The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-12
THE STORY OF EUGENE ARAM

Walt Mason, in the Kansas City Star
crime and trial of Eugene Aram
appealed to Thomas Hood and
and the other a book about the murderer
with the result that the name of a rather
commonplace manslayer remains house
hold word and is considered something
to conjure with by lawyers and orators.
Sc much sympathy for Eugene. was Gre
ated by Hoods poem that determined
efforts have been made at various times
and by various writer's to prove that he
was martyr, but the evidence against
him was too conclusive to be argued
away. One little matter has always been
overlooked by his defenders. On the
morning of the day that saw his execu-
ton, he admitted that he deserved his
punishment, and attempted to commit
suicide with a razor.
One balmy day in 1853 some intelligent
British workmen were engaged in dig
ging out stone in quarry near Knares-
borough when they came upon a human
lected and taken to town and the viii
layers engaged in d guessing contest as to
whose they might be; then one of the
Oldest inhabitants remembered that
man named Daniel Clark hadsmysterious-
ly disappeared some Is years ago. Daniel
had a rather rancid reputation and had
caused the local constables some annoy
ance. so 1t was taken for granted when
he dropped out. that he had sought a
change of climate. However. now that
the bones were found, everybody felt
quite sure that he must have been muir
dered. Then another of the oldest inhab-
itarts recollected that Clark used TO be
quite intimate with man named House
man and somebody else was sure that
when Clark was last seen he was in
Housemans company.
Mr.. Houseman, who also had some
what ragged reputation, still infested the
community, so he was rounded up by the
centurions and asked to explain the dis
appearance of his old time running mate.
At first he professed to be greatly shocked
that anybody would think him guilty OF
contributing to Daniels disappearance
His righteous indignation was worth 60
ing miles to see. But when he had spent
.a few days in the village tolbooth, his,
conscience got in it's work, and he made a
confession. The bones which had been
due nm were not those of Daniel Clark.
He didn't know whose they were. Daniel
was buried in an entirely different place,
and he guided the officers to the proper
spot. They went to work with spades
and dug up the bones of the late Mr..
Clark. That he had been murdered was
obvious. Some of his bones-4were frac-
tured and his skull had been caved in.
In the excitement and enthusiasm over
this discovery the original bones were
forgotten, and the mystery they repre-
sented never was cleared up. They also
Indicated murder, but the sea must give
up its dead before the identity of the vic
tim will be established.
Then Mr.. Houseman made an elaborate
explanation of the whole business. He
and Clark and Eugene Aram had been
associated for some time in a general
scheme of swlndling. Aram, who was
educated and clever, directed operations
work. Aram wasn't exactly popular with
his associates. He was domineering and
treated them contemptuously. He spent
his evenings in his cottage, reading and
studying, while they were out rustling,
and then they had to call upon him Rnd
divide the spoil. Naturally, they felt that
their faces were being ground by the iron
heel of tyranny.
One evening they made an. especially
good haul. having disposed of some goods
which had been obtained by fraud, and
when they called upon Eugene to declare
a dividend he complained that the cottage
was close and stuffy and invited them
to take a walk with him. .Aram and
Clark went on ahead, into field. Pres
emily Houseman heard them quarreling
and then heard the sickening thud of
club striking human flesh. lie ran to the
scene of the disturbance and found Clark
lying dead. Houseman was badly ratified
and ran away. The next day he visited
Arams cottage, and Eugene threatened
him with all kinds of catastrophes II