The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-05-24
A Man Crazed by Mean Whiskey
liz ! and Foolish Jealousy
,sztE FtYF
T'ERROIZE Us 4 TOWN.
Clark Thought Mrs. Purcell Had Kept
Girl He Loved Away From Elim and
He Started Out to Be Re-
yenged. and Pays the
Penalty.


Crazsd by drink and with his jealous
heart inf ,med with reVen2e, jaime
a. Clark, the night Telegraph opera
tor at C1am blee, Ca, ran amuck Tues
day night, May Is, killed one man,
shot five others, threatened the lives
Of several women, including the
young girl with whom he was In
ratuated madly, set fire to house
crowded with women aud children
who were seeking safety from his
bullets and then fad into DunWoodie,
| five miles distance, left death In his
wake and escaped to the woods, where
be is defying all who seek bis capture.
While it Ia known that whiskey had
much to do with Clark's frightful
tragedy, it is also certain that wild
| infatuation for little girl-sister OF
Mrs. viii Purcell, where he, boarded
is responsible for the terrible climax
that was reached as above stated.
CLARK, twenty seven years OF age. q
victim of white swelling for years
and more recently near death from
meningitis, had followed the insane
and abnormal hallucinatton that little
Annie Gay, fourteen years Of age,
was In Iowa with him. ....
Blinded to reason by his madness,
he cIung to his false theory, slowly
but sut-sy weaving the awful tragedy
upon whose very threshold be warned
his victima--but too late. Return
Ing to the home Of Will J. Purcells,
where he bad been bosrder sinoe
last fall, Clark told Mrs. Purcell
Tuesday morning that she had in
terfsrred with his love affair.
Clark vas lived with rage.
Mrs. Purcell, alone in her home,
stood aghsst at the delirious insanity
of her aocuser. She was speechless In
her terror.
"You have prevented me from be.
ing happy" cried CLARK at the Purcell
home.
For your interference into my
aft .irsI will kill you, your husband,
your father, your m )ther, yorr sister,
YOUR sista,-in-law and your children"
Mrs. Purcell listened in silence-a
silence she could not hreak for her
90 wer OF speech was gone.
1T you tell this," and Clark stepp.
ed closer to the transfiXed woman, /
will blow your brains out; promise or
I will kill you in your tracks"
Mra. Purcell summoned her strength
and fsd to her fathers home, the
next door. She gave the alarm.
@ lickly Captain E. s. Purcell. the
father. who was at one time deputy
sheriff OF DeKalh county, and is now
nue of the most prominent citizens OF
Chamblee, called the members OF hts
family together. A few neighbors,
who were passing, we're called Into
the house for protection IN meeting
the man who was SOON to make good
his threats. =.
In the home when Clark arrived
we're ten men, women and children
besides Capt. Purcell. Clark ap'
preached the house firing perfect
fusilade of shots. He had three re-
volvers and shotgun, all Of which he
kept going. AS be stepped on the
porch he stopped firing.
Inside the door we're Captain Pur-
cell, his married son, VIII Purcell,
and his three neighbors, Pearce
Realty, W. s. Mask and B Frank
Bolton.
These men on the inside had deter
mined to defend their lives and the
lives Of the women and children be
bind them with pistnls and clubs.
Clark gave a terrific knock upon the
door With the hutt OF revolver.
"What 10 YOU want" asked Captain
Purcell, calmly.
ITO see you," was the quick an
swer.
"G, to the station, then" said
Pu-cell, land I will see you there"
Clark answered with shot from
his pistol. -.
Then Clark fred vollav after Vollev
into the door, Using his pistols and
shotgun.
The 6oor vas shot into splinters,
but the lock held firm.
"Gcod hive to all of you he cried
In his frenzy, as he rushed from the
door, returning the next instant with
an axe. which he had taken from the
wnnd pile in the yard.
R,ulflv be drove the blade into the
wond.work o. the door snd frame.
Cautain Purcell saw the demon
vnnld soon enter unless checked.
The vnllev went crashing through
the wreck nf the door.
Clarke scraame1, his crrses az he
caught his left arm, bowling In rage
and pain. He had boen shot In the
wriot, the bullet going up the arm
and coming out at the elbow.
Again the bullets answered from
the party In the hall aud Clark reel
ed from the porch with bullet In bis
abdomen, and sought refuge behind a
tree, where he reloaded his guns and
poured q murderous fire into the
house.
In the darkness Clark then quietly
slipped from behind the tree, retreat
cd to the station got half gallon can
full of oil and returned to the Purcell
homo.