The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-11-26
WOMAN HOMICIDE
DEFENDS HER ACT
BEFORE THE COURT
Christine Clark Appears to
Answer for Killing Her
Divorced Husband.

Vermillion, S. D., Nov. 20.-When
Mrs. Christina Clark TOOK her place
beside her counsel in the court room
this morning to answer for the killing
Vt her former husband at her home
In Alsen, this county, August IS, she
presented the appearance OF a stole
TO whom the proceedings mad less than
passing interest. When she came into
The court room attended by Sheriff
Kempker, who br ought the prisoner up
from Elk Point last evening, h gave
no sign OF recognition or greeting to
her counsel nor to any one else in
the court room, but maintains an at
titude of stolid Indifference. The ac-
Cused woman Is looking well and bears
no expression on her face to indicate
that she has, while imprisoned the past
two months, been under unusual strain.
Attorneys Erickson and Stickney, of
Elk Point, and j. L. Holley, Of this
Iity, have charge of the defense, while
County Attorney r. b. Heallv has Dean
Sterling, of the university law school,
associated with him in the prosecution.
The regular Venire of, jury men was
yesterday exhausted at the morning
session, and at 2 o'clock a special venire
of so men appeared. IT is expected
that the jury will be completed some
time tomorrow. a,,.
The questioning of jurors INDUCED
by attorneys for the accused woman
indicate that insanity will play an
important part in the defense and
more sensational developments are ex-
pected to appear as the trial proceeds.
History of the Crime. ..
The trouble in the Clark family goes
back some years Mr.. and Mrs. Clark
were married some 16 or u years ago.
Three children, all boys, were born to
their union. Trouble commenced to
spring up between the two people until
about four years ago, in a quarrel, Mrs.
Clark drew a revolver and fired at
Clark, hitting him In the arm and caus-
ing a very painful wound. Nothing
was done in the matter, and things
continued to get worse until last fall
they were given q divorce by the court
III this county.
After the divorce was granted, Clark
went to Michigan, Wyo., and other
places, coming back TO Beresford, a
town some 10 miles from his old farm.
early last summer IT gems that Mrs.
Clark asked him to come down to the
farm, which he did on several occa-
!sionS, and finally, during q part of Au-
he remained there a few days. On
the afternoon of August Is last, he was
o the second time by the same WON
an, and his time fatally. Following is
ian account of the shooting as given by
Erick Messler, the first man upon the
G -t..s A. ...... .#
Mr.. Messler and Carl Lindgren, his
nephew, of Sioux City, were in q
granary on Messler's farm just across
the road from the Clark place, on the
of the shooting. Hearing
coming from the Clark home,
they hurried as fast as they could
toward the road. Messler stated fur
ther that when near the Clark home he
saw Clark limping from the house
town r6S the road RlnEalU fnllnpJad hu
Mrs. Clark. When about half way from
the house to the ROAD Mrs. Clark turned
to the house, and Clark continued
toward him, falling before he reached
the road. When Messler reached him
he was apparently in great agony, and
said: she got me his time for sure:
here is the u she did 1t with: lake 1t
and keep it," and handed him a re-
Volver. F'.. .. .% E.
Wound Was Fatal. i
The wounded man hen asked for a
doctor, who was phoned for by Dan,
D brother of Messler. Clark was taken
into the house of Dan Messler and
placed on a lounge, where he remained
until the physicians arrived in an au-
tomobile. Clark was then asked If
had been any trouble between
him and his former wife on that day
Or the day or two previous, to which
replied that there had not. He said
that afternoon he was sitting in
The dining room reading a paper. Mrs.
Clark came in and asked for a part of
the paper, which was given her. She
then went over to a lounge in the same
'oom and, in a reclining posture, began
10 read. In a little while, without say
ng a word, she got up and went into
he bedroom. Returning, she walked
to him, placed a revolver to
his side and fired, He managed to take
he smoking gun from the woman and
out of the house, as has been
The doctors We're unable to do any
hing for the dying nan and he suf-
cred greatly during that night and
lied at 7:45 on the morning of the F..
9th. Mrs. Clark was arrested and
brought to this city the same day, but
wing to the lack OF a decent county
all here, h was placed in the Union
jail at Elk Point, where she re-
NAMED up to the present time.