The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-07-05
.EX-REvEREND CLARK
GOES To PRISON
Continued from Page One).

the pulpit, but showing marks of in
tense suffering, the Rev. w. Duncan
Clark, formerly congregational minis
ter at F'reepOrt, who forged a note 70
$500 and eloped with his wife's sister t
Honolulu from which colonial city h
was brought by Sheriff F'urniss, wake,
into court after pleading guilty to for
gerry, and received his sentence f-On
Judge Smith at four o'clock TUESDAY
afternoon He listened calmly as the
Judge after a few remarks, sentenced
him to serve not less than five noI
more than seven years in Ionia prison
He was taken there yesterday noon.
Arriving with Sheriff Furniss from
Honolulu on Sunday, Mr.. Clark re-
fused to be interviewed until Tuesday
when he announced his desire to talk
for the Herald When seen in his cell
he was busily studying law. He talked
freely of his crime, appeared calm and
ready for his punishment, subdued and
penitent. In speaking of his pangs of
suffering and the consequences of sin
he clothed his words in pulpit Ian
iguage, relapsing into bitterness when
referring to the forces which led him
to commit the crime, and brushing
away tears when relating his episode
{
sister, who for seventeen years had
been an influence in cross. currents of
his life which led him finally to COM
nit several crimes. Sinking down on
the cot in his cell, with his head rest
ing in his hands he said:
when I left F'reeport I did not real
ize what 1 had done. 1 was broken
down in health from the strain under
which 1 had been. Afterward the
enormity of my crime dawned upon
me. What I suffered no one knows. I
would have returned and faced the mu-
sic some time ago had my sister not
written to me not to come. Finally I
decided to return after my term of
teaching was over. asked my sister
to write the judge about my coming
back
zone day" he continued, "I met Mr.
and Mrs. Will Carte, whom I had gone
to school with in Dayton. Their 1
knew the jig was up
In speaking of his return with Sher
Furniss, Clark was affected. Il cannot
speak too highly of the manly qualities
of Sheriff F'urniss," he said: He
treated me as a confidential friend
rather than his prisoner. I have much
to thank him for, as he never alluded
to the subject so painful to me.
II had made regular monthly pay
ments to my wife during my absence
he added. After I have served my
1 am willing to begin life over
al gain with her if she is willing
No sentence which the law can i'm
pose upon me can punish me as has
my conscience during the past two
years. First 1 want TO say that con-
trary to reports the name of Mrs. Mary
Hilton, the aged aunt of my wife, was
not signed to the check. 1t was sus-
picioned that a certain person stole it |
from a check book. This is not true.
Il might tighten my burden by say
ing unkind things about some people |
which l would not say for the world. |
I'll drink the bitterest cup first. No /
one can conceive the strain under |
which I have been laboring during the I
past seventeen years. There are things /
which cannot be revealed because they
ire too sacred. "They are the private
Kings of life. Rather than reveal any
hing which will involve others or pain
hem, I'll take my punishment from
he state"
In regard to his relations with Miss
Settard, the preacher spoke reluctant
Y: Il had always known Miss Get
ard" he said. Her life had been I'M
Happy. After leaving Freeport 1 went
o Dayton to pay her some money
which I owed her and to make arrange
nents to correspond with her at her |
ewing rooms without the knowledge
# my wife or her mother.
when 1 told her what 1 had done
he insisted upon going with me. She
III rofE avr GOV In
md we went to Chicago. There 1 was
cry ill., nearly brea king down under
he strain 1 intended at first to go to
shanghai, China, but altered by plans
nd went to Honolulu, after Miss Get
ard Joined me. I realized that she
ught not to be with me. I persuaded
er after several weeks to return TO
,aIifornia. paying her fare back to San
Francisco. I refused to write TO the
,irl but she wrote me that she was
taving at the Y w. c. A. rooms and
vas looking for work. This caused me
-reat sorrow for expected that she
vas to go to Marion, Ind, to stay with
friend She finally found work with
Irs. F. a. Stearns at No. 121 Athol
venue. Oakland. She wrote that she
Intended to return to me. She worked
NTH she saved enough to pay her fare
n Honolulu One day she surprised
ne by calling me up at Mills Institute
where l was teaching English to Chi
lese. As we had formerly been known
here as man and wife we had to live
ogether as Mr.. and Mrs. Clark.
According to a letter received yester-
ay by Sheriff Iaukea from Sheriff
7urniss. the reverend prisoner was an
asv charge. Crossing the continent
lie slept side by side with the sheriff,
ne two handcuffed together. He was
rraigned in Hastings on June Il,
waived examination and pleaded guilty
n the 18th and started off to serve his
ime at the Ionia Reformatory on the
9Th
Clark felt his situation keenly and
eemed anxious, according to Sheriff
'urniss, of getting the trial ordeal over
nd paying the penalty. He was es-
,eciauy eager to avoid meeting the
eople he had formerly known in Hast
ngs.