Six weeks after their
departure s>they were arrested in Kansas
City, and Clark was brought back to
Omaha, where he was later indicted The
wealth behind him saved him from go
ing to prison, but the trouble is said to
have cost him several thousand dollars,
and all Omaha was stirred up over the
affair.
Mrs Clark retired from society; but re-
mained In Omaha long enough to secure
divorce She asked for 600 alimony
and was confident of securing that
amount. Clark's family came to his res
cue. The court was informed that the
husband had but little interest in the mill;
money he was supposed to have on de-
posit could not be found, it was even
instead OF, $4,000 Mrs Clark received but
$1,000 alimony Her maiden name of
Hill was restored to her. and she left
Omaha to live with relatives in Missouri.
After the divorce and thee departure OF
the former Mrs. Clark from Omaha, Rufus
l.. Clark was taken back into the partner
ship of the mill. and the divorced wife de-
sion to prevent her collecting equitable
alimony.
She declared she would get even, and
the mysterious burning Of the mills three