Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-11-27
WOMAN HOMICIDE
DEFENDS Her ACT
BEFORE The COURT
Christine Clark Appears to
Answer for Killing Her
Divorced Husband.

Vermillion, $. D., Nov. 20.-When
Mrs. Christina Clark took her place
beside her counsel in the court room
this morning to answer for the kllilng
of her former husband at her home
in Alsen, this county, August ~, she
presented the appearance OF a stolc
to whom the proceedings had less than
| passing interest. When she came INTO
the court room attended by Sherl1
Kempker, who brought the prisoner up
from Elk Point last evening, she gave
no sign of recognition or greeting to
her counsel nor to n 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 OF her face TO indicate
that she has, while imprisoned the past
two months, been under unusual strain.
Attorneys Erickson and Stickney, or
Elk Point, md j.. l.. Holley, of this
city, have charge of the defense, while
County Attorney +. Is. 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. 1t is expected
h the jury will be completed some
time tomorrow.
The questioning of jurors INDUCED
by Attorneys for the accused woman
indicate thai 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 II 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 anG fired at
Clark, hitting him in the arm and caus-
ing a very painful wound. Nothing
was lone in the matter. and things
continued to get worse until last fall
they were given q divorce by h court
in 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. 1t seems that Mrs.
Clark asked him to come down TO the
farm, which he did on several occa-
sions, and finally, during a part of Au-
gust, he remained there a few lays. on
the afternoon of August Is last, he was
shot the second time by the same worn-
an, and this time fatally. Following is
an account of the shooting as given by
Erick Messler, the first man upon the
scene:
Mr.. Messler and Carl Lindgren. his
nephew, of Sioux City, were in q
CANARY on Messler's farm just across
the road from the Clark place, on the
afternoon of the shooting. Hearing
shouts coming from the Clark home,
they hurried as fast as they could
toward the road. Messler stated fur
| thar that when npar the Clark home ha
saw Clark limping from the house
towards the road, closely followed by
Mrs. Clark. When about half way from
the house to the road Mrs. Clark turned
back 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 this time for sure;
here is the gun she did it with; take it
and keep it," and handed hin a re-
Volver.
Wound Was Fatal.
The wounded man then asked for a
doctor, who was phoned for by Dan,
q 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 IL
there had been n trouble between
him n his former wife on that day
or the day or two previous, to which
he replied that there had not. He said
that 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
room and, in a reclining posture, began
TO read. In a little while, without say
ing a word. she got up and went into
the bedroom. Returning, she walked
directly to him. placed a revolver to
his side and fired. He managed to take
the smoking gun from the woman and
come out of the house, as has been
stated.
The doctors were unable to do any
thing for the dying man and he suf-
fered greatly during that night and
died at 7:45 on the morning of the
18th. Mrs. Clark was arrested and
brought to this city the same day, but
owing to the lack of a decent county
jail here, she was placed in the Union
county Jail at Elk Point, where she re-
manned up to the present time.