The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-08
SMOOTH ONE
IS CAPTURED
Exhorter Clark Taken
Here for Crime in
Michigan.

J
and Young Mems Christian Association
worker, who has been living for some
months in Honolulu and taking some
part in the Y M. C. A. work here, was
arrested yesterday afternoon at the
Castle Home, King street, by Chief De
tective Taylor on a charge of forgery.
He is wanted in Barry county, Michi-
gan, where he is charged with having
got away with $500, the amount of a
forged check, and also with his wife IS
sister
Clark IS arrest came as great shock
to a number of persons in Honolulu, his
evident zeal as Christian worker and
his engaging manner having won him
many friends here among the Y. Nd. C.
A. leaders and in church circles. His
sister-in-law, with whom he has been
living as her husband, has also formed
a large circle of friends.
The crime with which he is charged
took place in Freeport, Michigan, on
July "a, 1905, when he is said to have
cashed in a check on bank there
drawn on a Dayton, Ohio, bank, for
$500. The check was a forgery, but
Clark was not around to explain when
this was discovered He had received
call to travel and took along with
him as travelling companion the
younger sister of his wife, leaving his
wife and family behind him. His
fitting from Freeport was a decided
sensation, as he had been the pastor OF
the Congregational church there for the
eighteen months preceding. Among
the other pulpits that he had graced
were those of the Congregational
churches of Benton Harbor and Belding,
Michigan, and Billings, Montana.
Clark is a very intelligent man, aside
from preaching having been admitted
to the bar in Michigan. He is forty
years old
The news that Clark was a much
wanted man came in letter to Gov
ernor Carter from the Sheriff Of Barry
county, Michigan, his excuse for writ
ing direct to the Governor being his
confessed unfamiliarity with the gov
ernment of the Hawaiian Islands. The
letter, in part, said:
"Last February there was a man by
the name or w. D. Clark, may have
some alias, in Honolulu, who, we are
informed, was preaching for the Y. NJ
C. A. there; maybe selling books.
eve have reason to think he is still
in Honolulu. We enclose a descrlp-
ton of the man, also good photograph
of him. which was issued shortly after
the crime was committed. He de-
parted from here with his wife g sister; !;
whether she is with him now, We do
not know; she is dressmaker by trade.
If he is still in Honolulu, we would like
to have YOU cablegram us at our ex-
pense; if he is there, kindly hold him
until we can come for him, which we
will do at once, as we want him very
badly. We viii appreciate any favors
that YOU can show us very much. Ii
he has left there, please write us par
ticulars. There is warrant out for
him for forgery.
The letter, photograph and descrlp-
ton were forwarded to the Sheriff ana
passed BY him on to Detective Taylor.
Clark was at once recognized from his
photograph and he was arrested lmme-
diatelv. He confessed at once that he
was the man wanted, stating that he
had been long expecting the arrival OF
the nolice for him and adding that now
that arrest had come he felt relieved
In further conversation with Taylor.
ba stated that he had been on the point
of surrendering himself to the Michigan
authorities and going back to face the
music. being dissuaded only by letters
received from his sister there. Since
coming to Honolulu eighteen months ago
he has taught school, first at the Mills
Institute. then at Hilo and lately at
mission in this city. The woman VINO
had been represented here as his wlte
was with him at the time OF his arrest